March 29, 2011
- 2011 Iowa Softball Media Guide
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa softball team, winners of four straight games, heads to Macomb, Ill., for a midweek contest at Western Illinois Wednesday afternoon. The game is slated to begin a 4 p.m. at Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium.
LISTEN LIVE ONLINE
Fans can follow the Hawkeyes online via the All-Access page at hawkeyesports.com. Rob Brooks, the voice of Iowa softball, will call 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.
ON THE WEB
Fans can follow the action at hawkeyesports.com, where live stats (Gametracker) will be available. The live “GT” can be found under the calendar tab on the right-hand side of the hawkeyesports.com home page, or on the softball schedule page.
LAST WEEK
The Hawkeyes opened Big Ten Conference game with a series sweep over Ohio State in Columbus. Iowa used a 4-for-4 day at the plate from Liz Watkins to win the opening game, 5-3. The Hawkeyes then completed the sweep with a 7-2 Sunday victory, as the squad pounded out 12 hits.
THE OPPONENT
The Leathernecks won 2-of-3 games over IUPUI last weekend to improve their record 9-14 overall and 6-3 in The Summit League. Western Illinois is batting .315 as a team and eight players are over the .300 mark on the season. Nikki Marinec is pacing the team with a .413 average, while Erin Schlotfeldt is hitting .408. Jamie Goss is the team’s top run producer with 29 RBI. Goss has 15 extra base hits with nine doubles, one triple and five home runs.
WIU has been struggling on the mound in 2011, as the squad has a combined team ERA of 7.32. Ashley Campbell and Hailey Bickford each have four wins, and Campbell has a team-leading 5.10 ERA.
SERIES/OPPONENT NOTES
? Iowa leads the all-time series over Western Illinois, 25-18. The Hawkeyes beat the Leathernecks twice during the 2010 season, winning 2-1 in Minneapolis and 8-0 in six innings in Iowa City.
? Western Illinois has a pair of Iowans on its 2011 roster in Hailey Bickford (Maquoketa) and Erin Schlotfeldt (DeWitt).
? WIU head coach Holly Van Vlymen began her coaching career at Iowa. She served as the pitching coach from 2000-04 and was a member of the 2003 coaching staff that was named NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
? Sophomore Chelsea Lyon picked up her first collegiate victory against WIU last season. She scattered five hits in six innings in the contest.
WATKINS NAMED CO-BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Liz Watkins was tabbed as the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week March 28 after hitting .714 with six RBI and three runs scored in Iowa’s series sweep at Ohio State. The catcher went 4-for-4 in the opener with three RBI before connecting on a three-run long ball to send Iowa to the sweep. It was Watkins’ second career honor.
OCHOA TABBED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Stephanie Ochoa was named the Big Ten Player of the Week March 21 after hitting .612 to lead the Hawkeyes to a 4-2 record. The California native went 4-for-4 in a game at No. 11 Tennessee, which were a career high in hits. She then closed out the week going 5-for-6 with four runs and an RBI in the doubleheader sweep of South Dakota.
BATS HOT IN BIG TEN OPENING WEEKEND
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in hitting following the first weekend of conference action. Iowa had 20 hits to bat .345 in the two game sweep of Ohio State. Junior Liz Watkins is leading the league in hitting in conference-only games coming in at a .714 clip, while sophomore Johnnie Dowling is sixth at .600.
TEAM TIDBITS
? Senior Chelsey Carmody has hit safely in 29-of-30 games this season. The shortstop has a team-leading 11 multi-hit games, and she is second in the Big Ten with 44 hits and third in batting average (.440).
? Iowa head coach Marla Looper received the “whipped cream in the face” following the series sweep over Ohio State in her Big Ten coaching debut. Team manager Cameron Cole served up the “pie” during the team huddle following the 7-2 win.
? Junior Liz Watkins had five consecutive hits at Ohio State before receiving the “Albert Pujols treatment”. The slugger was intentionally walked before OSU brought in a southpaw Brittany Goodchild to face her in her final two at-bats.
? Sophomore Chelsea Lyon has gone the distance to register complete games in each of her last nine starts.
? Freshman Kayla Massey has allowed four hits or fewer in seven starts this season. Massey has nine complete games and three shutouts on her resume.
? Sophomore Johnnie Dowling started in right field for the Hawkeyes in the opener in Columbus. It was her first action in the field since Feb. 18. The Des Moines native connected on her second home run of the season and the seventh of her Iowa career in the game.
? Freshman Brianna Luna hit a third inning long ball for what appeared to be her first career home run March 27. After failing to touch second base when she was rounding the bases, Luna was credited with a single before being rule out at second.
3 HAWKEYES, 4 HITS
Three different Hawkeye players have posted perfect 4-for-4 games at the plate this season. Chelsey Carmody accomplished the feat against Liberty on Mar. 12 in Florida, Stephanie Ochoa went 4-for-4 at No. 11 Tennessee, and Liz Watkins went 4-for-4 in the Big Ten opening win at Ohio State.
CARMODY’S STREAK SNAPPED
Senior Chelsey Carmody had her 25-game hitting streak snapped on March 18 at No. 11 Tennessee. The streak was the longest in the nation and the longest in the NCAA in two years.
LYON STRONG ON THE MOUND
Sophomore Chelsea Lyon has a 6-1 record on the rubber over her last seven appearances with a 1.39 ERA and 30 strikeouts. The Oklahoma native tallied her first career complete game shutout in the 10-0 victory over South Dakota, scattering two hits in five innings with seven strikeouts. Lyon’s lone defeat came at No. 11 Tennessee, where she allowed two runs on five hits.
Lyon is leading the team with a 2.73 earned run average in 20 appearances. She is 9-8 overall with 75 strikeouts in 97.1 innings.
WATKINS HITS NO. 20
Junior Liz Watkins connected on her team-leading sixth home run of the season in Iowa’s 7-2 victory at Ohio State on March 27. It was Watkins’ 20th career long ball, moving her into the top-five (t5th with Katie Brown) in the Iowa record books.
HAWKEYES WIN STETSON CLASSIC
Iowa posted a 4-1 record to win the round robin formatted Stetson Classic Mar. 11-13 in DeLand, Fla. After opening the tournament with a loss to Liberty, the Hawkeyes won four straight games, including beating Liberty, 4-3, in the championship game.
Senior Chelsey Carmody posted a .706 batting average to pace the Hawkeyes at the Stetson Classic, tallying hits in 12-of-17 at-bats.
MASSEY TIED FOR TEAM LEAD IN WINS
True freshman Kayla Massey is tied for the team lead in wins, posting an 9-4 record in 20 appearances. The California native has three complete game shutouts on her resume, which includes a four-hitter with nine strikeouts in her first career start against Maryland on Feb. 11.
Massey has a 2.77 ERA in 101.0 innings on the year with 75 strikeouts.
BLAST OFF IN OPENING AT-BAT
Jenny Schuelke opened her senior season in grand fashion, belting a three-run first inning home run on Feb. 11 against Lipscomb.
MOVIN’ ON UP
A pair of Hawkeyes are among the career statistical leaders in school history. Below is the breakdown.
Liz Watkins
t5th – Home runs – 20
Chelsey Carmody
6th – Hits – 219
7th – Batting Average – .344
8th – Runs – 118
t10th – Triples – 10
12th – Doubles – 33
TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior Chelsey Carmody and junior Katie Keim were chosen by their teammates as the team captains for the 2011 Hawkeyes.
FIVE GAMES TO BE TELEVISED ON BTN
Five Iowa softball games will be televised live on the Big Ten Network this season. Hawkeye road games at Purdue (Apr. 3), the doubleheader at Minnesota (Apr. 13) and home contests against Northwestern (Apr. 17) and Penn State (May 8) will all be broadcast live.
YOUTH DOMINATED
The Hawkeyes have a youth-filled roster in 2011, as 11 of the 16 student-athletes are underclassmen. The Iowa roster is comprised of three seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and five freshmen.
TWO-TIME ALL-BIG TEN SELECTION RETURNS
Two-time all-Big Ten selection Liz Watkins returns behind the plate for her junior season in Black and Gold. Last season, Watkins was a second team all-Big Ten selection after batting .328 with seven doubles, five triples, five home runs and 26 RBI. As a freshman, Watkins was a third team all-Big Ten honoree, hitting .331 with nine jacks and 45 RBI.
FORMER HAWKEYE RETURNS TO STAFF
Four-year letterwinner Stacy Johnson (formerly Stacy May) returns to the Hawkeye coaching staff after wrapping up a stellar professional player career in the National Professional Fastpitch league.
Johnson, who started every game in her Iowa career, was a three-time NFCA all-Mideast Region selection for the Hawkeyes. In 2003, she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after leading the Hawkeyes to the regular season and conference tournament titles.
TOUGH SCHEDULE IN 2011
The Hawkeyes will play a challenging schedule in 2011, as 12 of their opponents participated in the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Two of Iowa’s foes — Tennessee and Georgia — both advanced to the 2010 Women’s College World Series.
HAWKEYE TRADITION
Iowa has made four Women’s College World Series appearances (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001) and it has played in 16 NCAA Tournaments in school history. The 16 appearances are the second most in Big Ten history.
The Hawkeyes have won four Big Ten Conference regular season championships and two Big Ten Tournament titles.