Softball Notes: Ohio State

LOOKING BACK
The University of Iowa softball team fell to McNeese State on Thursday and went 3-1 at the LSU Invitational.

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 OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes enter conference play with a 6-11 overall record. Kirin Kumar is in her second season at the helm for Ohio State. Before moving to Columbus, she spent four seasons at Miami (Ohio), leading the RedHawks to four conscutive regular season championships and three straight MAC Tournament championships.

In 2025, Ohio State finished fifth in the Big Ten with a 16-6 conference record and a 45-14-1 overall record.

Sophomore Abbie Wilhelm leads the Buckeyes in home runs (9) and RBIs (18). She’s currently slashing .426/.483/1.093. In the circle, Jenna Molk has notched 32 strikeouts and a 4.93 ERA in 44 innings pitched.

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.

QUICK FACTS
• At the LSU Invitational, Devin Simon went 5-12 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Three of her five hits went for extra bases, including Iowa’s first triple of the season on Saturday against Nicholls State.

• Freshman McKenzie Leitgen leads the team with six home runs - the most by an Iowa freshman since 2015 - and 18 RBIs. 10 of her 16 hits have gone for extra bases.

• Braylen Conlon recorded her first career wins in back-to-back games, with her first being a complete game in Iowa’s 11-2 win over Memphis.

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 32 strikeouts this season and etched her name in the record book by recording her 350th career strikeout Friday against Nicholls State. She now ranks 11th all-time among Hawkeye pitchers.

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

MILESTONE WATCH
• Avery Sapp is six strikouts away from 200 in her career.

LEADING THE WAY
• Tory Bennett leads the team in hits (21) and runs scored (16). The Senior is batting .375 on the season.

• In the circle, junior Avery Sapp holds a team-best 3.06 ERA. In 32 innings pitched, the right-hander has recorded 23 strikeouts. She currently owns a 2-2 record and collected her first save of the season against Nicholls State on Friday.

• Devin Simon has 10 stolen bases in 2026 - the most by a University of Iowa player since 2022 The junior is slashing .385/.500/.673 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. She currently ranks second on the team with 16 runs scored.



B1G NUMBERS
In the Big Ten conference, Iowa ranks second in sacrifice flys (13) and fourth in stolen bases (26).

• Tory Bennett is second in the conference in doubles with eight.

• Devin Simon’s 10 stolen bases put her at second in the conference.

•Serayah Neiss has the third most victories in the Big 10 with seven.

UP NEXT
Iowa will face Illinois State for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, March 10, at 3 p.m. CDT. The game will be played in Normal, Illinois at Marian Kneer Stadium.

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.