Jan. 14, 2004
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa softball team debuted at No. 18 in the initial 2004 USA Softball/ESPN poll. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 44-15 season in which they won the Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals.
Defending NCAA Champion UCLA is ranked No. 1, while California, Arizona, Oklahoma and Washington round out the top five. Michigan was the highest ranked Big Ten team at No. 7, while Michigan State came in at No. 24. Northwestern, Ohio State and Minnesota were listed as receiving votes.
Iowa opens its season February 14 at the Georgia State Tournament in Atlanta, GA.