Kooper Schulte, a senior outfielder from New London, Iowa, heard his name called in the 20th round of the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, a moment that capped a collegiate career defined by consistency and power.
A Program on the Rise
Across 56 games in his final season, Schulte batted .274, amassed 61 hits, scored 50 runs, hit nine home runs and drove in 39 runs, numbers that reflect a player who started every game and contributed heavily to the Hawkeyes’ lineup.
Over the course of his Iowa career, he appeared in 103 games, making 87 starts, and finished with 71 runs scored, 94 hits, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Iowa closed out the 2026 campaign with a 33‑23 record, securing an 11th consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Tournament, a testament to the program’s sustained competitiveness under head coach Rick Heller.
Heller, now in his 15th season at the helm, has guided the Hawkeyes to a string of postseason berths, and Schulte’s selection underscores the coach’s ability to develop talent that reaches the professional level.
The Mets’ front office highlighted Schulte’s blend of contact hitting and clutch hitting as factors that attracted them to the 600th overall pick, a slot that has historically produced solid major‑league contributors.