Baseball is officially back for the Iowa Hawkeyes!
After a disappointing end to last season that saw Iowa falter late in the season and the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes returned to the diamond in Arizona.
Iowa is participating in the 2026 MLB Desert Invitational, an annual event held for the past six years.
The Hawkeyes are one of eight teams participating in the weekend tournament, and it did not start the way everyone hoped.
Iowa struggled early in its first game against Kansas State, and it got out of hand fast.
The game ended 15-6 in favor of the Wildcats, and while it is only the first game of the season, it revealed a potential future issue for the Hawkeyes this summer.
The pitching staff has to be better moving forward
Last season featured one of the best pitching staffs that Iowa has had in years, and they were forced to rebuild the starting rotation this season.
With former ace Cade Obermueller now a part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, the Hawkeyes do not have a clear No. 1 starter.
For the first game of the season against Kansas, manager Rick Heller turned to six-foot-six sophomore Tyler Guerin, who had limited experience last season.
The big righty struggled with his command, giving up a massive seven earned runs in only three innings pitched, and the bullpen did not do much better.
Five relievers for the Hawkeyes allowed a combined eight runs on eight hits and walked six total batters.
Command was a big issue for the Hawkeyes in their opening game, and you aren't going to win many games when you beat yourself.
Iowa returns to the diamond on Saturday, February 14, at 7:30 p.m. Central Time to take on Air Force in its second game of the invitational.