April 1, 2010
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- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
Complete Release in PDF Format
IOWA CITY – On Deck
The University of Iowa softball team opens the home portion of the 2010 Big Ten season with two games against Indiana at Pearl Field. Iowa will take on the Hoosiers Saturday and Sunday, with both games starting at 2 p.m.
Admission to Pearl Field is $3 for adults. There is no charge for youth (high school age and younger) or UI students with a valid student ID.
Promotions
Fans can register to win a pair of football tickets for the 2010 opener against Eastern Illinois Sunday.
Live Audio from Your Computer
You can follow the Hawkeyes from your computer via the All-Access page at hawkeyesports.com. Rob Brooks, the voice of Iowa softball, will be calling the action live at all home and away events for the remainder of the season. Hawkeye All-Access is a subscription service that charges $9.95 per month.
Hawkeyes on the Web
Fans that can’t make it to Pearl Field for the home opener can follow the action at hawkeyesports.com, where live stats (Gametracker) will be available. The “GT” link can be found under the calendar tab on the right-hand side of the hawkeyesports.com home page, or on the softball schedule page.
Scouting Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers are 7-19 overall. This weekend will be Indiana’s first games in Big Ten play.
Jennifer Glueckert leads the team with a .329 batting average. Sara Olsen has a team-best four home runs, while Amanda Wagner has a team-high 14 RBI.
Olsen is also the team’s leading pitcher witha 4-8 record and a 3.35 earned run average. Olsen has 42 strikeouts to 28 walks. Cassie Loweth is 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA.
Series Notes
? Iowa leads the all-time series, 55-31-1.
? Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins started her successful coaching career at Indiana. Blevins coached the Hoosiers from 1980-87 and compiled a 301-146 record. She led Indiana to the Women’s College World Series three times.
? Iowa assistant coach Diane Stephenson replaced Blevins as head coach at Indiana in 1987, and held the position until 2002. She was named both the Big Ten and Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1996 while at Indiana. Stephenson also was an assistant under Blevins at Indiana from 1983-87.
? Current Indiana assistant coach Christy Hebert lettered at Iowa from 1994-97. She was a two-time all-American at shortstop for the Hawkeyes. Hebert was also the head coach at Northern Iowa from 2002-08.
Watkins Named co-Big Ten Player of the Week
Sophomore catcher Liz Watkins was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week March 29 for her efforts in Iowa’s two-game sweep at Michigan State.
Watkins batted an impressive .857 (6-7) with one home run, two doubles and three RBI against the Spartans. Watkins also recorded an eye-popping 1.571 slugging percentage and a .875 on-base percentage.
Watkins started the weekend by going 2-for-3 Saturday. She followed with a perfect 4-for-4 outing Sunday, including a solo home run in the first inning. She added the game-winning RBI in the sixth with a line drive to the left field fence.
Watkins’ Swing…Pure
Sophomore Liz Watkins followed her co-Big Ten Player of the Week award Monday with another impressive offensive outing Wednesday against the Cyclones. Watkins finished 2-for-3 with two solo home runs, upping her season total to five. Watkins has recorded three solo home runs in her last two games, and is batting .800 (8-10) over the last three contests.
Lyon’s Stock Rising
Freshman Chelsea Lyon has been hot in the cirlce over the past five games.
Lyon is 3-0 and has not allowed an earned run in her last 23.2 innings pitched. She has struck out 12, with two starts and one complete game.
Schuelke Does Some Yard Work
Junior Jenny Schuelke went 3-for-6 against the Spartans last weekend, with two of those hits being home runs.
Schuelke’s first round-tripper was a clutch, two-run home run to give Iowa a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning in Game One against the Spartans. Her second long-ball was a two-run home run in the first inning of Game Two.
Schuelke has four home runs this season.
Where’s Digs?
Senior Lindsey Digmann has been a fixture in the Iowa lineup, but not in one particular place. After starting the first 24 games at third base, Digs has seen time in left field, center field and as the designated player. She has also bounced around the lineup – hitting leadoff (.321), second (.412) and ninth (.333) in the batting order.