By Pat Harty

An Iowa baseball season that started with lofty expectations, both inside and outside the program, ended Thursday in frustration, anger and disbelief.

Iowa fell to No. 1 seed Illinois 4-2 in 10 innings in a Big Ten Tournament elimination game in Omaha, Nebraska.

Iowa head coach Rick Heller wasn’t around for the final out because he had been tossed from the game for protesting an interference call.

Iowa had loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 10^th inning when senior shortstop Michael Seegers hit a hard grounder to near first base that Illinois tried to turn into a double play.

The return throw from Illinois shortstop Cal Hejza was late to first base, so it appeared that Iowa would have runners on the corners with one out and down a run at 4-3.

However, much to the surprise of Heller, pinch runner Kyle Huckstorf was called for interference on his slide into second.

Heller stayed calm as the play was reviewed. But then Heller lost it after the call was upheld. He charged from the Iowa dugout and vehemently protested to the umpires before being tossed from the game.

Ben Wilmes then struck out one batter later to end the game, and Iowa’s season.

“How it all went down, I don’t even really understand,” Heller said of the interference call. “I still don’t even know what they saw on the double play. I’ve watched it 20 times. I’m still confused. To have it end like that — yeah, we still had a chance — but I don’t really know what to say.”

Heller then shared his frustration with the slide rule.

“The slide rule was one that I’ve never agreed with,” he said. “You should be able to have an arm’s length from the bag at the very minimum. I played shortstop my whole life. The situation I saw on video, I don’t know where they come up with that call. (Hejza) was off the base, in my opinion. When I watched it, I thought it was a no-brainer that it was going to get reversed.”

Big Ten Tournament Umpire Coordinator Mark Uhl released a statement explaining why the interference call was made and then upheld after being reviewed.

“That is a reviewable play under NCAA rules,” Uhl said. “The umpiring crew went to video review. Once in the review room, they confirmed the call because the video showed, one, the runner did not slide in a direct line between the two bases and the runners’ entire body was not in that straight line between the two bases.

“Important to know in the penalty part of the rule, it says that it is interference even if the fielder makes no attempt to throw or complete a play, so the timing element of could a double play have been turned, not been turned, know that by the force play slide rule, that’s not part of the equation. It’s all about the slide in the physical position. That was the ruling on the field, confirmed by video replay.”

Iowa’s up-and-down season is now over, while starting pitcher Brody Brecht has probably pitched his last game for the Hawkeyes as the junior from Ankeny projects to be a first-round pick in the 2024 Amateur Baseball Draft.

Brecht threw another gem on Wednesday, going 7 1/3 innings, but it wasn’t enough as Iowa fell to Michigan 3-2 in 10 innings.

The Hawkeyes began the season as the only Big Ten team ranked in the preseason top 25, coming in at No. 20.

With that ranking came high expectations that the team has failed to meet for a variety of reasons, including injuries to key players, and with the pitchers allowing too many free bases.

Cade Obermueller pitched well enough to give Iowa a chance to win on Thursday, but the Iowa City native also allowed five walks that would limit him to just five innings.

Huckstorf normally starts in centerfield for Iowa, but he has been limited to pinch running since suffering a broken hand on a check swing.

All-Big Ten outfielder Sam Petersen also missed the latter stages of the season due to a foot injury.

Even with all those obstacles, Iowa still finished 14-10 in conference play and qualified for the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 5 seed. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament.

But now the players and coaches are left to wonder how a season that was filled with so much promise and potential failed to materialize.

It’s hard to know in this age of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness how Iowa’s roster will look next season.

Iowa was built to win big this season, but it just wasn’t meant to be.