Following a 44-16 season and NCAA Tournament appearance, the Iowa baseball team entered 2024 with higher expectations than any other squad in program history. They entered the season ranked No. 20 in Division 1 Baseball’s preseason poll and as heavy favorites to win the Big Ten for the first time in 33 years.

Many sportswriters and analysts listed the Hawkeyes as one of the teams that could potentially make a run to the College World Series — something the program hasn’t achieved since 1972. Though it’s a lofty prediction for a lower-tier program like Iowa, it seemed like the chips were all on the table this year.

Starting pitchers Brody Brecht, Marcus Morgan, and Cade Obermueller all returned, with Brecht and Morgan generating plenty of buzz from Major League scouts. Besides bringing back their pitching staff, the Hawkeyes also returned shortstop Michael Seegers and third baseman Raider Tello, both of whom are among the best defensive and hitting infielders in the Big Ten.

Despite all the preseason hype, Iowa has struggled to open the season and currently sits at 10-9 through the season’s first 19 games.

Though there’s still a lot of baseball left to play, the slow start has bewildered Hawkeye fans. Many are asking what has gone wrong.

Bullpen struggles

When discussing Iowa’s early struggles, the main topic has been the bullpen, which has been the Achilles’ heel for the last few campaigns.

Last season, the Hawkeye bullpen was responsible for several blown leads in crucial moments, especially in the NCAA Regionals against Indiana State. In those games, Iowa had edges of 4-2 and 6-4 but couldn’t hold them, and the Sycamores advanced to the Super Regionals.

This year, it has been even worse.

Head coach Rick Heller and his staff were optimistic heading into the season, but this unit has posted a horrible ERA of 14.00 and hasn’t shown any improvement.

Out of the 15 bullpen pitchers Iowa has used so far, second-year Aaron Savary has the lowest ERA at 3.38. Redshirt fourth-year Reece Beuter has the highest with 19.29.

Obviously, there’s a lot of time to turn the season around, but it needs to happen quickly for Iowa to still have a shot at an NCAA berth.

Missed opportunities

Because of the Big Ten’s status as one of the weaker conferences in the nation, Heller and company knew they had to schedule tough non-conference opponents to build a strong resume for the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa’s non-conference slate included matchups against Auburn, Virginia, Wichita State, and a three-game set against Ole Miss and Georgia, all of whom are regarded as some of the top programs in the country.

Despite great opportunities in front of them, the Hawkeyes only secured one victory out of these seven contests, with the lone triumph coming in the series opener against Ole Miss.

To make matters worse, Iowa had sizable leads in six of the seven games but couldn’t hold on to them, resulting in gut-wrenching defeats.

The Hawkeyes arguably have the talent to compete with anyone in the nation, but a team playing in a northern-based conference can’t afford to miss out on opportunities against SEC and ACC foes.

Though it may have seemed like a good thing entering the season, Iowa doesn’t play Big Ten stalwarts Indiana and Maryland, which would have been good chances to improve its RPI, or Rating Percentage Index, ahead of postseason play.

As of March 14, the Hawkeyes rank 71 in the latest RPI — not the most ideal situation for a team with big aspirations. For reference, Iowa’s RPI was 32 entering the 2023 postseason. For the Hawks to get anywhere near that mark, it’s going to take a big winning streak in conference play.

Extensive travel

Iowa has spent 30 of the season’s first 36 days on the road, with only three midweek home games in that timeframe. It’s one of the many challenges a team from a northern climate must face with the season beginning in mid-February.

The Hawkeyes finally have a chance to catch their breath, with three out of the next four weekend series taking place at Duane Banks Field, beginning with last weekends three wins over the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Iowa, will host Minnesota on March 29-31 and Michigan on April 5-7.

The Hawkeyes are currently 3-0 at home this season and an extended homecoming should give this club a chance to find its identity as the conference season gets underway.