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Northern Kentucky INF Mitch Wood discusses his transfer to Iowa

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann08/06/24HuesmannKyle
Mitch Wood fields a groundball in a game against Ohio. (Photo by NKU Athletics)
Mitch Wood fields a groundball in a game against Ohio. (Photo by NKU Athletics)

It’s starting to get late in the summer and soon it will be fall practice season for the Iowa Baseball team, but the coaching staff is still making additions from the transfer portal to strengthen the roster going in to next season. The latest pull from the portal is a familiar face from the past. Northern Kentucky infielder Mitch Wood announced that he would use his final year of eligibility at Iowa, the program he started his collegiate career off with back in 2022.

“It was very relieving knowing where I was heading after a long portal process. I’m very excited to return home and finish where I started,” Wood told HawkeyeReport. “I was fortunate enough to speak with several schools including Iowa. The talks went well and it was great to catch up with the coaching staff. I considered every school I spoke with during the portal process, but ultimately it came down to Iowa or Indiana State.”

Out of Ottumwa High School, Mitch Wood was rated as the #2 shortstop in Iowa by Perfect Game for the class of ’21. He spent his freshman year at Iowa, but entered the portal after appearing in just 11 games with 15 at-bats.

“My freshman year I wasn’t ready. The change from high school pitching to college level pitching was rough for me and I didn’t trust my self in the box,” said Wood.

As a sophomore at Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ, Wood batted .323, with 54 hits, 14 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 35 RBI’s. He opted to transfer after one year with the Roughriders and spent his junior year at Northern Kentucky this past season. Mitch batted .289, with a .386 on-base percentage, including 16 doubles, 13 home runs. 44 RBI’s and 17 multi-hit games for a Norse team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors and tied for fifth in the conference in home runs.

“I think I grew a lot more mature as a hitter and really learned how to slow the game down a lot, and I became a lot more confident in the box. I began taking visualization and the mental side of the game very seriously and has paid off thus far,” said Wood. “The biggest difference for me now is that I’m very comfortable in the box, no matter who’s on the mound. I also learned how to be a better competitor with two strike counts and take team first at-bats.”

“It was exciting to receive All-Horizon League honors, especially because I wrote it down as a goal of mine before the season and made it happen.”

As for where Mitch could fit in with the Hawkeyes next season, there will be a position battle at third base, after Raider Tello opted to sign a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. There is also a chance that he could slot into an outfield spot.

“(The coaches) see me as a corner guy, including corner outfield. I have been taking the time to learn outfield this summer and I’m currently in the Northwoods League getting game action in the OF and at 3B…This offseason I have been focusing on getting better at my defense and taking more walks at the plate.”

He has appeared in nine games with the LaCrosse Loggers and is batting .314, with a couple of doubles, five RBI’s and eight walks drawn. The Loggers have five games remaining in the regular season and then will compete in the Northwoods League Playoffs as first half winners of the Great Plains East Division.

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