THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa softball team travels to Lincoln, Neb. for a midweek doubleheader against the Cornhuskers. Game one of the doubleheader at Bowlin Stadium will begin at 4 p.m. CT
WATCH AND FOLLOW LIVE
Both games at Nebraska will be broadcast on Big Ten Network with Kylen Mills and Elise Menaker on the call. Live stats will be available on hawkeyesports.com and updates will be available on X (@iowasoftball).
LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes dropped a three-game series against Indiana this past weekend. They have last their last nine games.
Offense was at a minimum for Iowa over the weekend as they recorded just 12 hits over the three games. Junior Rylie Moss led the team with three hits and Sophomore Tory Bennett picked up two RBIs.
The Hawkeyes used six pitchers over the weekend. Redshirt freshman Kelsey Winters made her first career appearance on Friday against the Hoosiers. The pitching staff allowed 24 runs (19 earned) with 21 walks and three hit batters. Indiana capitalized hitting five home runs in the series.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Head Coach Rhonda Revelle is in her 32nd season as the head coach at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers enter the midweek matchup with a record of 25-19, 8-6 in Big Ten. Nebraska sits in sixth place in the conference coming off of a series loss at Michigan over the weekend. Returning all-American infielder Billie Andrews leads the Huskers in almost every offensive category. Transfer Peyton Cody has provided another consistent bat along with senior outfielder Brooke Andrews.
CORNHUSKER STAT LEADERS
AVG – Billie Andrews (.382)
H – Billie Andrews (55)
HR – Billie Andrews (15)
RBI – Billie Andrews (36)
SB – Billie Andrews (13)
ERA – Caitlin Olensky (3.30)
SO – Kaylin Kinney (73)
W – Kaylin Kinney (15)
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.
B1G WEATHER
The Hawkeyes have had all but one Big Ten series changed due to weather. They have played four series where there has been a doubleheader played. This past weekend against Indiana was the first series played as scheduled.
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.
ADAMS IS B1G TIME
Sophomore Jalen Adams was named Big Ten co-pitcher of the week on April 1st.
The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native picked up two complete game shutout victories in the series win over Michigan State. Adams threw her first career no-hitter on Friday March 29, the 19th no-hitter in program history. She allowed just two baserunners and had two strikeouts in the, 4-0, victory. This is the first seven inning no-hitter for the Hawkeyes since the 2015 season when Shayla Starkenburg no hit Southern Utah on Feb. 7th.
Adams this season has a 2.47 ERA and has held hitters to a .255 batting average against.
B1G TIME STATS
Junior Rylie Moss is having a breakout season thus far. She has started every game in right field for Iowa and leads the team hitting .376. She is ranked ninth in the Big Ten for BA.
Freshman Jena Young is second on the team with a .360 BA. She ranks second on the team with 18 RBIs.
Sophomore Jalen Adams has a 2.47 ERA which is seventh in the conference. She has been Iowa’s go-to arm in the circle throwing 124.2 innings this season; 11th in the Big Ten. Junior Devyn Greer ranks eighth in the conference with a 2.54 ERA.
Senior Sammy Diaz is 10th in the conference with a .992 fielding percentage. She has started all 37 games at first base where she has recorded 230 putouts and 15 assists.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
The Hawkeyes had four athletes start every game thus far (Rylie Moss, Jena Young, Sammy Diaz, and Grace Banes). Two of those student-athletes are hitting .300 or above and are the top two hitters on the team. Freshman Soo-Jin Berry leads the team with 25 RBIs on the season and had started every game until game three of the Michigan series. Young is one of two Hawkeyes to record a home run and has four on the 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.
In 2024, the pitching staff has a 3.15 ERA (5th in the B1G) and has held opposing hitters to a .251 batting average against. Sophomore Jalen Adams has thrown 14 complete games in 18 starts. In Big Ten play Adams is leading the way with three wins and a 2.52 ERA.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawkeyes are set to host the 2024 Big Ten Conference Tournament May 8-11. 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
Iowa closes out its 2024 home season next weekend at the welcome the Minnesota Golden Gophers to Bob Pearl Field for a three-game series starting on Friday at 5 p.m. CT.