Iowa, Illinois Meet for 3-Game Set

April 3, 2015

PLAY BALL
The University of Iowa softball team returns to Big Ten action with a three-game series against Illinois at Bob Pearl Field this weekend. The series begins with a 6 p.m. (CT) game on Friday, continues with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday, and concludes with a 1 p.m. game Sunday.

FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the action with Gametracker (live stats). Audio will also be available on Hawkeye All-Access with Rob Brooks on the call. Links can be accessed on the softball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. To receive more frequent game updates, follow @IowaSoftball on Twitter and “like” our official page on Facebook, facebook.com/iowahawkeyessoftball.

WATCH IT LIVE
Hawkeye fans can watch Friday’s contest online on BTN Plus available at btn2go.com. Saturday and Sunday’s games will be streamed live online through Hawkeye All-Access, available at hawkeyesports.com.

TAKING ON THE BEST
Ten of Iowa’s 2015 opponents are ranked in the most recent release of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top-25 Poll (March 24). They include: Oregon (1), Florida (3), Michigan (4), Oklahoma (6), Louisiana Lafayette (12), Minnesota (14), UCF (16), Missouri (21), North Dakota State (RV), and Hofstra (2).

INCREASE IN SPEED
Iowa swiped a season-high four bases against Western Illinois on April 2. Redshirt sophomore Sammi Gyerman stole a pair, while senior Megan Blank and sophomore Claire Fritsch each stole one. Prior to the Thursday contest, the Hawkeyes had just eight stolen bases on the season.

MULTIPLES OF 3
A trio of Hawkeyes recorded three hits in Iowa’s contest against Western Illinois on April 2, including redshirt sophomore Sammi Gyerman, senior Megan Blank, and freshman Cheyenne Pratt. Two of Gyerman’s hits were for extra bases, including a double and her first triple of the season. Blank recorded her 55th career double and added two singles, while Pratt posted three singles in midweek action.

UPSET IN ANN ARBOR
The Hawkeyes handed the No. 4 Wolverines their fifth loss of the season with a come-from-behind victory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on March 29. Down four runs in the top of the sixth, Iowa scored three runs off of a pair of home runs by redshirt junior Holly Hoffman and freshman Allie Wood. The Hawkeyes continued their rally in the seventh when sophomore Kaitlyn Mullarkey capitalized on an RBI opportunity with a double down the right line to give Iowa a 5-4 lead. The Hawkeyes added an insurance run on a RBI ground out from Wood to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh. After a Wolverine reached on a single to start the seventh, Iowa used a 4-6-3 double play to silence the scoring chance and ultimately secure the upset victory.

STARKENBURG TROUBLES NO. 4 WOLVERINES
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Shayla Starkenburg limited the Wolverines to just four hits in the first game of a doubleheader on March 28. Only three other teams have held Michigan to four hits or less this season. They include: then-ranked No. 1 Florida (2 hits), Kent State (3 hits) and Illinois State (4 hits). The Ankeny, Iowa, native registered a complete-game upset win on March 29. After a rocky first inning Starkenburg settled in and allowed just one run in her final six innings of work and did not allow a Wolverine hit in four of her final six innings.

TOUGH OUT
Senior Megan Blank has just seven strikeouts in 112 at bats this season. Blank currently leads the team in batting average (.429), slugging percentage (.643), and on base percentage (.492).

HOFFMAN, WOOD PROVIDE SPARK
Redshirt junior Holly Hoffman and freshman Allie Wood went yard in Iowa’s 6-4 come-from-behind triumph against No. 4 Michigan on March 29. Hoffman sent her second home run of the season and fifth of her career over the center field wall. One batter later, Wood delivered a solo shot — the fourth home run of her career — to left to pull the Hawkeyes within a run of the Wolverines.

DOUBLE PLAYS PIVOTAL IN IOWA VICTORY
Iowa turned two double plays in its 6-4 win at No. 4 Michigan on March 29. The Hawkeyes turned two to end the second inning before swinging a 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the seventh to clear the bases and ultimately secure the upset victory. Iowa currently leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th nationally in fielding double plays. The Hawkeyes have turned two 20 times this season. They have recorded two double plays in a game five times: No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 20), No. 6 Oklahoma (March 15), Tulsa (March 18), Nebraska (March 25), and No. 4 Michigan (March 29).

.300 CLUB
Seven Hawkeyes are hitting .300+ in Big Ten Conference play. Senior Megan Blank leads the team hitting .450 and freshman Angela Schmiederer (.400) joins her in the 400s. Redshirt junior Holly Hoffman (.333), redshirt Sammi Gyerman (.321), sophomore Claire Fritsch (.318), junior Whitney Repole (.304), and freshman Allie Wood (.304) are all hitting .300+ in eight conference games this season.

BLANK RANKS
? Career runs scored: Tied for 10th all-time (114)
? Career hits: 7th all-time (225)
? Career doubles: School record holder (55)
? Career triples: tied for 10th all-time (10), 1 from tying for 7th (11)
? Career HR: Tied for 6th all-time (22)
? Career RBI: Tied for 5th all-time (134)
? Career Average: 2nd all-time (.404), Lea Twigg (1996-97) is the record holder with a .409 batting average
? Doubles in a season: 17 in 2012, tied for 4th all-time; 15 in 2013, tied for 9th all-time
? Triples in a season: 5 in 2012, tied for 8th all-time
? HR in a season: 11 in 2013, 3rd all-time
? RBI in a season: 59 in 2013, 2nd all-time
? Average in a season: .437 in 2013 (record holder)

BLANK IN THE B1G
Megan Blank is currently ranked among the top five in the conference in three different categories. The senior is tied for second in the Big Ten hits (48), tied for third in doubles (12) and fourth in batting average (.429).

DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Hawkeyes are tied for third in the Big Ten in doubles. Iowa has recorded 57 doubles on the season. Senior Megan Blank, the career doubles school record holder, leads the team with 12, while redshirt sophomore Sammi Gyerman has eight.

WITH RUNNERS ON
Senior Megan Blank is hitting .453 with runners on base and .400 with runners in scoring position. The Culver City, California, native currently leads the team in batting average (.429), hits (48), doubles (12), total bases (72), and RBIs (21).

B1G HITS
Iowa is ranked 10th in the Big Ten in hits. Iowa has accumulated 262 hits in 39 contests this season. Senior Megan Blank leads the team with 48 hits, while redshirt sophomore Sammi Gyerman has 39.

STARKENBURG STRIKEOUTS
Redshirt sophomore Shayla Starkenburg ranks sixth in the Big Ten in batters struck out (124) and fourth in batters struck out looking (34). Starkenburg has fanned a career high nine batters twice this season (Florida A&M on March 1; East Carolina on March 14. She recorded her first career no-hitter against Southern Utah on Feb. 7. The Ankeny, Iowa, native has 124 strikeouts in 149.2 innings this season.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS
? Iowa leads Illinois, 20-14, in the all-time series.
? The Hawkeyes won 2-of-3 against the Illini in the 2014 regular season, but fell to Illinois in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament, 6-0.
? Illinois enters the three-game series with a 12-20 record overall and a 3-3 mark in Big Ten action.
? Six are hitting .300+ including, Annie Fleming (.455), Allie Bauch (.392), Alyssa Gunther (.392), Kylie Johnson (.358), Ruby Rivera (.333), Jess Perkins (.328).

BLANK MAKES HISTORY
Senior Megan Blank recorded her 53rd career double against Nebraska on March 25 to break Iowa’s 18-year-old career doubles record. Blank is now in sole possession of the Iowa Softball career doubles record with 55. The previous record of 52 was set by Kari Knopf in 1997.

PRACTICE FACILITIES
The Hawkeyes have benefited from two new facilities in 2015 — the indoor Iowa Turf Facility, located at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex, and the Jacobson Hitting Facility, located in football’s former weight room. The HTRC Iowa Turf Facility has enabled the program to have consistency in team practices, while the Jacobson hitting cages have allowed student-athletes to take extra reps at any time.

MEET THE CAPTAINS
Sophomore walk-ons Kaitlyn Mullarkey and Kara Misel were voted 2015 captains by their teammates. Mullarkey stepped in last season when injuries created a spot in the field. She logged time in the outfield before joining the infield for the majority of the Big Ten season as Iowa’s first baseman. Misel appeared primarily as a pinch runner in 2014.

HAWKEYE TRADITION
Iowa has made four Women’s College World Series appearances (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001) and played in 16 NCAA Tournaments in school history. The 16 appearances are the second most in Big Ten history, and the four WCWS appearances equal the second most in conference history. The Hawkeyes have won four Big Ten Conference regular season championships (1989, 1997, 2000, 2003) and two Big Ten Tournament titles (2001, 2003). Iowa holds a 1261-779-5 (.618) record in 37 seasons.

ON DECK
Iowa continues Big Ten action with a three-game series at Wisconsin on April 10-12.

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