Bio
Sioux City native J.D. Scholten came out of retirement from baseball on July 6, 2024, and made an emergency start for his hometown team the Sioux City Explorers. He went out on three hours’ notice and tossed 6.2 innings for Sioux City throwing 102 pitches to pick up the win over the Milwaukee Milkmen. Scholten would allow two earned runs on seven hits with one walk and two strikeouts in the X’s 11-2 win. His story captivated baseball and became news not just in the American Association but nationwide. Scholten has a full-time job serving the people of the State of Iowa, and his native Sioux City as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives for District 1 as a Democrat. The district is the area of Woodbury County the home of the Explorers. The right-hander did play professionally last summer in the Dutch League while the state house was on recess. With the Twins Oosterhout he was 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 26 innings. Scholten struck out 31 in six games making three starts and picking up a save. The Twin won their wild card series but lost in the semi final series last season in the playoffs. Scholten has played in the Minnesota town ball league as well as Iowa amateur teams since he last played for Sioux City in 2007. He would pitch in 10 games in relief with a save in 2007 working 12 innings with an 8.25 ERA. His 2006 season saw Scholten pitch a career high 74.2 innings going 5-4 for the X’s in 24 games making four starts. He would strikeout 33 in total that season with a 5.54 ERA and a 1.634 WHIP. He did not pitch in 2005 but spent 2004 with Sioux City going 5-2 with a 7.91 ERA and 2003 2-0 with a 4.24 ERA. He broke into the game as a professional in 2003 with Saskatoon of the Canadian League where he was 2-2 with a 6.46 ERA. The native of Sioux City attended Morningside College, where he pitched and played first base for three years, and then transferred to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to pitch for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a senior. In 2002, he led the Cornhuskers in earned run average and earn his degree from Nebraska in December 2003. He played baseball and basketball at East High School in Sioux City and was born in Ames. Scholtens father Jim was the head coach at Morningside until 2011.