Iowa Democratic legislator signs pro baseball contract, dazzles in first two starts for Sioux City Explorers

The 44-year-old Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten, who pitched for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in college, has made two starts for the Sioux City Explorers baseball team this week and absolutely dazzled on the mound.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2003, Scholten sought a professional baseball career and pitched for the Canadian Baseball League later that year. He also for the Sioux City Explorers back in 2004 before retiring to become a paralegal.

Scholten, who initially retired from professional baseball in 2007, offered to cover innings in a pinch for the Explorers when he ran into manager Steve Montgomery earlier this year. When Montgomery found his bullpen overworked and his starting pitcher injured last Saturday, he decided to take Scholten up on his offer with all his other options exhausted. The representative was volunteering at a music festival eight miles away when he found several missed calls from Montgomery on his phone.

The @SiouxCityXs were in need of pitching, prompting manager @Mongoxs55 to make a call to the bullpen like never before.

Taking the mound for Sioux City: Iowa State Representative J.D. Scholten!

Tune in to @kcautv at 6 for our newest Sports Spotlight! pic.twitter.com/2njB88IaDB

— Anthony Mitchell (@AMitchellSports) July 8, 2024

After finding someone to cover his shift, Scholten agreed to play with just three hours’ notice. Fifteen years after retiring, Scholten remarkably found himself on the mound for the Explorers again in his mid-40’s, where he not only pitched but fired 6.2 innings and turned in a quality start as the Explorers won the game 11-2. After leaving the game to a standing ovation, Scholten was pleased to learn that his fastball topped out at 89 mph during his start.

It wasn’t a fluke, either. Scholten took the mound again on Thursday afternoon after officially signing a deal with the Explorers earlier in the week. The 6’6” righty tossed another quality start, with six innings pitched and three strikeouts, while 54 of his 94 total pitches were thrown for strikes. Scholten only surrendered one run as the Explorers defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks by a score of 3-1. The victory snapped a five-game winning streak for the RedHawks, while Scholten brought his season ERA down to an impressive 2.13 on the year.

Scholten was first elected to the Iowa legislature in 2022, and he currently represents the state’s first district. He is seeking another term in November.