Hawkeyes, Badgers Set for B1G Showdown

April 14, 2016

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa softball team hosts Wisconsin for a three-game Big Ten Conference series at Bob Pearl Field this weekend. The Badgers and Hawkeyes will kick off the series at 5:30 p.m. (CT) on Friday, continue action with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday, and conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

PROMOTIONS
•Friday: The first 200 fans will receive a free Iowa softball mini bat.
•Saturday: Free Iowa softball pennants will be available for the first 250 fans, and kids can run the bases after the game.
•Sunday: The team will sign autographs following the game.

WATCH IT LIVE
All three games will be streamed live online via BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus, or learn more about it, visit btn2go.com.

LISTEN/FOLLOW ALONG
Live audio is available for all three games on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com. Play-by-play announcer Rob Brooks will call the action from Bob Pearl Field. Live stats are also available on the softball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa softball program and access to exclusive coverage, follow @IowaSoftball on Twitter and “like” the official page on Facebook, facebook.com/iowahawkeyessoftball.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
•Wisconsin owns a 21-16-1 overall record and a 6-4-1 mark in Big Ten Conference action.
•Three Badgers are hitting above .300, including Kelsey Jenkins (.423), Chloe Miller (.364), Ashley Van Zeeland (.311), and Sara Novak (.301).
•Taylor-Paige Stewart leads the Badgers with a 3.30 ERA and an 11-9 record.
•On Tuesday, Wisconsin swept a doubleheader with No. 21 Minnesota in Minneapolis. The Badgers defeated the Gophers, 6-3, in game one before winning game two, 7-1.

THE SERIES
•Iowa owns a 34-15 advantage in the all-time series.
•The Hawkeyes won a three-game set, 2-1, in Madison, Wisconsin, last season. The Hawkeyes won the first contest, 16-4 (5 innings), before Wisconsin won game two, 5-4. Iowa won the rubber match with a 3-2 victory in 10 innings.

IN THE RANKINGS – B1G
Four Big Ten teams appear in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll released on April 12. No. 2 Michigan, No. 21 Minnesota, and No. 23 Ohio State are ranked within the top 25, while Nebraska is receiving 16 votes.

TAKING ON THE BEST
•Seven of Iowa’s 2016 opponents are coming off a 2015 NCAA Tournament appearance.
•Iowa is scheduled to play 15 games against those opponents this season.
•The teams include: Louisville, Texas, Nebraska, Northwestern, Missouri, Indiana State, and Minnesota.

CLUTCH MULLARKEY
With the Hawkeyes down by two in the bottom of the seventh inning against Drake on April 13, junior Claire Fritsch started a two-out rally when she reached on an error by the Drake second baseman. It proved to be a costly mistake as junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey blasted the game-tying, two-run home run over the wall in left center to send the game into extra innings. Mullarkey came through with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth. The Park Ridge, Illinois, native hit a rocket off the glove of the Drake first baseman that scored the game-winning run.

6-RUN 4TH LEADS HAWKEYES PAST UNI
The Hawkeyes put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to defeat Northern Iowa on April 12. Sophomore Angela Schmiederer led off the inning with a single, before senior Whitney Repole and freshman Mallory Kilian were both awarded first on a hit by pitch. Sophomore Sarah Kurtz came through with an RBI single to put the Hawkeyes on the board. After a wild pitch allowed Repole to score, Claire Fritsch reached on an error that plated Kilian. Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey came through with an RBI double to left, before redshirt junior Sammi Gyerman plated two more runs on a single up the middle.

LOOKING BACK
Redshirt junior Shayla Starkenburg won the rubber match between the Hawkeyes and Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin, last season on April 12. Starkenburg earned the complete-game win in the circle, shining in a pitcher’s duel with a career-high 11 strikeouts. The Ankeny, Iowa, native allowed just two earned runs to help the Hawkeyes to 3-2 victory over the Badgers.

SCHMIEDERER MAKES HISTORY
Sophomore Angela Schmiederer‘s two-run home run against Northwestern on April 9 hit the top of the roof of McGaw Hall — the building that sits beyond the left field wall at Drysdale Field in Evanston, Illinois. Schmiederer became the first opposing player in history to hit the roof of McGaw Hall.

4 HOME RUNS
The Hawkeyes registered four home runs in game one against Northwestern on April 9. Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey hit a two-run shot in the top of the first inning. One batter later, redshirt senior Holly Hoffman followed with a solo blast. Hoffman marked a new career high with her second blast of the game in the top of the fifth, before sophomore Angela Schmiederer hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

HOFFMAN HEATS UP
Holly Hoffman is swinging the hot bat for the Hawkeyes in conference action. The redshirt senior is hitting .485 in Big Ten play. In 10 conference games, Hoffman is slugging 1.061. Hoffman has registered 10 extra-base hits (5 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs) during that span.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS
•Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey is tied for 14th on Iowa’s all-time list with eight home runs this season.
•Mullarkey’s 14 career blasts ties her for 18th on Iowa’s all-time career home runs list.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
•The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the conference with 46 stolen bases. Iowa pitchers have struck out 66 batters looking this season — the second most in the Big Ten.
•Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey is tied for first in the Big Ten with 10 hit by pitches, fifth in triples (3), seventh in home runs (8), and 10th in stolen bases (11).

IN B1G ACTION
•Iowa leads the conference with 13 stolen bases in Big Ten games.
•The Hawkeyes rank third in the Big Ten with 16 home runs in conference games this season.
•Iowa has turned five double plays in Big Ten action this season — tied for the fourth-most in the conference.
•Senior Holly Hoffman ranks third in the Big Ten with a 1.061 slugging percentage.
•Hoffman is also tied for first in the Big Ten in total bases (35), second in doubles (5), and fifth in hits (16).

HOFFMAN BATS 1.000
Holly Hoffman had a career game at the plate in game one of a doubleheader against Nebraska on April 6. The redshirt senior registered career-bests in hits (4) and doubles (2). The Osceola, Indiana, native went 4-for-4 with two singles, two doubles, and two RBIs. Hoffman ranks 11th in the Big Ten, hitting .500 in conference games this season.

POWER SURGE
After registering 11 extra-base hits in all of 2015 (59 games), junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey has hit 20 in 37 games this season. The Park Ridge, Illinois, native leads the team in home runs (8), and triples (3), and is tied for first on the team in doubles (9).

IN CONFERENCE ACTION
Three Hawkeyes are hitting above .300 in conference action. Sophomore Cheyenne Pratt is hitting .500, while redshirt senior Holly Hoffman (.485) and sophomore Allie Wood (.429) both have averages in the .400s. Senior Whitney Repole is hitting .391 in 11 conference games this season.

INCREASED SPEED
•After stealing 18 bags in all of 2015, Iowa has swiped 46 bases in 37 games this season.
•Iowa is 46-for-53 on the base paths this season.
•Junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey leads the team with 11 stolen bases, while junior Claire Fritsch has nine.

3 HOME RUNS PROPEL IOWA TO 1ST B1G VICTORY
Three home runs lifted the Hawkeyes to a 10-3 victory over Purdue on April 3 — Iowa’s first conference win of the season. Sophomore Allie Wood hit a two-run home run in the second inning before sending a three-run shot over the center field wall in the third. Senior Erin Erickson registered a solo blast in the bottom of the sixth.

3-FOR-4
•Sammi Gyerman led the team with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate against Purdue on April 2.
•The redshirt junior registered a single and a pair of home runs in the contest. She tallied four of Iowa’s seven RBIs in the contest. It marked the third time in her career she hit two or more home runs in a single game.

WOOD PLATES FIVE
Allie Wood registered home runs in back-to-back at bats against Purdue on April 3. The sophomore hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second, before hitting a three-run shot in the third. She accounted for five of Iowa’s 10 RBIs in the contest.

MS. UTILITY
Sophomore Angela Schmiederer has registered 27 starts at three different positions this season. She has made 12 starts behind the plate, 11 in the outfield, and four as Iowa’s designated player. Ten of Schmiederer’s 21 hits this season have been for extra bases, including a game-winning grand slam against Lamar on March 6.

SCHMIEDERER SLAM
Angela Schmiederer registered the game-winning grand slam against Lamar on March 6. The sophomore entered the game as a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth. After singling and scoring a run, Schmiederer remained in the game as Iowa’s offensive player. An RBI fielder’s choice and the game-winning grand slam followed. She registered a career-high five RBIs on the afternoon.

THREE’S COMPANY
Three different Hawkeyes went deep against Lamar on March 6. Senior Whitney Repole hit her first home run of the season — a solo shot — in the top of the third inning. Sophomore Angela Schmiederer registered the game-winning grand slam in the top of the seventh, while junior Kaitlyn Mullarkey capped off a sixth-run seventh inning with a two-run blast.

THE DUGOUT
The Hawkeyes re-launched their blog, The Dugout, for the 2016 season. The blog will reach out to fans and provide them with the opportunity to connect with the student-athletes, coaches, and staff who work hard every day to make the Hawkeye softball program a success. The Dugout aims to deliver unique insight into the lives of the Iowa softball team. Each week, The Dugout will feature a different softball student-athlete. To see the latest post, visit hawkeyesports.com.

NEWCOMERS
•Junior transfer Elizabeth Wiegand joins the team after spending two seasons with UT Martin. Wiegand appeared in 26 games with 21 starts for the Skyhawks in 2015. She led UT Martin in ERA (2.94), wins (12), appearances (26), starts (21), complete games (16), shutouts (3), innings pitched (135.2), and strikeouts (63) as a sophomore.
•Sophomore transfer Katy Taylor joins the Hawkeyes after spending a season at Labette Community College. Taylor helped the Cardinals to a 38-16 overall record and a Region VI Championship. She led the nation in stolen bases (89) and paced the Cardinals in hits (76), doubles (10), triples (3), walks (21), batting average (.435), and on base percentage (.485).
•Freshmen Erin Riding (pitcher), Mallory Kilian (pitcher/utility), and Brooke Rozier (catcher/utility) will all make their Hawkeye debuts in 2016.

STAFF UPDATES
•Jake Schumann joined the Iowa softball staff on Aug. 5, 2015. Schumann will handle the Hawkeye offense. He joins the staff after spending last season as the associate head coach at Ole Miss. He has also served as the head coach at Florida International (2011-14), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2007-11), Texas A&M-Kingsville (2003-07), and Carl Albert State College (2001-03).
•Former Hawkeye Rachel West is Iowa’s new volunteer assistant coach. West appeared in 202 games for the Hawkeyes from 2005-09. The Burlington, Iowa, native still stands as one of the best base stealers in program history. West swiped 86 bags during her four-year career — a mark that ranks fourth in program history.
•Sharon Palma is in her first year as the director of operations for the Iowa softball program. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native came to Iowa after spending the 2014 season as an assistant coach at Ole Miss. A former professional pitcher for the Carolina Diamonds in the National Pro Fastpitch League, Palma has also spent time as an assistant coach at Florida International (2014) and IUPUI (2013), and a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan State (2012).

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 1281-819-5 (.611) record in 38 seasons.

ON DECK
The Hawkeyes host Missouri for a doubleheader at Bob Pearl Field on April 19.

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