Softball Notes: Oregon

LOOKING BACK
The University of Iowa softball team is coming off a three-game series loss to No. 16 Washington. The Hawkeyes dropped the opener, 16-7, fell 10-0 in Game 2 and lost the finale, 10-6, in extra innings.

SCOUTING OREGON
The reigning Big Ten champions enter the contest with a 26-9 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference play. Head coach Melyssa Lombardi is in her eighth season at the helm of the Ducks and holds a 265-125 career record. In 2025, Lombardi earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after leading Oregon to its first Women’s College World Series appearance since 2018 and its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Ducks are coming off a 2-1 series victory over Northwestern. Senior Elon Butler ranks sixth in the conference in runs scored (31) and seventh in RBIs (31). She is batting .421 with 10 home runs this season.

In the circle, Lyndsey Grey has pitched 102 innings, more than the next two Ducks pitchers combined. The senior holds a 2.20 ERA with 129 strikeouts.

QUICK FACTS

• Serayah Neiss recorded a single-game career high in innings pitched, throwing 9 1/3 innings in Iowa’s 10-inning game against Washington.

• Iowa has surpassed last season’s home run total (29) and now has 39 this season.

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

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

• Leah McAnally is nine RBIs shy of 100 for her career.

• Serayah Neiss is one win shy of 50 for her career.

• The Hawkeyes have outscored their opponents 193-171 this season.

WHAT A GAME
Iowa earned a 21-15 victory over Illinois in a historic performance. Notables include:

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

• It is the most runs scored 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 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 50 strikeouts and etched her name in the record book by recording her 350th career strikeout against Nicholls State. She ranks 11th all-time among Hawkeye pitchers and is 10th in career wins with 49.

• Tory Bennett ranks 14th in program history with 33 career doubles.

COMING IN HOT

• Tory Bennett entered the 2026 season with one career home run and now has seven.

• Avery Jackson has tripled her career home run total in 2026; she had two entering the season and has four this year.

• Avery Sapp has a career-best 4.39 ERA this season

LEADING THE WAY

• Devin Simon leads the team in hits (53), stolen bases (13) and runs scored (28).

• In the circle, freshman Braylen Conlon holds a team best 3.93 ERA and ranks third with 32 punchouts through 46 1/3 innings pitched. She’s the only Hawkeye pitcher to record a complete-game shutout this season and has limited opposing batters to a .240 average.

• Tory Bennett ranks first on the team in home runs (7) and second in runs scored (26). The senior is currently slashing .320/.408/.620

•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 third in doubles (58), third in sacrifice flys (17) and fourth in stolen bases (35)

• Kiara Sipe ranks fourth in the conference with 11 doubles.

• Devin Simon’s 13 stolen bases put her at third in the conference.

•Serayah Neiss has the sixth 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 Tech, 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 travels home to host the Dr. Christine Grant Classic, hosting Georgia Tech and South Dakota State for the three-day event. All games will be played at Bob Pearl Field, Iowa City, Iowa.

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.