Skip to main content
Iowa
Join Now

Campus Newcomer: Millard West RHP Brady Ferguson

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann07/31/25HuesmannKyle

We continue our Iowa Baseball Campus Newcomer series with an incoming freshman pitcher that comes from just across the border in Nebraska. Millard West right-handed pitcher Brady Ferguson closed out his high school career as an All-State selection and now will turn his focus to his upcoming freshman year at Iowa. He is rated as the #4 player in the state of Nebraska and the #120 right-handed pitcher in the country by Perfect Game.

As a junior for the Wildcats, Ferguson finished with a 6-1 record, posting a 1.73 ERA over 32.1 innings, including 48 strikeouts to 20 walks. Opponents batted just .169 against him, averaging 0.62 hits per inning. He was named a Class A All-State performer.

This past season, as a senior, Ferguson posted a 2.05 ERA over 41.0 innings, including 71 strikeouts to 22 walks. Opponents averaged just 0.37 hits per inning, while Brady averaged 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He was once against an All-State selection, while Millard West finished 22-14 and made a state tournament appearance.

We caught up with the 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed pitcher from the Cornhusker State to preview his freshman year with the Hawkeyes.

Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level like for that move in day?

FERGUSON: I move in on August 17th and I’m very excited to move in and be around my new teammates.

Q: What number do you plan to wear and why?

FERGUSON: I’m going to be wearing #16. It was my number my entire life because Bo Jackson was my favorite player as a kid and my birthday is also on the 16th.

Q: You were named a First Team All-State selection by both Omaha World Herald and Prep Baseball Nebraska. What did it mean to you to close out your high school career with those honors?

FERGUSON: It meant a lot to get those honors and get to have my picture on the wall at my high school forever. There are a lot of other really good players on that list to I’m glad to be a part of it.

Q: What pitches do you have in your arsenal (speeds)? What do you consider your best pitch and why?

FERGUSON: 4-seam fastball (92-95), sinker (91-94), changeup (low 80s), cutter/slider (upper 80s), sweeper (upper 70s). I don’t necessarily have a best pitch because they all have something that make them effective, whether that be movement, velocity, command, etc. The best pitch for me is generally dependent on things like previous pitches and the hitter I’m facing.

Q: Looking back at your recruitment, what stood out about the Iowa Baseball program that made them an easy choice over other schools?

FERGUSON: The main thing that stood out is their approach and emphasis on player development. Out of all the schools I talked to, nobody made me as confident about me getting better than the coaches at Iowa.

Q: Were there any other schools that you heavily considered during your recruitment?

FERGUSON: I talked to quite a few schools after my sophomore summer, but I didn’t get very far with any of them because I committed under a month after we were able to talk to coaches. I didn’t even visit any of the other schools because of Iowa’s track record of developing elite pitchers, and my confidence in them making me the best player I can be, it was a no brainer.

Q: What is your relationship like with the coaching staff? Who do you talk with the most?

FERGUSON: I have a pretty good relationship with the coaching staff. From what I could tell on my visits, we are all very like-minded and have the same values. I talk to Coach Sutherland and Coach Kenny the most. Coach Kenny stopped by when they were in Omaha, so it was nice to get to know him a little more and talk to him about what this coming year will look like.

Q: After you committed there was a change at pitching coach. What about your conversations with Coach Sean Kenny kept you locked into your commitment to Iowa?

FERGUSON: I liked how Coach Kenny went about addressing the problems with the previous pitching staff head on. From what I’ve seen, he put a big emphasis on bridging the gap between all of the pitch design work and velocity training and learning how to use those attributes in the game, and the results showed.

Q: What have you been doing since the end of your high school season to prepare for you arrival on campus this fall?

FERGUSON: I only played the first few weeks of the summer to work on a couple more in-game adjustments, but from there I spent the rest of the summer in the weight room getting more physical and also working on all of my weaknesses on the throwing side and fine tuning some things to further prepare me for the fall.

Q: If someone asked you ““what do you bring to the Iowa Baseball team?” How would you describe your game?

FERGUSON: I would say I bring a lot of intensity and energy when I’m pitching. When I’m not playing, I’m always the first to support and help out my teammates and do whatever is needed to help the team win.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? Current players?

FERGUSON: I’ve gotten to talk with some of the commits through the showcase circuit or playing against them. I got to know all of the incoming freshman and sophomores during our official visit which I thought was great and I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team.

Q: What are your goals for your freshman season at Iowa? What areas of your game do you want to improve?

FERGUSON: I want to get my foot in the door in the fall and earn myself innings during the season. As it pertains to stats, I don’t pay much attention to them and my goal is more so just to put the team in a place to win and not get caught up in the numbers. I would like to improve my consistency, which was an issue at times in the spring. That is something that I am going to address with Coach Kenny and I’m sure we are going to come up with a good plan to improve that issue.

You may also like