Sam Ireland

Position RHP

B/T R/R

Class Jr.

Height 6-4

Weight 230

Hometown Highlands Ranch, Colo.

High School Mountain Vista

Previous School Minnesota

bio stats

SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS

Hits: 3, South Dakota St., Mar 4, 2020
Doubles: 1, 8 times
Total bases: 4, South Dakota St., Mar 4, 2020
RBI: 1, Illinois, Mar 13, 2021 ; South Dakota St., Mar 4, 2020 ; Utah, Mar 8, 2020
Runs scored: 1, 11 times
Walks: 1, 7 times
At bats: 5, at Northwestern, Mar 22, 2021 ; Purdue, May 23, 2021
Innings pitched: 9.0, at Belmont, Mar 04, 2023
Walks allowed: 6, Western Ill., Mar 25, 2022
Strikeouts: 10, vs Northeastern, Feb 25, 2022 ; at Northwestern, Mar 20, 2021
Batters faced: 32, at Belmont, Mar 04, 2023
Field chances: 7, Utah, Mar 8, 2020
Putouts: 6, Utah, Mar 8, 2020
Assists: 5, at Michigan St., Apr 29, 2022
Runners CS: 1, 5 times

JUNIOR – 2023

Started 14 games on the mound
4-7, 6.75 ERA, 65.1 IP, 26 BB, 43 SO
Second-most innings pitched on the team (65.1)
Started a game on the weekend for the first 13 weeks of the season
W, 5.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 SO at West Virginia 4/8/23
W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 SO vs. Baylor 4/1/23
Complete game, 4-hit shutout at Belmont 3/4/23 (W, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO)
W, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 SO vs. Oakland 2/25/23
No. 13 MLB Draft prospect for 2023 in the Big 12 by Perfect Game
No. 22 MLB Draft prospect for 2023 in the Big 12 by D1 Baseball
No. 14 senior prospect by Perfect Game
No. 80 starting pitcher for 2023 by D1 Baseball
No. 95 Impact Transfer by D1 Baseball
Transferred to Kansas with two years of eligibility remaining
Committed in July 2022

MINNESOTA – 2020-22

Spent three years in the Minnesota program
Two-way player in both 2020 and 2021 before transitioning to only a pitcher in 2022
Academic All-Big Ten in 2021 and 2022
Career: 4-9, 5.15 ERA, 117.0 IP, 62 BB, 125 SO, 2 SV in 26 appearances (20 starts) over three seasons
Career: .242/.292/.323 (24-for-99), 8 2B, 3 RBI, 11 R, 7 BB in his first two seasons (2020, 2021)
2022: 4-5, 5.27 ERA, 71.2 IP, 38 BB, 80 SO in 14 appearances (13 starts)
Friday night starter for Minnesota in 2022
Posted season highs of 7.1 IP and 10 SO in a win against Northeastern (2/25/22)
2021: 0-3, 4.10 ERA, 37.1 IP, 16 BB, 35 SO in seven starts
2021: .212/.257/.273 (14-for-66), 4 2B, 1 RBI, 8 R, 4 BB
Led the team in ERA (4.10) and WHIP (1.37); ranked second in strikeouts (35), innings pitched (37.1) and starts (7)
2020: 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 8 BB, 10 SO, 2 SV in five appearances
2020: .303/.361/.424 (10-for-33), 4 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB
Named to D1Baseball’s Big Ten Fab Freshman Team in 2020
Tied for the team lead in saves (2)
Earned the first save of his career against Utah (3/6/20)

HIGH SCHOOL

Played four years of baseball at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Helped his team win the 5A state championship as a junior in 2018
Two-time Class 5A Player of the Year in Colorado (2018, 2019)
Two-time All-State First Team selection
Ranked the No. 1 first baseman and the No. 3 overall prospect in Colorado in 2019 according to Prep Baseball Report
Ranked the No. 1 first baseman and the No. 8 overall prospect in Colorado in 2019 according to Perfect Game
Ranked the No. 10 first baseman nationally by Prep Baseball Report and the No. 22 first baseman nationally by Perfect Game
Perfect Game 2018 Underclass High Honorable Mention All-American
USA Today 2018 All-USA First Team
2018 CHSAA, PBR Colorado, USA Today, Mile High Sports Magazine, Max Preps and Continental League Player of the Year in Colorado
2018 All-Area and All-District selection
Had a 0.91 ERA and hit .425 with five home runs as a senior in 2019
Tossed two no-hitters and hit .400 with 11 home runs as a junior in 2018
Played club ball for the Mountain West Slammers

PERSONAL

Son of Kevin and Mary Ireland
Has one older sister, Katie
His sister, Katie, played volleyball at Cal State East Bay
Picked Kansas over Arkansas, Florida, Missouri State, Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State
Chose Kansas because, “It’s a new staff with a lot of potential to compete for a championship and move into the postseason.”
Majoring in liberal arts & sciences