Brody Brecht goes back to ballin’

IOWA CITY — The normal Friday guy was great. On a Sunday afternoon.

Which makes you wonder if he’ll go back to being the Friday guy.

Brody Brecht threw six innings of one-hit baseball as the Iowa baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of Michigan State, 5-1, on a chilly and moist day at Banks Field.

That just may have been a sigh of relief you heard coming from Brecht and his team, because the golden-armed right-hander was scuffling coming into this one. Struggling is probably the more appropriate word.

The sophomore from Ankeny hasn’t been throwing strikes, hasn’t been lasting long in games. He had ascended to the No. 1 starter’s role for the Hawkeyes (37-12) but got pushed back in the rotation this weekend to get a bit more rest and a bit more midweek work in with pitching coach Sean McGrath.

Voila!

“I never didn’t believe in myself,” Brecht said. “I was just glad that my teammates picked me up. They stuck with me through these last couple of weeks and continued to have faith in me. They hit the ball well today and made plays behind me. It was just a really good team effort today.”

In his four previous starts, Brecht hadn’t gone longer than 4 1/3 innings, including not getting out of the first two weeks ago against Penn State. He’d walked 20 batters in those starts, which spanned only 11 2/3 innings.

It’s great when you can throw a fastball 100 miles per hour, but if that fastball isn’t controlled, it’s not great.

“I think the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading the stuff that doesn’t really matter to me,” Brecht said. “This week I was just really focused on my preparation and just trusting my ability. That, and not hearing the outside noise or anything. Just trusting my stuff.”

Brecht (4-2) gave up just one single to MSU and four of his five walks came in the sixth. He struck out Sam Busch with the bases loaded to end the inning and preserve a 3-1 lead for the Hawkeyes.

Jack Whitlock finished up with three good relief innings to move Iowa to third place at 13-7 in the Big Ten Conference, 1 1/2 games behind co-leaders Maryland and Indiana. The regular season concludes this coming weekend, with Iowa playing at last-place Northwestern.

A scheduled home game Tuesday against Illinois-Chicago has been canceled.

“It was exactly what we needed, and I think it was exactly what Brody needed to get him to the next step. Hopefully he’ll finish the season strong for us,” Iowa Coach Rick Heller said.

Heller said he felt Brecht had good rhythm and pace on the mound, which was important. Having good direction to the plate was as well, something Brecht and McGrath have been working on.

“But the other side was just Brody going out there and doing it,” Heller said. “Believing in himself and attacking. Being in control and being the aggressor. I thought he did an awesome job of that today.”

Iowa had four players record two hits apiece, including Michael Seegers, who homered leading off the second. A clutch two-out, two-run single by Raider Tello in the seventh gave the Hawkeyes some needed breathing room.

Iowa has won five of six without leading hitter Keaton Anthony, who is believed to be among those suspended from competition during an ongoing investigation into student-athletes across multiple sports at the school and at Iowa State for gambling.

“I think we’ve been playing really, really solid baseball, been playing really well for about three weeks to a month,” Heller said. “To do it this weekend and last weekend under the circumstances with Keaton not in there, I think it should tell everybody the type of team this is and how special they are and how special they can be.

“How they can move on and keep playing and doing what they can control. You’ve never seen a better example of that then the last two weekends.”

Unlike last weekend, Anthony and three other suspended players were in the dugout for this series. Heller said they have been practicing with the team in case the investigation concludes and they are allowed to play again this season.

He said he has no idea if that will happen.

“The great thing is those guys have been great teammates in a tough situation,” Heller said. “We’re all hopeful there will be a decision. There may not be ... But they have to be ready, even if it’s a slim chance. Even if there’s only a five-percent change, they still have to go about their business, in case they (can play).”

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