(Area) — This past week, there were 13 combined batters that were hit by a pitch in the Class 1A Substate final between Underwood and Tri Center. Hit By Pitches have been a factor in games all season long.
When the game of baseball was first invented it was ok to hit batters and hit runners. In fact, batters were declared out when they were “soaked” or hit on the base paths. The rules were changed in 1887 to award first base to any batter that was hit by a pitch.
This season in Iowa high school baseball, there have been 11,970 batters that have been hit by a pitch with games still to play next week in the state tournament. That is an average of 36.5 per team but that is nearly 12,000 free bases that have awarded. The numbers are actually down from last year when nearly 12,400 batters were hit but it is way up from 2021 when there were about 11,500 batters hit by a pitch.
In 2025, Sioux City East and Johnston led the state with the most hit batters — 111 — and both teams are in the state tournament and are the top two seeds. Of all the baseball conferences, the top two with hit batters are the Hawkeye Ten and the CIML. The H-10 had 512 hit batters or 46.5 per team while the CIML had 510 HBP averaging to 56.7 per team. As a matter of fact, the Class 4A conferences had more hit by pitches than the smaller school conferences. Harlan led all Hawkeye Ten teams with 79 batters getting plunked, Atlantic was average with 46.
Other local conferences — the Corner Conference average 33.6 hit batters per team, the Pride of Iowa 38.7, the Rolling Valley 27.1, the Raccoon River was 46.8, the West Central was 43.2, the WIC 37.1.
In terms of pitching, Des Moines North led the state with 80 HBP as a staff. Washington and Southeast Valley were next with 67.
In the Corner Conference, Griswold had 54 hit batters for pitches and batters were only hit 24 times. Tigers Head Coach Ryan Lockwood says the hit by pitch numbers are a combination of batters crowding the plate and pitchers not being able to throw inside
In the Western Iowa Conference, Riverside had just 25 batters get hit while Bulldog pitchers were 2nd in hit batters with 55. Head Coach Kyler Morgan believes its a problem and hitters are not making it easy for the pitchers
Logan Magnolia had just 25 batters hit by a pitch and Panther pitchers had the 2nd fewest in the WIC with 32. Head Coach Kurt Hinkel did not notice an issue this season with hit batters — he says they do teach their pitchers to pitch inside
In 2025, Siouxland Christian had the fewest hit batters with just three while Davenport North had the fewest hit by pitch as a pitching staff with 15.
The Iowa High School State Baseball tournament starts Monday with first round games in Class 1A in Carroll and Class 3A in Sioux City.
