By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
University of Iowa redshirt junior Trenton Wallace has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, the league announced Sunday.
Wallace is one of three Hawkeyes to earn All-Big Ten honors.
Wallace and senior outfielder Ben Norman were named first-team All-Big Ten honorees, while redshirt junior Izaya Fullard was selected to the third team as a second baseman. Senior Grant Leonard was also recognized as Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
Wallace is the first player in school history to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. Starting pitcher Brett Backlund was the Big Ten Co-Player of the Year in 1992; the league began recognizing the Pitcher of the Year in 1994.
Wallace, a southpaw from Rock Island, Illinois, was superb in his first season in Iowa’s weekend rotation. As the Friday night ace, Wallace finished the regular season with a 7-1 record and a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts with a league-leading 106 strikeouts.