Game Notes: Kickin’ Chicken Classic

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THIS WEEK
This week, the University of Iowa softball team travels to the Kickin’ Chicken Classic, hosted by Coastal Carolina in Conway, South Carolina. Iowa opens the 2020 season against East Carolina on Friday at 9:30 a.m. (CT) and Virginia Tech at 11:45 a.m. Iowa continues the tournament against Campbell (8:30 a.m.) and Coastal Carolina (10:45 a.m.) on Saturday before closing the tournament against Virginia Tech on Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW 
Live stats of each game this weekend is available on the team’s schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. A live stream is available on Coastal Carolina’s website at goccusports.com/watch. (Subscription required).

RETURNING LETTERWINNERS

• The Hawkeyes return 15 letterwinners from 2019, including Cam Cecil, Aralee Bogar, Allison Doocy, Sydney Owens, Lea Thompson, Lauren Shaw, Abby Lien, Kate Claypool, Sarah Lehman, Ashley Hamilton, Liz DeShields, Miranda Schulte, Havyn Monteer, Alex Rath, and DoniRae Mayhew.

NEWCOMERS

• Iowa is welcoming 11 new players to the team in 2020 – Avery Guy, Nicole Yoder, Nia Carter, Erin Carter, Kit Rocco, Mia Ruther, Morgan Lewis, Taylor Ryan, Emma Olejniczak, Riley Sheehy, and Kalena Burns.
• Six of the 11 players are transfers, including NJCAA First-Team All-American Mia Ruther. Ruther, along with teammates Avery Guy and Morgan Lewis, helped Des Moines Area Community College to an appearance at the Division II softball championships last season.
• Junior Emma Olejniczak joins Iowa after two seasons at Northern Iowa. Olejniczak appeared in 51 games with 29 starts for the Panthers.
• Sophomore Kit Rocco came to Iowa after one season at Northern Kentucky. Rocco playedi n 54 games with 53 starts as catcher, batting .233 on the year.
• Sophomore Riley Sheehy joined the team after one season at USC Upstate. Sheehy saw action in 45 games with seven runs and seven stolen bases. 

DOOCY’S LAST LAP

• Senior Allison Doocy begins the final year of a stellar career at Iowa. 
• Heading into her senior season, Doocy ranks seventh in strikeouts in Iowa history and has been named All-Big Ten and All-Midwest Region the last two seasons. 
• Doocy finished 2019 fifth in the Big Ten in innings pitched with 187, fourth in batter struck out (195), 10th in wins (14), and 10th in ERA (2.70).