THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa softball team travels to Champaign, Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini in a three-game series at Eichelberger Field. The first pitch for game one is set for 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday, May 3.
WATCH AND FOLLOW ALONG
All three games will be streamed on B1G+. 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 Minnesota this past weekend and have fallen in 15 straight games.
Freshman Jena Young led the team offensively over the weekend going 7-for-8 with four walks.
Sophomore Jalen Adams pitched 11 innings throughout the weekend allowing 10 runs on 15 hits with five strikeouts. Freshman Jaylee Ojo started game two, allowing two runs in four innings of work and with four strikeouts.
The Hawkeyes dropped a midweek matchup, 6-5, at Northern Iowa on Wednesday. Iowa jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Panthers came back and scored six unanswered runs to win the game.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Head Coach Tyra Perry is in her eighth season as the head coach at Illinois. The Fighting Illini enter the matchup with a record of 20-28, 6-13 in Big Ten. Illinois sits in eleventh place in the conference coming off a series loss against Ohio State over the weekend. Returning all-Big Ten outfielder Kelly Ryono leads the Illini in almost every offensive category.
ILLINI STAT LEADERS
AVG – Kelly Ryono (.359)
H – Kelly Ryono (60)
HR – Kelly Ryono (10)
RBI – Paige Berkmeyer (35)
SB – Kelly Ryono (10)
ERA – Tori McQueen (3.42)
SO – Tori McQueen (151)
W – Tori McQueen (11)
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.
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 2.69 ERA and has held hitters to a .259 batting average against.
UNDERCLASSMEN SHINING
Freshman Jena Young is second on the team with a .388 BA. Young has recorded a hit in all but nine games this season. She has not gone longer than two games without recording a hit. In conference play she ranks first on the team hitting .413, fourth in the Big Ten. Young leads all freshmen in the conference in BA. Young is one of three Hawkeyes to record a home run and has four on the season.
Sophomore Jalen Adams has a 2.69 ERA which is 10th in the conference. She has been Iowa’s go-to arm in the circle throwing 148 1/3 innings this season; sixth in the Big Ten. In conference play she is ranks fourth with a 2.87 ERA.
Freshman Soo-Jin Berry has appeared in 33 games for the Hawkeyes and is third on the team hitting .324. She leads the team with 25 RBIs. She had started every game until game three of the Michigan series.
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 3.38 ERA (5th in the B1G) and has held opposing hitters to a .264 batting average against. Sophomore Jalen Adams has thrown 16 complete games in 23 starts. In Big Ten play Adams is leading the way with three wins and a 2.87 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.