Notes: at Wisconsin

LAST TIME OUT

The Hawkeyes opened their 2025 conference slate with a two-game home series against No. 5/6 UCLA. The Hawkeyes split the series, falling to UCLA 8-0 (6 innings) in game one, and upsetting the Bruins in game two, 7-4.

In the Hawkeyes upset of UCLA, freshman Talia Tretton (5-3) made her 12th start of the season start for Iowa. Tretton pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and fanning five. Junior Jalen Adams came in and threw 2 2/3 innings of relief. Adams allowed one run on four hits and fanned three and picked up her 14th win of the season. Six different Hawkeyes recorded a hit, three of which had multi-hit games. Sophomore Soo-Jin Berry led the way with two home runs and four RBIs. Sophomore Jena Young was perfect at the plate going 4-for-4 and scoring two runs.

The Hawkeyes continued their four-game home slate with a midweek doubleheader against South Dakota State where they swept the Jackrabbits. Iowa won game one 7-1, and game two 4-2.

Junior Jalen Adams (15-3) got the start in game one against South Dakota State for Iowa. In her 15th start of the season, she threw her 10th complete game. Adams held the Jackrabbits to one run on three hits and struck out six. Eight different Hawkeyes recorded a hit, with four of them recording two. Sophomore Jena Young led the way, going 2-for-3 and tallying three RBIs.

The Hawkeyes went to freshman Talia Tretton (6-3) in game two against the Jackrabbits. She threw her fifth complete game of the season picking up a career-high 10 strikeouts. Junior Echo Mattiello led the way offensively going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

SCOUTING THE BADGERS

Head Coach Yvette Healy enters her enters her 14th season at the helm of the Badgers. Wisconsin is currently on a two game losing streak. The Badgers are 3-4 in conference play. In their first weekend of conference play, Wisconsin traveled to Illinois and went 2-1 in a three-game series. The squad the went to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for a round robin, where they split their two games with Purdue and dropped both games to Michigan. Sophomore infielder Alivia Bark leads Wisconsin in batting, with a .343 average and 35 hits. Graduate student RHP Gabi Salo leads the Badgers in the circle with 84.2 innings pitched and 56 strikeouts.

IN THE B1G LEAGUES

• Redshirt junior catcher Desiree Rivera leads the conference and is ranked 11th nationally in runners caught stealing with 10 runners caught.
• Ace junior RHP Jalen Adams is second in the Big Ten and nationally in victories (15). Adams also is second in the conference in innings pitched (102.1), and 17th nationally.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

The Hawkeyes have a team voted group of captains, called the Leadership Council. The select for the 2025 season include senior Tatianna Roman, Junior Jalen Adams, senior Rylie Moss, and redshirt junior Desiree Rivera.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Sophomore Soo-Jin Berry leads the Hawkeyes in batting average with .389 and home runs with seven.
• Senior Hannah Lindsay leads the squad in RBIs with 21.
• Outfielders Bennett and Roman lead fielding percentage with a perfect score, Roman has contributed 33 putouts and Bennett has contributed 42 on the year.
• Ace pitcher Jalen Adams leads the mound with 102.1 innings pitched and 78 strikeouts.

STARTING STREAKS

Four Hawkeyes have perfect attendance - starting all 26 games so far this season; Devin Simon in right field, Jena Young at second or shortstop, Tory Bennett in center field, and Desiree Rivera at catcher.

HANNAH'S TEXAS TEAR

After posting 16 RBIs and three home runs across four games at the Lion Invitational, senior catcher Hannah Lindsay was named Big Ten Co-Player of the week on February 17. The Surprise, Arizona, native hit .667 in four-games at the Lion Invitational at East Texas A&M. She currently ranks third on the team in hitting .296 and leads the team with 21 RBIs.

PLAYING THE BEST

The Hawkeyes are set to face eight different teams that made the 2024 NCAA Tournament: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana Lafayette, Missouri, Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA.

BELIEVE THE (PRESEASON) HYPE

Adams, Berry and Young were named Big Ten Players to Watch for 2025.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN

Eight Hawkeyes hail from Iowa and California, three from Arizona and one each from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada and Wisconsin. Iowa has one international athlete from Australia. The roster was comprised of eight freshmen, six sophomores, seven juniors, and five seniors. There are 18 returning letterwinners and eight newcomers.

NEW ERA OF THE B1G

The Big Ten welcomed four new schools to the conference, three of which will compete in softball for the 2025 season. Big Ten softball added NCAA tournament qualifiers Oregon, UCLA and Washington for softball. 

UP NEXT

Iowa will host Nebraska next weekend in a three-game series. Game one is Friday, April 4 at 5pm CT, game two is Saturday, April 5 at 2pm CT, and the Sunday, April 6 series finale is at 1pm CT.