IOWA CITY, Iowa – Bo Porter, current manager of the Houston Astros and a standout performer in both football and baseball during his Hawkeye career, will serve as honorary captain when the University of Iowa hosts Michigan State Saturday in Kinnick Stadium (11:01 a.m., ESPN2).
Porter, who recently completed his first year as Houston’s manager, lettered as a Hawkeye defense back from 1992-94. Porter shared team MVP honors as a senior. He recorded 69 tackles in his final season, along with three interceptions and two recovered fumbles while starting all 11 games.
Porter also was a standout for the Iowa baseball program as an outfielder, being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft. Porter produced a .318 batting average in his final season at Iowa, with 33 RBIs and four home runs. He played three seasons in the majors for the Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers and coached in Major League Baseball for six years before taking over the top spot for the Astros. He hit 113 home runs and had 503 RBIs and 236 stolen bases in 10 minor league seasons.
Porter was named Houston’s manager on Sept. 27, 2012, after two years with the Washington Nationals as third base coach, becoming the youngest manager in Major League Baseball. The Nationals won the NL East title in 2012 with the best record in the Majors. He has also worked at the top level of professional baseball in the Florida Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations.
Porter will accompany the Iowa captains to the center of the field for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. He will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game, and on the sidelines during the contest.