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When he left Pella High School for the University of Iowa, Grant Judkins was widely regarded as the state’s best high school baseball player — and earned Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year recognition. Now, four years later and after COVID-19 ended the 2020 college sports season, Judkins finds himself at a crossroads of sorts in college, even after the NCAA granted eligibility relief to all spring sports athletes across all three divisions.

Judkins says the picture remains somewhat complicated for him–but for good reason, as the Iowa Hawkeyes’ senior is holding out hope that he could be drafted to continue a career as a professional baseball player.

“Since my time at Iowa, I think the coaches–their goal is to make us the best player possible to get us to that next level.” he says. “I think that’s been in the back of my head and that’s always a dream of mine since I’ve grown up, and it’s become more of a reality as I’ve improved and gone through the years and just had some success, so I’m looking forward to what the future holds, and sitting back and seeing what happens.”

A reduced MLB draft, cut heavily in scope by a deal to keep current major-league and minor-league players paid, may dash that dream temporarily. Then, Judkins says he would then heavily consider a return to the Iowa Hawkeyes if the pros aren’t an immediate option, as he has enjoyed his time completing and playing “Hellerball” under Head Coach Rick Heller, who has made the Hawkeyes far more competitive in the Big Ten during his tenure.

Before his 2020 senior season was cut short, Judkins was tabbed as Iowa’s No. 2 starter, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts with 24 strikeouts to five walks over 21 innings and earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Honors in February.

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