Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Baseball to the NCAA Tournament, Iowa Athletics 2023 Hall of Fame Class

Episode Date: May 31, 2023

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Iowa baseball back in the NCAA tournament. We break things down as Iowa gets a pretty good draw in the big bracket. The field of 64 is set. We'll break that down. A little Iowa football, basketball, and the University of Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. All today on Locked on Hawkeyes. Our Locked on Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you get podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans.

Well, when we talked to you last week, there was a lot going on in the world of Hawkeye athletics. The news of Gary Barta's retirement was upon us. We broke things down and we'll continue to take a look at that in the weeks and months ahead in anticipation of his final day on the job coming up on August 1st. More success for the Iowa athletics program. This time it is on the baseball field as Iowa gets in a large bid into the NCAA tournament and they will move on to the Terre Haute region. Indiana State awaits there and a pretty good draw for the Hawkeyes. They will open things up against North Carolina, the number three seed. Indiana State is the number one, the number 14 overall seed in the big bracket. And then if they can advance to the super Regionals for the first time in modern baseball history. Yes, I know they made the College World Series back in the 70s.

We're talking about a different era. Certainly today, they would more than likely face off against Arkansas. Not them. TCU, the other team, anticipated to come out of the other region in the Super Regions, but we are getting well ahead of ourselves. The University of Iowa also today announced their Hall of Fame inductees for the new class, 10 players and former athletes with the University of Iowa. We will talk about that. A little football, a little basketball. We got a little bit of everything here today coming off the Memorial Day holiday.

Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen and glad to have you aboard. So we got a lot going on here. So I was today in downtown Des Moines, actually on the south side, and calling state soccer this evening, afternoon, in the morning. It all started. Then we had lightning that came and a rain delay. So a little bit wonky. We're all out of sorts. A piece of my equipment failed last night. I was trying to get you a podcast to open up your week on Monday. That didn't happen.

But we're here on a Tuesday, and we've got a lot to cover. So let's take a look back before we look too far into the future. And let's start with Iowa baseball. Disappointing end to the Big Ten tournament run as they fall to Maryland in the championship game 4-0. But after what they accomplished throughout the week, starting things off with that great victory against Michigan, the comeback win against Indiana, just how electric that was.

Then knocking Indiana out of the tournament, along with then Michigan in the second time around getting that done. We knew going into Saturday, Iowa was in great shape. It was going to take a ton for them not to be a tournament team. And I felt like they were as close to a lock as you can be. But as we saw again with the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, they just don't like the Big Ten. for them not to be a tournament team. And I felt like they were as close to a lock as you can be. But as we saw again with the NCAA tournament selection committee, they just don't like the Big Ten.

Look, the Big Ten is not what it is in football. It's not what it is in men's basketball. It's not what it is in women's basketball. It's not what it is in volleyball and softball. And we can name a myriad of other sports, wrestling, and we can go on and on and on and on and on about the Big Ten. We get it. Baseball is not the same. But this was still a conference that was ranked sixth in RPI as a conference. Power numbers, they were the

seventh best conference in all of college baseball. And for just three teams to make the tournament again, it's a slap in the face. And Rick Heller and the rest of the Big Ten coaches, they have continued to harp on all the things that go against teams in the North. And specifically, the way that the season is set up in the early going, where everybody in the Big Ten, everybody in the Northern schools, you all have to open up your season on the road. It's unfair, but it is the reality. And until they move the season back, and right now they're not going to,

but until they do, this same kind of garbage is going to continue to happen time in and time out. Look, you're already playing with your hand tied behind your back in the Big Ten and all the northern schools. Yes, we've seen accomplishments. We've seen Indiana recently make the College World Series. We've seen Michigan and Ohio State make runs. We have seen other northern schools, Notre Dame, Nebraska in the past,

that have had successes. We have seen other northern schools, Notre Dame, Nebraska in the past, that have had successes. We have seen that. But when you set it up and you set these teams up for failure and asking them to accomplish what they have to, not only that, but the southern schools with all the advantages. We look at a lot. If you're a Big Ten baseball fan, you're an Iowa baseball fan, you know what the midweek series are, right? You go out there in the middle of the week and you're an Iowa baseball fan, you know what the midweek series are, right? You go out there in the middle of the week and you take on a UIC, a Bradley, Illinois State. These teams are not going to help your RPI. Well, teams in the South, the ACC and the SEC, they have it rigged because Sunbelt, very good. Missouri Valley, pretty good. You're talking about conferences that you can go out there and you can schedule those midweek games

and they're not going to hurt you like the Northern schools where you have to schedule MAAC teams and other teams from up north that just don't help out your RPI. It is a system that is all rigged against the North. And then on top of it, you have an opportunity like this, and you only let three teams in from the Big Ten. It is absolutely head-scratching. It is befuddling, but it is a reality.

We've seen this from Iowa baseball a couple of times where Rick Heller's teams should have been at-large teams in the NCAA tournament, and he didn't want to leave anything to chance. So we went off on the side here just a little bit. So let's get back to it. We went into the tournament knowing, yes, 0-2. Maybe they could have found themselves on the bubble. I thought it would have been asinine if that was going to be the case, but it's something you just have to think of as an Iowa baseball fan. We've seen too much happen in the past to be overly confident that they were going to be in, but they're in. They're in as a number two seed and set themselves up incredibly well. Marcus Morgan is going to get the ball in game one. He opened things up, won a couple of

innings against Maryland. You know, I was a little bit disappointed from the Iowa baseball fan. Oh, just two innings out of Morgan. You got to go deeper. No, no, no, no, no. Yes, a Big Ten tournament championship would be nice. But this program has developed and this team this year is more than just that.

This team has a real opportunity to get to a Super Regional for the first time ever. This team has a path to get to the College World Series. They have that. With the one, two, three punch that they have, with Brody Brecht, with Marcus Morgan, with Ty Langenberg, that sets you up. With an offense that continues to rate, they continue to hit the ball. Look, it's not going to be easy. If they do it, they're likely going to be the only unseeded team that gets to the college world series. At best, we see one of those teams make it every single year, but I have a belief that this Iowa baseball team, because of that starting pitching and the way they're swinging

the sticks, that they can be that team that gets there. Plenty of opportunities early on against Maryland. Couldn't push anything across. It was frustrating, but ultimately Iowa has that team that gets there. Plenty of opportunities early on against Maryland. Couldn't push anything across. It was frustrating, but ultimately, Iowa has a team that can make a run. So it's not about a Big Ten championship. Yes, it's nice to have, but that's not the most important thing. The most important thing for Iowa baseball

is to have your team ready to go starting on Friday against North Carolina. That's what you're looking for. And Iowa's the favorite in this one, and they got a real chance of getting out of this region. We'll break things down a little bit deeper. Hall of Fame class inductions, including one of your boy TC's all-time favorites.

That is right, B.J. Armstrong, the University of Iowa Hall of Fame. We'll get into that as we continue here. This is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Well, if you're looking for a great snack, but you don't want all the fat and calories, I got just the thing for you. It's Built.

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We'll get into the Hall of Fame class and a few other nuggets that continue to pop up. But let's get back to baseball. I'm so excited about this team. I really think there's an opportunity here. First of all, getting the seed that they did, getting the draw that they did in the NCAA tournament. Now, the way that the NCAA baseball bracket is set up, it is not one through 64. You rank them. You put everybody where they is. Travel is a part of this. Where you go, that is a piece. And it's not right. But baseball doesn't make the money that men's basketball does. So you're not going to get as true of a bracket as you do there. We see the same thing happen in the women's bracket. It's not just one through 64. It is the way it should be.

But travel concerns are a part of this. And Iowa set up incredibly well. You get the 14th best team, if you will, of the top 16 seeds that get to host in the opening round. You get 14th seeded Indiana State. And the Indiana State team that you've seen before, Rick Keller's old stomping grounds, familiarity with the program. And, frankly, a team that I don't want to say they tricked the system. I don't think that's exactly fair to what the Sycamores accomplished this year and the

great season that they put together. But their RPI numbers don't exactly, I don't believe, tell the whole story about this team. Here's a great number for you and something I think that's going to tell you a ton about this. Record right now in NCAA from the against NCAA tournament teams. He tried to say this from Kyle Huseman over at Hawkeye Report. Indiana State this year against teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament. Indiana State, they're three and nine. Wright State, who is the number four seed in this region, they're 3-8. North Carolina, a lot more games playing in the ACC.

Still just 12-18. And Iowa, with the best record of the bunch, they're 6-8 against teams in the NCAA tournament. That's good. That's a good one. This game will be played at 6 o'clock. It'll be televised on the ACC network. If you have Dire direct TV, that is

612. If your local watering hole has direct TV, you can push them that way. You know, another thing that I love about this baseball team, I remember back the first couple of times that they made the tournament under Rick Heller and just seeing the excitement that was built and thinking back to those games against Missouri State, against Oregon, a couple other times. There was just so much excitement about this team. But I think the same thing really needs to happen with this squad. Get out there. Have a Friday night. Make it happen.

Because this Iowa baseball team, they got the stuff. With the investigation still looming out there, as we await what's going to happen to Keaton Anthony and the other three players, still no decision from the NCAA. The investigation has wrapped up from the DCI, the Department of Criminal Investigation. They are done with their side of things. It is in the hands of the NCAA.

We've heard now for three weeks they're anticipating some kind of decision and nothing happens. No, it shouldn't come as a surprise because the NCAA sucks as an organization. We know that when it comes to livelihoods, when it comes to players actually getting a fair response, we know that when it comes to livelihoods, when it comes to players actually getting a fair response, we know that they're absolutely terrible about that, though they have

very little that they actually have to do anymore. They can't give us a decision on these guys. And even if it's their season's over, just tell us. Give us a response. Not even us. Give them the response. How about a little respect, right? How about a little something for these athletes that are out there, that are playing sports, that are out there making money for your organization? Can you give them a little common decency? Well, of course not, because it's the NCAA. That aside, this baseball team, with that hanging over them, went out there, played great in the Big Ten tournament.

They're playing great baseball. They got the arms, they got the sticks, and they got the draw. Oh, how big would it be? Could you imagine the caravan making their way down to Arkansas? If we get Arkansas in a Super Regional, I know it's a great environment down there in the SEC. Have some friends down at Fayetteville. They will tell you, absolutely, it is going to be a great environment down there. I'm dreaming, but I think we can dream with this team. It is that, that good. Over on the Iowa football front, what's happening at this point? Well, we're in the offseason.

And coming up this week, that is when the players will all be arriving in Iowa City. Now, a number of the players are already back. They get that couple weeks off. We talked last week about Cade McNamara taking his wide receivers and his tight ends with him, along with Joe Evans, who I don't think you're going to see playing any offense coming up this season, or Joey the Bull. But we talked about that. So the guys are making their way back, a couple weeks off after finals wrap up, chance to maybe go home, go out, see some friends, see some family, maybe have a vacation. And the fun's a little bit different.

I think back to college. Difficult to make those spring break trips work, right? Or to get away for a while. Well, in the NIL era, it makes things a little bit easier. But the guys are coming back. So Iowa football is in good shape. The end in expectations, the anticipation that I have for the season. I'll be honest, it feels really weird,

and I'm always honest with you guys, but it feels incredibly odd for me to be so optimistic. Iowa baseball, I'm through the roof. Iowa football, I have so much optimism. I know the transfer portal did not go the way that we wanted for both the men's and women's basketball teams, but I'm still excited. The women's team just played for a national championship. And I know they didn't hit the home run in the portal. I get that. But I believe in Lisa Bluter. I believe in what Coach Jansen's going to do with those post players. I think you're going to see huge step forwards out of them. Optimism feels weird, but I am all about it right now.

This Iowa football team, you're going to have to slow me down when we get to this offseason train. And it's going to continue to roll down the tracks. I think they're going to be so good this year. I think that this team is going to win double figures. I think they're going to be back in the Big Ten Championship, and I believe that they'll have a real shot at whoever comes out of the ESPN, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State. I think they're going to be that good and that talented. I know the skeptics out there don't believe it. Got to see it from the offense. Got to see it from what's going forward.

And I had a conversation over the weekend. So I made my way to Chicago with the family and talked to somebody that I know over there. And they had some good things to say about the way this team just continues to roll. They have expectations that not only is Cade McNamara going to be the leader that this program desperately needs. They have not had this kind of quarterback leadership going back. Probably have to go back to C.J. Bethel the last time they had a quarterback that had this kind of command of the team. Along with the skill set, the requisite skill set to be there. But the offensive line, they believe he's going to be a ton better, that they are really taking a big step forward up front. And it's not just about bringing in a

couple of transfers in Rusty Feth and bringing in Parker. It's not just about the additional depth that they have with those two pieces. It is the embarrassment from the last two years is really sticking with this offensive line group. And they are putting in the work and they believe that there's going to be a huge step forward. Look, we can rip on Spencer Petras. We can talk about the wide receiver woes that Iowa's had over the last couple of years. But ultimately, it comes down to up front. And it doesn't matter your scheme.

It doesn't matter your offensive coordinator. If you can't block, you're not going to be good. And Iowa couldn't block the last two years. They believe, and I'm starting to buy into, that this offensive line is not just going to be better. And that, and I'm starting to buy into, that this offensive line is not just going to be better and that they're just not going to be adequate, that this is going to be one of the better offensive lines that we've seen over the last seven, eight years of Iowa football. If that plays out, coupled with the defense, improved quarterback play and improved

wide receiver play, Caleb Johnson in his sophomore year, a pretty easy schedule. Boy, the sky is the limit. Wrap the things up here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast when we come back. The Hall of Fame class for 2023 was introduced in one of my favorites, BJ Armstrong amongst them. We'll talk about the players coming up here as we roll through on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Hawkeyes podcast.

Trent Conant back with you one final time on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. As always, thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. So, mention the Hall of Fame class for 2023 and B.J. Armstrong. For me, he's a headliner. Look, growing up in the 80s, BJ Armstrong was it. He was a babyface kid. I'm still in my 40s. Do I still got a babyface, YouTubers?

Hit me in the comments section. Do I look 43? Maybe I do. I certainly feel it right now. It's been a long, long couple of days. But BJ Armstrong walking the ball up the floor, he'd give the big old bounce, the high bounce, and just walk that thing up.

He was cool. He was just, he was the point guard I wanted to be. Now, didn't have the quickness, didn't have the shooting ability, didn't have the athletic ability, didn't have anything to make that happen. But he was my guy. And then he went on, obviously, the success that he had, playing with Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls. I mean, just took him to an absolute another level, I know, for a lot of people out there. But he was my first guy. And then he went on, obviously the success that he had playing with Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls. I mean, just took him to an absolute another level. I know for a lot of

people out there, but he was my first guy. Now, Jeff Moe was my really first guy because he's a guy that looked like me. He's out there just firing up threes. And unfortunately my basketball career, that's all I could do. And not very well, that's all that I had. So I'm just chucking up threes and trying to be Mo, right? That was my guy. But BJ, he's who I wanted to be. And to see this, to see a guy, the successes that he's had after his playing career, what he's been as an agent, hearing him do a lot of different interviews and just hearing what kind of person coming in from Michigan,

him and Roy Marble, Ed Horton coming in from Springfield, Illinois. That class was just such a huge step forward as George Raffling brought them in. Dr. Tom obviously elevated them during their sophomore campaign. The run to the Elite Eight. A disappointing end to things as they fell in NC State in their final year. And another great what if of Hawkeye Athletics. Ray Thompson was not suspended because of stupid Hunter Rawlings and his idiotic rules trying to make the Big Ten into the Ivy League.

Youngsters just do a Google search for Hunter Rawlings in Iowa and a guy that really, he kneecapped Iowa athletics for a long time there in the late 80s into the early 90s. But that aside, Chris Corchiani NC State anyway BJ was my dude really cool to see that uh here today the other members of the Hall of Fame class along with BJ Armstrong uh Sherry Freddie for field hockey she played in the late 80s including on the national championship team of 1986. Gillette Law, great basketball player for the women's team in the late 80s as well. While Terri McFarlane, don't remember Terri very much for the softball team,

but we mentioned the great run from the softball team and hopefully getting back to what Coach Blevins had built that program back into. Brett Metcalf, we know what he delivered after he transferred in from Virginia Tech, came with Tom and Terri Brands as they reinvented the program in delivering a national championship back to the University of Iowa. Here's another great blast from the past, not too long ago. Peaches Roach Finley from Women's Track and Field 2004 to 2007. Bill Seabird, there's an old timer for you.

Mr. Bisgard, if you're listening in, maybe Tom Buckeye. I know you're out there. You can help me out with Bill Seabird. Really cool story, though, as Patrick McCaffrey made a call to him wearing the same number as he was part of the teams in the 1950s that made back-to-back Final Fours. Had a take on Bill Russell, though, in one of those years in San Francisco in the Dons. A pretty tall task there. A few other names out there.

J. Daniel Sherman in the early 70s on the wrestling mat, a two-time All-American and a Big Ten champion. Eric Steinbach. So Steinbach's such an interesting guy. I remember Steinbach coming in. So he's about my era. Came in, I believe, he was, yeah, same year as me. So his freshman campaign, same time I was. So Steinbach came in, he was kind of the stalwart of the recruiting class there at the end of the Hayden era. And he was a guy people thought, yes, he was recruited as a tight end. He was going to build into offense alignment. And obviously that's what happened, but he made a slew of money in the NFL too. And Steinbach, we talked about those offense lines. People remember Robert Gallery because of the long hair.

You remember Bruce Nelson because he was the Iowa guy, the Emmitsburg dude out there doing his thing in the middle of the line. Go on and on with that great offensive line of 2002. Steinbach was the best player, but he was a guard. And guards, it's hard to get that same kind of notoriety, especially when you're playing in the interior spot. You're just not going to get it. But Steinbach was an absolute stud and a huge part of that 2002 team.

And finally, Ann West Burmeister, the rowing team in the mid-90s. So that is your Hall of Fame class. Some big names out there and really cool honors and always fun to go back. In fact, lead me to this. As we get into next month, we're going to get into June, slowing down. As soon as baseball season gets over, we're looking, right?

We're looking for things to talk about. And we'll talk about football, basketball, any news stories that come out. We'll speculate about the athletic director position. We'll do all that. But I want to have a throwback. We're going to have a throwback Thursday here on Lockdown Hawkeye, starting in June.

And we're going to look back at some of my favorite teams, maybe your favorite teams. You can help me out. Fill me in. Hit me up on Twitter at Trent Cotton. Hit me up in the comments section or YouTube on Locked On Hawkeyes. You can find me there. Hit me up.

Some of your favorite teams. Because history, I think, is a big part of fandom. Yes, I love talking about the current team, but I also love those memories of looking back. I mentioned 2002 and that great run and being in the Metrodome and a story I believe I relayed to listeners out there. If not, I'll tell it again. Being one of the first people on the field after beating Minnesota

as we were sitting in the front row right behind the Iowa bench and getting out onto the field and then seeing all the craziness that happened as the goalpost was taken down at the Metrogome. Going back and reliving those memories, remembering 2004, thinking of the great Iowa basketball teams, mentioned B.J. Armstrong in 86-87, some of the great wrestling teams, and on and on and on. So we're going to do that. Throwback Thursday. What teams would you like to see spotlighted here during the summer months, June and July? We will hit that hard leading into August football camp on Throwback Thursday. Some of our favorite teams in Iowa history, and we'll go back and relive some of those great memories. That'll do it for today. Met you, the athletic director.

We will talk about that a little bit more. The latest on Gary Barta and who is going to replace him. It seems like it's pretty much a slam dunk, but Iowa's going to go through a national search and something that they absolutely need to do. This program, top 15 in terms of revenue, it needs to be a nationwide search and see what's out there. And seeing with the continued divide building between the SEC, Big Ten, and everybody else, what athletic directors might be interested in taking over at the University of Iowa. We'll do that here in the coming weeks. Every day as we got you covered with that. Also got some recruiting talk coming up later in the week. Our recruiting expert with Locked On, he's going to stop by and join us. We got Big Ten talk and a whole lot more. It's always a busy time, and we count down to first pitch. Iowa, North Carolina coming up on Friday evening,

6 o'clock in the first round of the NCAA tournament. That does it for today. Thanks, as always, for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Thanks for listening. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Go Hawks.