Andy Nelson (17) of Iowa plays first base as the Florida International University Panthers play the Iowa Hawks in a three-game series at Principal Park in Des Moines on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Lee Navin/For the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Iowa Baseball to Compete in Early-Season Tournament

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI | By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 11:25 AM ET

The Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team is no stranger to playing in big early-season tournaments, often times taking part in multiple each year.

The upcoming season will be no exception. On Tuesday, Peak Events announced that the Hawkeyes will be one of four teams to compete in the 10th edition of the Frisco College Baseball Classic alongside Oregon State, Alabama and Houston.

Frisco bound. pic.twitter.com/JepXHYUIgw
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) September 9, 2025

“This will be the 10th anniversary of the Frisco Classic, which is a testament to the amazing partnership with the Frisco RoughRiders,” said Nathan Wooldridge, vice president of Peak Events. “The Frisco Classic has become synonymous with the best of the best in the early season and has set the standard of how early-season college baseball should operate. We are excited to again welcome four great teams and their amazing fans to help us celebrate this accomplishment and to make this event the best one yet!”

The tournament runs from Feb. 27-March 1, 2026, and takes place at Rider Park, home of the Frisco RoughRiders (the Texas Rangers Double-A affiliate).

“Once again, we’re thrilled to welcome Peak Events back to Riders Field for one of the premier college baseball tournaments in the country,” said Scott Burchett, Frisco RoughRiders general manager. “We’re looking forward to kicking off our 2026 baseball season here in Frisco with some of the best college baseball has to offer, both on the field and in the stands. Peak Events has been an amazing partner, and they make this event truly the best outside of Omaha.”

The tournament will feature a round-robin format with two games each day of the weekend. The full schedule is as follows.

Feb. 27: Houston vs. Oregon State, 2 p.m. CT; Iowa vs. Alabama, 6 p.m. CT
Feb. 28: Iowa vs. Houston, noon CT; Alabama vs. Oregon State, 4 p.m. CT
March 1: Oregon State vs. Iowa, 11 a.m. CT; Houston vs. Alabama, 3 p.m. CT

Last season, the Hawkeyes finished the year with a 33-22-1 record (21-9 Big Ten), but were closer to reaching to the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament - where, granted, they got blown out in a 9-3 loss to UCLA - but they were still only two wins away from making it to the dance.

The Hawkeyes' latest NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2023, where they lost to host team Indiana State in the Terra Haute Regional Final

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This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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