Kirkwood CC RHP Reid Burkle talks commitment to Iowa Baseball

The Iowa Baseball season hasn’t even wrapped up yet, but Rick Heller and the coaching staff are already working towards building the 2027 roster. That’s life is in this era of college sports. On Monday, the Hawkeyes picked up their first transfer, landing a commitment from Kirkwood CC right-hander Reid Burkle. A redshirt freshman for the Eagles this past season, Burkle will have three years of eligibility remaining. He chose Iowa over offers from Kansas, Illinois and Penn State.

“The one thing that stood out to me the most when visiting Iowa is how they consistently are able to do more with less,” Burkle told HawkeyeReport. “Coach Heller has always had a competitive baseball team and maybe not the resources that other schools have. He says they stick to their core beliefs and that’s what makes them a competitive baseball team and I wanted to play for someone like that who is tough and gritty and just finds a way to get things done.”

Excited to announce my commitment to The University of Iowa. Go Hawks @TRima23 @Max_Steffens21 pic.twitter.com/pqheyPr0ey

— Reid Burkle (@burkle_reid) May 11, 2026

“During my conversations with Coach Obermueller, the one thing that excited me the most about having him as a coach is just the belief he has in me and hearing him talk about what we are going to do to be a top-notch pitching staff,” said Burkle. “The way he operates a pitching staff is perfect to me because he talked about how all of his pitchers have to be mentally tough and be very competitive. That just sits right with me.”

A graduate of Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, Burkle was a starter for the Hawks as a senior. In eight starts, he posted a 4.75 ERA over 38.1 innings, including 47 strikeouts to 22 walks and 34 hits allowed. He helped Prairie to a 23-12 overall record and a second-place finish in the MVC-Mississippi standings. Burkle missed the entirety of his freshman season at Kirkwood rehabbing a torn UCL, but he says he learned a lot during his time off the field.

“My freshman year of college I tore my UCL, so that caused me to medical redshirt. During that time, what I learned about myself is that taking care of your arm at the collegiate level is one of the most important things that pitchers can do. I learned many different workouts I could do to help strengthen my shoulder and my forearm that have helped me gain velocity,” said Burkle. “Another thing I’ve learned about myself this year is that if you go out there and compete to the best of your ability, a lot of the time, you’re going to have success.”

This past season, as a redshirt freshman for the Eagles, Burkle was one of the lead arms in the bullpen. He appeared in 17 games, all in relief, posting a 1.82 ERA over 29.2 innings, including 42 strikeouts to 14 walks and 24 hits allowed. His best outing of the year came against Seward County, allowing one unearned run on three hits over 3.0 innings, including a season-high seven strikeouts and no walks. A back end of the bullpen arm for the Eagles, Reid averaged 5.24 outs per outing and completed 2.0+ innings in eight appearances.

“I am just the guy who will go out there and out compete with you. I’m a very physical pitcher. I know in the back of my mind that I’m going to find a way to get you out and I think that has really helped me because I do not think I would be having the success I am if I was not an ultra-competitor. So, if someone who hasn’t seen me pitch asked me to explain myself to them. I would tell them that I am a very competitive pitcher when I am on the mound.”

“My two best pitches are my four-seam fastball that I ran up to 93 this year but mainly sat 89-92. My other best pitch is my slider. I throw that 83 to 85. On top of that, I will also sprinkle in a change up here and there to get hitters off balance, and I throw that from 80 to 84.”

The Hawkeyes currently rank 13th in the Big Ten with a 6.19 team ERA, but are set to return Maddux Frese, Brody Irlbeck, Jaron Bleeker, Kyle Alivo and Tyler Guerin to compete for spots in the starting rotation. Although they’ll return several young bullpen arms, former ISU transfer Joe Husak, the teams current closer and high-leverage arm, is set to depart. The coaching staff sees Burkle as a guy that could come in and compete to win that job.

“This year at Kirkwood I was our closer and when I was on my visit to Iowa, they told me that they do not see why they would change what I am good at, so I plan on being a closer, but I am open to any way I can fit in, help get outs and win games.”