The Iowa baseball team dropped three of four games to Washington State this weekend in a struggling to start to the season.

After losing three consecutive days in Cleburne, Texas, in allowing more than a half-dozen runs in each game, the Hawkeyes avoided the sweep with a 14-3 win on Sunday. But that win doesn’t overshadow a 4-6 start to the season before the home opener on Monday.

Bullpen falls back to Earth

Last weekend, the Iowa relief pitching staff had a great weekend in the Stetson Tournament: 10 innings, one earned run, and 13 strikeouts. This weekend was a complete turnaround. 

In game one, the bullpen tallied eight innings after Bryson Walker’s premature start. The unit was never able to give the offense a chance, sacrificing 10 runs in a four-inning stretch. 

On Saturday, with a chance to win the game late, the relief system was detrimental to the loss yet again. Fifth-year Ben DeTaeye allowed four runs in the seventh and eighth innings, allowing the Cougars to come back and win, 6-4.  

In totality, the unit gave up 17 earned runs in just over 14 innings of work while walking eight and striking out 14 batters. New pitching coach Sean Kinney has struggled to get a ton of consistency from a unit that struggled the previous season too. 

Ben Wilmes stays hot

One Hawkeye that had question marks going into the 2025 season was fourth-year outfielder Ben Wilmes. The past two seasons have seen Wilmes split time at the position, hitting .260 from the plate and tallying 50 runs batted in. 

With the departure of outfielders Kyle Huckstorf and Sam Petersen, Wilmes has been asked to play the position more than he ever has in his Hawkeye career. So far this season, Wilmes has been one of the leaders of the Iowa offensive unit and showed why this past weekend. 

Going 5-of-15 from the plate, Wilmes was a consistent force in the lineup. He drew five walks, hit two RBIs, and moved his batting average to .366 on the season. 

Wilmes this season has been a steady presence so far, leading off for the Hawkeyes and filling in some of the big shoes that have been left by Huckstorf and Petersen over the past two years. 

Reece Beuter helps avoid the sweep

After Saturday’s disappointing loss, Iowa head coach Rick Heller put the ball in fifth-year Reece Beuter’s hands to somehow salvage the weekend. 

Beuter this season has been an unexpected plus so far in the starting rotation. Filling in the Sunday spot, Beuter has accumulated a 1.64 earned run average while holding batters to a .158 clip at the plate. 

With the series on the line, Beuter was sharp yet again. Going six innings, Beuter allowed two earned runs on six hits and his third win of the season. This is the third solid start of the season for Beuter who has made a complete 360 from last year’s performance. 

Up next

The Iowa baseball team returns to action on Monday, March 3, to face Loras College in the first home game of the season. First pitch is at 5:00 p.m. with coverage on Big Ten Plus.