University of Iowa redshirt senior Ben Beutel is the best defensive pitcher in college baseball.
Beutel, a reliever from Davenport, Iowa, has been crowned the winner of the 2022 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award, which honors the top defensive players in college baseball at each position. The announcement was made Wednesday by the ABCA/Rawlings.
He was one of three finalists for the honor.
The left-handed pitcher was a deceptive southpaw, stifling the opposition’s running game in 2022. Beutel finished the season with nine pickoffs in 29 appearances, where he logged 30 2/3 innings. He finished with a 3-0 record, four saves and a 1.74 ERA.
Beutel becomes the second Hawkeye to win the award, joining outfielder Trevor Willis (2011).
The Hawkeyes finished the 2022 season with a 36-19 overall record with the 36 wins ranking eighth in program history. Iowa finished in a tie for second in the Big Ten regular season standings and became the first team to win two games on the same day at the Big Ten Tournament.