Notes: Hawkeyes Open Season at JoAnne Graf Classic

LOOKING BACK 

The University of Iowa softball team posted a 35-18 overall and 15-7 record in Big Ten play during the 2025 season.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN

Seven Hawkeyes hail from Iowa, five from California, three from Arizona, two from Illinois and one from Utah, Massachusetts, Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Oregon and Ohio. Iowa has one international player from Australia. The roster is comprised of five seniors, six juniors, four true sophomores and one redshirt, and eight true freshman and one redshirt.  The team returns 11 players from the 2025 roster, including 10 letterwinners, and welcomes 14 newcomers.

SCOUTING MARSHALL 

Marshall alumnae Morgan Zerkle is in her third season leading the Thundering Herd. Marshall finished 31-23 last season and was the runner-up in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2026, the Herd are projected to finish fifth in the preseason coaches poll. Haleigh Adkins returns for her junior season after earning second-team All-SBC honors in 2025 after hitting .275 with 26 RBIs, 30 runs and nine home runs. Sophomore Diamond Leslie was named to the presesaon All-Sun Belt team following a freshman season where she batted .381 in 52 appearances, collecting seven home runs and 39 RBIs.    

SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE 

Head coach Lonni Alameda is entering her 17th season at the helm of Florida State. The Seminoles, who are ranked seventh in the USA Softball preseason poll, were picked to win the ACC in the preseason coaches poll. Florida State won the 2025 regular season title, finishing 49-12 overall and 18-3 in league play. The Seminoles were the ACC Tournament runner-up, falling, 2-1, to Clemson in the final. FSU hosted the Tallahassee Regional in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to a Super Regional before falling to Texas Tech, 2-0. Five players were named to the ACC preseason All-ACC team this season -- Jaysoni Beachum, Isa Torres, Kennedy Harp, Ashtyn Danley and Jazzy Francik.

SCOUTING SAMFORD

Iowa and Samford meet for the first time in school history. Megan Curry is in her second season as head coach at her alma mater. The Bulldogs finished third in the Southern Conference last season, finishing 33-23 overall and 12-7 in league action. The team is picked to finish first in the preseason coaches poll. Junior infielder Olivia Shaw was named the 2026 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year a year after slashing .381/.460/.690 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs and 49 runs scored. She was a first-team All-SoCon honoree.

SCOUTING UCONN

Iowa and UConn will square off for the first time. The Huskies are led by head coach Laura Valentino, who is in her seventh season at the helm. UConn went 35-19 overall and 18-6 Big East play a season ago. The team won the Big East title, routing Creighton, 18-4, in the championship game.  UConn was picked to finish second in the Big East preseason poll. Junior Kaitlyn Breslin returns for her junior season after leading the league with 36 RBIs en route to earning first-team All-Big East accolades. The outfielder finished the season with 16 home runs, 39 runs scored and a .370 batting average in 53 starts.

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.

VETERAN LEADERSHIP 

Seven of Iowa’s 11 returners are upperclassmen, with four being seniors. Key returners include seniors Tory Bennett and Avery Jackson, and junior Devin Simon; all of whom have spent their entire collegiate careers with the Hawkeyes. Bennett started all 53 games in 2025, finishing with 23 RBIs and 23 runs. Jackson scored 15 runs and stole four bases in 41 games in 2025, while Simon slashed .246/.344/.369 in all 53 games with 52 starts. She had three home runs, 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

FRESH FACES

Iowa welcomes 14 newcomers to the squad for the 2025 season.

• Senior LHP Serayah Neiss, a Fresno State transfer,  had a 2.03 ERA, 123 strikeouts, eight complete games, while logging 179 2/3 innings with the Bulldogs.

• Junior catcher Leah McAnally joins the team from Boise State, where she hit six home runs and had 39 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

• Freshman Mariah Myers was the only true freshman on the Big Ten Players to Watch List. The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native was the 2025 Gatorade Iowa Softball Player of the year and 2025 Max Preps Best Player in Iowa recipient. As a senior, she hit .627 and had a 2.159 OPS with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs and 57 runs.

UP NEXT

Iowa returns to action Feb. 13-15, traveling to Macon, Georgia, for the MUSB Invitational I. The Hawkeyes will face Army, Mercer and Western Kentucky over three days at Sikes Field.