Softball Notes: Washington

LOOKING BACK

The University of Iowa softball team is coming off a 3-2 week. The Hawkeyes fell to Minnesota, 1-2, in the weekend series before sweeping St. Thomas, 2-0, in Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Against Minnesota, the Hawkeyes dropped two of three games; securing the middle game, walking off the Golden Gophers, 3-2, in extra innings.

In Tuesday’s doubleheader against St. Thomas, Iowa took game one, 4-1, before walking off the Tommies, 4-3, in game two.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON

The No. 16 Huskies enter the contest with a 27-6 overall record and a 9-0 record in the Big Ten conference. Heather Tarr is in her 22nd season at the helm of her alma mater and holds a 881-339-1 career record. She led Washington to a national championship in 2009 and has made a NCAA postseason appearance in every season of her tenure. 

The Huskies are coming off a 3-0 sweep over Michigan and a midweek victory over Loyola Chicago. Sophomore Morgan Reiner ranks second in the Big Ten in ERA (1.49). The right-hander has notched three shutouts and 81 strikeouts in 94 innings pitched. Sophomore Alexis DeBoer leads the offense with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs. Through 33 starts she’s slashing .396/.536/.813. Last season, Washington finished seventh in the Big Ten with a 12-9 conference record and 35-19 overall.

QUICK FACTS

•Brianna Johnson has knocked two walk-off winners in the last four games.

•Serayah Neiss received both wins in the doubleheader against St. Thomas

• Freshman McKenzie Leitgen’s six home runs are the most by an Iowa freshman since 2015.

• Iowa surpassed last season’s home run total (29) and now has 51 on the season.

• Avery Sapp recorded her 200th career strikeout in Friday’s victory over Illinois.

WHAT A GAME

Iowa came out on top in a historical 21-15 win over Illinois. Notables include:

• The 21 runs mark the second-most scored in program history (26 vs. Iowa State in 2012)

• It is the most runs by Iowa in a Big Ten game, surpassing the previous mark of 19 against Penn State in 1997.

• The 36 combined runs are the most ever scored in an Iowa softball game.

• The Hawkeyes scored at least one run in every inning.

COMEBACK WARRIORS

• Eight of Iowa’s wins have come in come-from-behind fashion, including four 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 its first grand slam of the season in the bottom of the seventh against Army, walking off the Black Knights, 7-6.

•Brianna Johnson brought in two game winners within four games. She led Iowa to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota, before and knocking a two-run double in the Hawkeyes’ 4-3 win against St. Thomas.

IN THE BOOKS

• Serayah Neiss leads Iowa with 44 strikeouts and etched her name in the record book by recording her 350th career strikeout against Nicholls State. She now ranks 11th all-time among Hawkeye pitchers. Neiss is also 10th in career wins with 49.

•Tory Bennett is tied for 14th in program history with 32 career doubles.

COMING IN HOT

• Tory Bennett came into the 2026 campaign with one career home run and now holds seven on the season.

• Three of Avery Jackson’s five career home runs were recorded this season.

• In her last five appearances, freshman Carly Brewer has limited opposing batters to a .194 average, punching out nine in 17 1/3 innings pitched.

• Freshman Braylen Conlon holds a 1.85 ERA through her previous three appearances. She recorded a complete game shutout against Illinois and struck out 11 in 11 1/3 innings pitched in the span.

LEADING THE WAY

• Devin Simon leads the team in hits (33), stolen bases (12) and is tied for first in runs scored (25). She also ranks first in OBP with an .455 figure.

• In the circle, freshman Braylen Conlon holds a team best 3.50 ERA and ranks third with 31 punchouts through 42 innings pitched. She’s the only Hawkeye pitcher to record a complete-game shutout this season and has limited opposing batters to a .231 average.

• Tory Bennett ranks first on the team in home runs (7) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored (25). The senior is currently slashing .330/.407/.648

•Sophomore Kiara Sipe leads the squad in RBIs with 26, collecting 10 in the series sweep over Illinois.

B1G NUMBERS

In the Big Ten Conference, Iowa ranks fourth in sacrifice flys (4), fourth in stolen bases (33) and fourth in doubles (54).

• Devin Simon and Kiara Sipe are tied for sixth in the conference with 10 doubles apiece. Simon is also third in the conference with 12 stolen bases

•Serayah Neiss has the fifth most victories in the Big Ten with nine.

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.

PLAYING THE BEST

The Hawkeyes 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 assistant coach at Boise State.

• Ally Miklesh joins the staff after one season as an assistant coach at Indiana.

UP NEXT

Iowa heads back on the road to face the No. 17 Oregon Ducks on April 3-5. All three games of the series will be played at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

SEASON TICKETS

Reserved chairback season tickets are $55. General admission season tickets are $40 for adults and $15 for youth. Single-game tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for youth.

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.