Nov. 1, 2011
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Head coach Marla Looper and the University of Iowa softball team announced the details of the 2012 spring schedule on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes will face 14 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, including five Women’s College World Series participants and 2011 national champion Arizona State.
“Our 2012 schedule will be challenging, but with that challenge brings opportunity,” said Looper, who is entering her second season as Iowa’s head coach. “For Iowa to rise to the top of the Big Ten Conference and nation, we need to face formidable opponents early in the season.
“Our preseason schedule will see us face 11 of the top 50 RPI teams from the 2011 season. It is a great opportunity for our team as we continue to grow and compete to be the best.”
The Hawkeyes open the spring with five tournaments in four states. Iowa begins play at the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas, on Feb. 10-13, where it will face Wichita State, Baylor, Arkansas, UT-Arlington and Belmont. The host Bears posted a 47-15 overall record last season and played in the Women’s College World Series.
Iowa heads to Tempe, Ariz., for the second straight year for the Littlewood Classic on Feb. 17-19. Four of the team’s five games will come against NCAA squads in Illinois State (Missouri Valley Conference regular season champions), Arizona State (Pac-10 Conference regular season/tournament champions; NCAA champion) and Central Michigan (two games; Mid-American Conference regular season/tournament champions). The lone contest against a non-NCAA qualifying team will come against Iowa State on Feb. 18.
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“Our preseason schedule will see us face 11 of the top 50 RPI teams from the 2011 season. It is a great opportunity for our team as we continue to grow and compete to be the best.”
UI head coach Marla Looper
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Iowa then heads west to California for the Cathedral City Classic on Feb. 25-27. The Hawkeyes will face Fresno State, Oregon State, Cal State Northridge and Long Island University in Palm Springs. Fresno State went 35-19 in the Western Athletic Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
On March 2-4, Iowa heads to the “Sooner State” for the Hall of Fame Tournament. The Hawkeyes will play road and neutral site games against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma — both WCWS teams. The Cowboys posted a 42-20 overall record in 2011, while the Sooners went 43-19.
The Hawkeyes will head to California for spring break and their final tournament of the season. Iowa begins the trip with a game at NCAA qualifier Long Beach State on March 13 before playing five games at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., on March 15-17. The Hawkeyes will face NCAA qualifying teams Notre Dame, Washington, and Louisiana-Lafayette to go along with games against Virginia and Cal State Fullerton.
Iowa will then play its 25th and 26th consecutive game away from Iowa City on March 21 in Columbia, Mo., in a doubleheader against Women’s College World Series qualifier Missouri.
The Hawkeyes will make their 2012 Pearl Field debut on March 24-25, when they host Wisconsin for a three-game set to open Big Ten Conference play. The following weekend (March 31-April 1), Iowa hosts Illinois.
After playing an in-state nonconference game against Drake on April 4, the Hawkeyes head to Evanston, Ill., for a three game series at Northwestern. Iowa then returns home for its first-ever conference match-up against Nebraska — an NCAA qualifier — on April 14-15.
On April 18, the Hawkeyes travel to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown at Iowa State before playing a three-game weekend series at Michigan State on April 21-22.
Iowa hosts Northern Iowa in a doubleheader at Pearl Field on April 26 before facing Indiana on April 28-29 in its home finale. The team will recognize seniors Katie Keim and Liz Watkins prior to Sunday’s game.
The Hawkeyes then close out the regular season with three-game series at Ohio State (May 5-6) and at Minnesota (May 11-12). Due to the new scheduling format in the Big Ten, Iowa will not face three teams — Michigan, Purdue and Penn State — during the 2012 season.
NCAA Regionals competition will take place on May 17-20, Super Regionals on May 24-27 and the 2012 Women’s College World Series will be held from May 31 through June 6 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.