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LOOKING BACK
The University of Iowa softball team went 3-2 at the Campbell Softball Tournament, scoring 28 runs with 11 extra-base hits over five games.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Seven Hawkeyes softball players hail from Iowa, five from California, three from Arizona, two from Illinois, and one each from Utah, Massachusetts, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Oregon and Ohio. The team also includes one international player from Australia. The roster is made up of five seniors, six juniors, four sophomores, one redshirt sophomore, eight freshmen and one redshirt freshman. Iowa returns 11 players from its 2025 roster, including 10 letterwinners, and welcomes 14 newcomers.
SCOUTING MCNEESE STATE
McNeese State enters Thursday’s game with a 12-5 overall record. The Cowgirls are led by head coach James Landreneau, who is in his 10th season and the program’s all-time winningest coach. Freshman pitcher Brookelyn Taylor was recently named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week after posting a 2-0 record with two saves and a 1.19 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched. McNeese State faces No. 17 Louisiana State University before its midweek matchup with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Thursday’s game will be the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING NICHOLLS STATE
Nicholls State enters the LSU Invitational with a 9-3 record and a six-game winning streak, most recently a 12-4, five-inning victory over Furman University. Head coach Ron Frost is in his second season leading the Colonels after three years as an assistant. Senior outfielder Reagan Heflin recorded five runs over three games at the Trojan Invitational and was named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week. Nicholls State faces the University of Southern Mississippi Eagles before meeting the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Thursday’s game will be the first meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING MEMPHIS
Memphis enters the LSU Invitational with a 4-8 record in 2026. Trena Prater, in her second season as head coach, previously served as an assistant coach at Iowa from 2019 to 2022. The Tigers’ most recent win came against Bradley by 8-0 scores. Memphis faces Southern University before meeting the Hawkeyes.
SCOUTING LSU
No. 17 LSU opened the season with a 12-4 record and carries a five-game winning streak into the LSU Invitational. The Tigers are undefeated at home through 11 games. Head coach Beth Torina is in her 15th season at the helm. Left-handed pitcher Jayden Heavener has thrown two complete-game shutouts this season and holds a 2.28 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 30.2 innings pitched. LSU leads the all-time series against Iowa 3-0. The Tigers host Nicholls State, Memphis and Iowa this weekend at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
PLAYING THE BEST
The Hawkeyes are set to face 10 teams that made the 2025 NCAA Tournament: Florida State, Georgia State, Indiana, LSU, Mercer, Miami (Ohio), Nebraska, Oregon, UConn and Washington
NEW YEAR, NEW STAFF
• Stacy May-Johnson, who is in her first season as Iowa’s head coach, brings nearly 20 years of coaching experience -- six as a head coach -- to the program. The Nevada native has posted a 148-141 record in stops at Utah Valley and Fresno State. Before returning to Iowa, May-Johnson was head coach at Fresno State for four seasons. She led the Bulldogs to 37 wins and a runner-up finish in the Mountain West Championship.
• Bobby Alvara joins the Hawkeye staff after serving as May-Johnson’s pitching coach at Fresno State.
• Fran Strub joins the program after spending four seasons as an assitant coach at Boise State.
• Ally Miklesh joins the staff after one season as an assitant coach at Indiana.
EXTRA EXTRA
The Hawkeyes rank 24th nationally in home runs with 21. Of Iowa’s 115 total hits, 45 have gone for extra bases.
• At the Campbell Softball Tournament, Tory Bennett went 6-for-17 with two doubles and two home runs. She propelled Iowa to an 11-3 win over Radford on Friday with her first career grand slam in the bottom of the second inning. The senior led the team with five runs scored and seven RBIs over the five-game weekend and now has 10 extra-base hits this season.
• Freshman McKenzie Leitgen leads the team with six home runs - the most by an Iowa freshman since 2015 - and is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. Ten of her 13 hits have gone for extra bases.
COMEBACK WARRIORS
• Five of Iowa’s wins have come in come-from-behind fashion, including two walk-off victories.
• Iowa rallied from a 9-3 deficit against University of Connecticut. Trailing by one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kiara Sipe delivered a two-run double to secure the 10-9 victory.
• McKenzie Leitgen delivered Iowa their first grand slam of the season in the bottom of the seventh against Army, walking off the Black Knights 7-6.
IN THE BOOKS
Serayah Neiss leads Iowa with 26 strikeouts this season and has 347 career strikeouts. Three more will tie her for 11th all-time in program history.
LEADING THE WAY
• Kiara Sipe is tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs. The Fresno transfer is batting .343 with three home runs and nine runs scored.
• In the circle, freshman Braylen Conlon holds a team-best 2.06 ERA. In 17 innings pitched, the left-hander has recorded nine strikeouts and limited opponents to a .242 batting average.
• Avery Sapp ranks second on the team with a 2.82 ERA in 27.1 innings pitched. The junior has 20 strikeouts this season and holds a 2-2 record.
• Devin Simon has nine stolen bases in 2026, the most by a University of Iowa player since 2022. The junior is slashing .378/.489/.676 with three home runs and eight RBIs and is tied for second on the team with 12 runs scored.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Iowa has four succesful double steals and plated the runner in two additional attempts.
UP NEXT
Iowa opens Big Ten play March 6-8 at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Hawkeyes face the Buckeyes at 4 p.m. (CT) on Friday, noon (CT) on Saturday and 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday.
SEASON TICKETS
Reserved chairback seating for the season is $55. General admission season tickets are $40 for adults and $15 for youth. Single-game tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for youth.
Season tickets are available at hawkeyesports.com/tickets, by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or at the University of Iowa Athletics Ticket Office at the north entrance of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.