OMAHA, Neb. — Four University of Iowa baseball student-athletes — Nick Allgeyer, Tyler Cropley, Robert Neustrom, and Chris Whelan — were named All-Big Ten selections for the 2018 season, it was announced Tuesday by the Big Ten office.
Allgeyer (starting pitcher), Cropley (catcher), and Neustrom (outfielder) were named to the first team, while Whelan (designated hitter) was a third-team selection. Senior Austin Guzzo was Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
It is the first time since 1990 that the Hawkeyes have had at least three first-team All-Big Ten selections in the same season. Iowa had five first-teamers in 1990. Head coach Rick Heller has had at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in each of his five seasons and he has coached 20 players to All-Big Ten honors.
Allgeyer, a redshirt junior from St. Louis, earned his first career All-Big Ten honor after ranking in the top four in the conference in strikeouts (86), innings (90), and ERA (2.50). The southpaw is 5-4 with a 2.50 ERA and he has tallied a quality start in 12 of his 14 starts.
Allgeyer is the second starting pitcher under Heller to earn first-team honors, joining Blake Hickman in 2015.
After earning second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior, Cropley elevated his game to garner first-team recognition as a senior. The McCook Lake, South Dakota, native ranks in the top 11 in the Big Ten in 10 different offensive categories. The catcher has a team-best .351 average with a Big Ten-best 20 doubles, nine home runs, 50 RBIs, and 43 runs scored.
Cropley, a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, is the first Hawkeye since Jim Freese in 1963 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors.
Neustrom was tabbed as a first-team All-Big Ten outfielder after earning second-team honors as a sophomore. The Sioux City, Iowa, native finished the regular season with a .322 average with 15 doubles and 11 home runs — the fourth-most in the Big Ten. Neustrom ranks in the top 13 in six offensive categories.
Neustrom is the second outfielder of the Heller era to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, joining Joel Booker in 2016. It is the fifth straight year an Iowa outfielder has earned all-league honors.
Despite missing the first 14 games of the season, Whelan garnered his first career All-Big Ten recognition at the designated hitter position. The Naperville, Illinois, native hit .315 in 36 regular-season games, where he ranked third on the team in hits (47) and fourth in runs (36). He also has four doubles, four home runs, and 10 RBIs.
Whelan, the Most Outstanding Player at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, is the second Hawkeye designated hitter under Heller to earn All-Big Ten recognition, joining Dan Potempa, who was a third-team selection in 2014.
Guzzo, a senior infielder from Brooklin, Ontario, was Iowa’s recipient for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The distinction is presented to student-athletes who display sportsmanship and ethical behavior, are in good academic standing, and demonstrate good citizenship outside of athletics.
The sixth-seeded Hawkeyes open Big Ten Tournament play Wednesday, facing third-seeded Michigan at 9 a.m. (CT) in Omaha, Nebraska. The game will be televised on BTN.
Player of the Year: Bren Spillane, Illinois
Pitcher of the Year: Patrick Fredrickson, Minnesota
Freshman of the Year: Patrick Fredrickson, Minnesota
Coach of the Year: John Anderson, Minnesota
All-Big Ten First Team
C – Tyler Cropley, Iowa
1B – BREN SPILLANE, ILLINOIS
2B – Nick Dunn, Maryland
SS – TERRIN VAVRA, MINNESOTA
3B – Noah McGowan, Ohio State
OF – Matt Gorski, Indiana
OF – Robert Neustrom, Iowa
OF – Jonathan Engelmann, Michigan
SP – Jonathan Stiever, Indiana
SP – Nick Allgeyer, Iowa
SP – Patrick Fredrickson, Minnesota
RP – Max Meyer, Minnesota
DH – Dominic Clementi, Michigan
UTIL – Matt Lloyd, Indiana
All-Big Ten Second Team
C – Jesse Wilkening, Nebraska
1B – Scott Schreiber, Nebraska
2B – Michael Massey, Illinois
SS – Ben Troike, Illinois
3B – Micah Coffey, Minnesota
OF – Jordan Nwogu, Michigan
OF – Ben Mezzenga, Minnesota
OF – Dominic Canzone, Ohio State
SP – Pauly Milto, Indiana
SP – Tommy Henry, Michigan
SP – Reggie Meyer, Minnesota
RP – Seth Kinker, Ohio State
DH – Scotty Bradley, Indiana
UTIL – Kevin Biondic, Maryland
All-Big Ten Third Team*
C – Nick Dalesandro, Purdue
1B – Jacson McGowan, Purdue
2B – Luke Pettersen, Minnesota
SS – Jack Dunn, Northwestern
3B – Luke Miller, Indiana
OF – Doran Turchin, Illinois
OF – Logan Sowers, Indiana
OF – Tyler Cowles, Ohio State
SP – Ben Dragani, Michigan
SP – Karl Kauffmann, Michigan
SP – Tanner Andrews, Purdue
RP – Joey Gerber, Illinois
RP – Ross Learnard, Purdue
DH – Chris Whelan, Iowa
UTIL – Conner Pohl, Ohio State
All-Big Ten Freshman Team*
C – Gunner Hellstrom, Nebraska
1B – JESSE FRANKLIN, MICHIGAN
2B – Drew Ashley, Indiana
SS – Dan DiGeorgio, Rutgers
3B – Zach Iverson, Michigan State
OF – JORDAN NWOGU, MICHIGAN
OF – Jaxon Hallmark, Nebraska
OF – Dillon Dingler, Ohio State
OF – BEN NISLE, PURDUE
SP – Ben Dragani, Michigan
SP – Mason Erla, Michigan State
SP – PATRICK FREDRICKSON, MINNESOTA
SP – Trent Johnson, Purdue
RP – MAX MEYER, MINNESOTA
DH – Parker Hendershot, Penn State
UTIL – Zach Iverson, Michigan State
* Additional honorees due to ties
Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS
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