Iowa Baseball Opens 2026 Season at MLB Desert Invitational

While the Iowa Hawkeyes' men’s and women’s basketball teams are busy going to work on the court, the Iowa baseball squad is ready to get its season underway out west in Arizona.

The 2026 campaign presents Iowa with an opportunity to prove people wrong. In order to do that, the Hawkeyes are going to need to win a lot of games, particularly in nonconference play. That’s obviously easier said than done, but it’s necessary should Iowa want to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023.

The quest to win a lot of baseball games (perhaps this quest could do with a catchier name) begins in Phoenix at the MLB Desert Invitational. Eight schools — Air Force, UConn, Grand Canyon, Kansas State, Iowa, Nebraska, Northeastern and Penn State — are taking part in the event, with each team playing three games over the course of the weekend. The Hawkeyes’ three opponents are Kansas State (Feb. 13), Air Force (Feb. 14) and Northeastern (Feb. 15). All three are foes that provide Iowa with a great chance to add to its resume in the early going of the season.

Tyler Guerin to Toe the Rubber on Opening Day

Iowa pitcher Tyler Gueri — Iowa's Tyler Guerin pitches during game 2 of Iowa vs. Oregon State baseball at Principal Park on May 10, 2025, in Des Moines. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Guerin will be the man to kick off the season for the Hawkeyes. It’ll be his goal to shut down Kansas State and deliver Iowa a victory in the first game of 2026.

Guerin, who also showed prowess on offense in 2025, had an up-and-down campaign last season. He appeared in 14 games and posted a 7.02 ERA over 16 2/3 innings of work. Walks were a bit of an issue — he issued 14 free passes — but he did manage to strike out 25 hitters in the process as well. Those command struggles will need to be cleaned up, to say the least.

Logan Runde Hoping to Begin Bounce-Back in Game Two

Logan Runde, a graduate transfer from Florida International, will toe the rubber in the second game of the season against Air Force. Runde, like so many other Iowa pitchers, has big shoes to fill after the strong production the Hawkeyes’ pitching staff put up last year. But it’s not just other players Runde is competing with — he’s also trying to best his output from last season.

In his final year at FIU, Runde struggled. Over 21 appearances, 12 of which were starts, he had a 6.63 ERA. He had no trouble punching batters out — he struck out 50 over 58 1/3 innings — and walks weren’t necessarily a problem, as he issued only 19. But opposing hitters were able to square up the baseball quite a bit, and that was Runde’s undoing. Still, the stuff is there, and he now has the opportunity to — much like the entirety of the Iowa roster — prove people wrong in 2026. He’ll get his first chance at that against Air Force.

Where Does Heller Go on Sunday?

No starting pitcher has been announced for Iowa’s game against Northeastern on Feb. 15. There are plenty of options, but none are surefire producers. Freshman Brody Irlbeck and Nic Terhaar showed promise in the fall and are probably the primary candidates for the role.

Of course, the only way to find out is to wait until Heller produces the lineup card. In the meantime, the Hawkeyes will be attempting to take down Kansas State and Air Force to make sure they’re playing with house money heading into the contest against Northeastern.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!