With the game tied 3-3 in the seventh inning of game three in a pivotal series against rival Nebraska, Iowa baseball catcher Daniel Rogers stepped to the plate with runners on first and second base.
With a 2-1 count on the Hawkeye graduate transfer, he slapped a line drive down the left field line to break the tie and give Iowa the lead.
“I was just looking for a pitch in my zone to hit,” Rogers said. “With the wind blowing out pretty much all day, I was looking for something elevated. I got something elevated in my zone and put a barrel on it, and it ended up working out for me down the line there.”
The Hawkeyes went on to lose game three by a final score of 6-4, but still claimed the series victory with wins on Friday and Saturday, and Rogers was a huge factor in each game on both offense and defense.
In Iowa’s 11-6 victory on Saturday, Rogers went 1-for-2 with one run batted in and a walk. His production didn’t end there as he cut down two runners at second base, including an impressive throw off of a bounced pitch.
Daniel Rogers appreciation post.#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/GS7tzKFeAK
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) April 13, 2025
Rogers’ contributions on the offensive side come as no surprise, as he hit for a career .400 batting average in his four years at Loras College with 24 home runs and 148 RBIs, while also slugging at a .631 clip. While his offense carried over, his defense has been tremendously developed at Iowa.
“I pretty much owe all my defensive ability to Tyler Cropley, our catching coach,” Rogers said after Sunday’s loss. “He’s really morphed me into the catcher that I am, and it definitely went well for me yesterday.”
Rogers came into Iowa City with a large role to take, managing a Hawkeye pitching staff with lots of promise. His ability to work well with the pitchers and play nearly flawless defense, while also contributing offensively has made his decision to play for Iowa well worth it.
Division III and Division I baseball don’t have quite the talent gap as other sports, but there certainly were some adjustments Rogers had to make when transferring to Iowa.
“It’s definitely a little bit of an adjustment from D3 to D1,” Rogers said. “With the more games that we’ve played, I think I’ve just gotten more comfortable. The pitch speed hasn’t really been a factor in that, it’s just more so everything combining into that. It’s been a great adjustment for me so far.”
Rogers’ offensive and defensive contributions this series and all season received high praise from head coach Rick Heller.
“I think he’s one of the best catchers in the Big Ten,” Heller said. “Great receiver, he limits the running game, which Nebraska really tries to exploit you on the bases with their speed and Dan pretty much shut them down with the guys he threw out early in the series. He gets on base at a high clip and gives you a good at bat almost every time up.”