THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa softball team stays home to host Wisconsin in a three-game series, from March 21-23. The Hawkeyes will take on the Badgers at 2:30 pm (CT) on Thursday, 2:30 pm (CT) on Friday, and 2 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.
WATCH AND FOLLOW LIVE
All games will be streamed on B1G+ ($) and broadcast live on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Live stats will be available on hawkeyesports.com and updates will be available on X (@iowasoftball).
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes closed out spring break going 4-1 in their final five games. The picked up two wins over Sacramento St. and Pacific, each. Iowa finished their spring break trip with a 6-5 record.
Freshman Jena Young was swinging a hot bad hitting .444 over the last six games. She recorded three extra base hits, including the first two Hawkeye home runs of the season.
The pitchers are what had a breakout week for Iowa. Freshman Jaylee Ojo shined in two starts allowing no runs and just two hits and had 11 strikeouts. Sophomore Jalen Adams threw four complete games picking up two wins and had a 1.47 ERA.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Head Coach Yvette Healy is in her 14th season leading the Badgers. They enter the matchup with Iowa with an 11-15 record. Wisconsin has three hitters hitting over .300. Sophomore Ava Kuszak shines through hitting .324 with 15 RBI’s. The Badgers pitching staff makes up a 4.12 ERA and has held opponents to a .276 BA against them. Gabi Salo has five wins on the season with a 2.64 ERA including 50 strikeouts and four shutouts.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
10 Hawkeyes hail from Iowa, seven from California, three from Arizona, two from Alabama and one each from Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. The roster is comprised of nine freshmen, seven sophomores, eight juniors, and three seniors. There are 18 returning letterwinners and nine newcomers.
PLAYING THE BEST
The Hawkeyes will face 10 different teams that made the 2023 NCAA Tournament: Harvard, Indiana, Liberty, LMU, Minnesota, NCCU, Nebraska, Notre Dame, SIU and Utah. The Utes are the lone team that the Hawkeyes will face who advanced to the 2023 WCWS.
B1G TIME STATS
Junior Rylie Moss is having a breakout season thus far. She has started every game in right field for Iowa and is leading the team offensively hitting .381. She is ranked 11th in the Big Ten for BA.
Senior Sammy Diaz has provided a consistent bat in the Hawkeye lineup. The first baseman is hitting .306 and has reached base in each of the past 18 games. She is third on the team with 10 RBIs.
Junior Devyn Greer has a 0.91 ERA in 23.0 innings of work. Her ERA is ranked second in the Big Ten. She has held hitters to a .225 batting average against, 10th in the conference.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
The Hawkeyes had five athletes start every game thus far (Rylie Moss, Jena Young, Soo-Jin Berry, Sammy Diaz, and Grace Banes). Four of those student-athletes are hitting .300 or above, and are the top four hitters on the team. Freshman Berry leads the team with 15 RBIs on the season. Young is the only Hawkeye to record a home run with two on the season.
POSTSEASON AWARDS
The Hawkeyes return 2023 Big Ten All-freshman selection Jalen Adams and NFCA third-team All-Region honoree Tatianna Roman for the 2024 season.
IMPROVEMENT IN THE CIRCLE
Pitching coach Mandy Gardner helped improve the staff ERA tremendously in one season at Iowa. The Hawkeyes ERA dropped 2.46 points from 2022 to 2023.
To start the 2024 season the pitching staff has a 2.56 ERA (4th in the B1G) and has held opposing hitters to a .250 batting average against. Sophomore Jalen Adams has thrown nine complete games in 12 starts. Junior Devyn Greer leads the Hawkeye staff with a 0.91 ERA which has her ranked second in the Big Ten. In Iowa’s last six games the staff has a 1.20 ERA led by freshman Jaylee Ojo who has not allowed a run and just two hits in 11.0 innings of work.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes are set to host the 2024 Big Ten Conference Tournament in May. The tournament returns to Iowa City for the first time since the 2003 season.
Iowa was picked to finish 11th in the in the conference by Softball America and 13th by D1 Softball.
UP NEXT
The University of Iowa softball team stays at home to host Michigan State for a three-game series. The Hawkeyes will take on the Spartans at 5 pm (CT) on Friday, 2 pm (CT) on Friday, and 1 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.