The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Zach Daniels selected by Atlanta Braves in 19th round

Iowa’s closer became the second Hawkeye hurler to be taken in the MLB Draft.
Zach+Daniels+pitches+during+Iowas+game+against+Michigan+at+Banks+Field++on+April+27%2C+2018.+The+Hawkeyes+won+the+game+4-2.+%28Megan+Nagorzanski%2FThe+Daily+Iowan%29
The Daily Iowan; Photos by Megan
Zach Daniels pitches during Iowa’s game against Michigan at Banks Field on April 27, 2018. The Hawkeyes won the game 4-2. (Megan Nagorzanski/The Daily Iowan)

Iowa baseball’s best starter and best reliever have now been drafted.

Shortly after Nick Allgeyer was taken in the 12th round by the Toronto
Blue Jays, the Atlanta Braves selected Zach Daniels with the No. 562
pick in the 19th round of the 2018 MLB Draft.

Dargan Southard of the Des Moines Register said Daniels will
forgo his senior season with the Hawkeyes and sign with Atlanta.

Daniels was stellar in all three of his Hawkeye seasons, never posting
an ERA above 3.22. In 25 appearances in 2018, Daniels boasted a 6-2
record with a 2.56 ERA and knocked out 49 strikeouts in 45.2 innings
of work. He also secured 5 saves. Opponents struggled
against Daniels, hitting just .200 against the Robins, Iowa, native.

Daniels showed his versatility this season when he tossed a
season-high 4 scoreless innings on April 29 against No. 7 Michigan,
scattering just 2 hits. After starter Cole McDonald suffered an
injury, Daniels stepped up to keep the Wolverines off the base paths
for the most part until Tyler Cropley secured the win – and the series
with a walk-off home run.

Daniels’ impressive season came off the heels of a 2017 in which he
was a key man out of the bullpen, serving as something of a setup man
for main closer Josh Martsching and closing some games.

In his sophomore season, Daniels finished with a 7-3 record with a
3.22 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. He also earned a Big Ten
Pitcher of the Week award on March 27.

 

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About the Contributor
Pete Ruden, Pregame Editor
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @PeteyRuden Pete Ruden is the Pregame Editor at The Daily Iowan, where he has worked since the beginning of his college career. He has covered a variety of sports at the DI, including football, men's basketball, baseball, wrestling, and men's tennis. Currently a senior, he served as a sports reporter his freshman year, before becoming the Assistant Sports Editor and then Sports Editor his junior year.