Softball Notes: Dr. Christine Grant Classic

LOOKING BACK

The University of Iowa softball team is coming off a 9-7 loss to Iowa State in Game 1 of the 2026 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.

SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH

The Yellow Jackets enter the tournament with a 24-20 overall record and a 5-4 mark in the Summit League. Head coach Alleen Morales is in her ninth season at the helm of her alma mater and holds a 351-307 career record. In 2025, Morales led Georgia Tech to its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off a series sweep of Boston College and an 8-0 midweek victory against Jacksonville State.

Junior Gracyn Tucker leads the offense in home runs (13) and RBIs (41). This season, Tucker has reached 100 career hits and 25 career home runs. This past week, she was named ACC Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week. Sophomore Madalyn Johnson is the reigning ACC Pitcher of the Week. On the season, Johnson has posted a 3.29 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 125 2/3 innings pitched.

SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

The Jackrabbits hold a 20-23 overall record and an 8-10 mark in conference play. Head coach Kristina McSweeney is in her fourth season leading the program and has a 481-277-1 career record. McSweeney is a two-time GAC Coach of the Year and has coached two Summit League Players of the Year and one Pitcher of the Year.

South Dakota State is coming off an 0-3 series loss to Kansas City.

Junior Akayla Bernard leads the team with 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and 44 runs scored. In the circle, Madi Mangulis has a 4.50 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings pitched.

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 has 46 this season.

• Avery Sapp recorded her 200th career strikeout in the series opener against Illinois.

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

• Leah McAnally is eight RBIs shy of 100 for her career and has matched her 2025 home run total of six.

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

• The Hawkeyes have outscored their opponents 216-210 this season.

• Iowa has recorded 13 multi-home run games this season, including two five-home run contests (March 17 at Illinois; April 4 at Oregon).

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).

• The total marks the most runs scored by Iowa in a Big Ten game, surpassing the previous record 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 UConn. Trailing by one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kiara Sipe delivered a two-run double to secure a 10-9 victory.

• McKenzie Leitgen hit Iowa’s first grand slam of the season in the bottom of the seventh against Army, lifting the Hawkeyes to a 7-6 walk-off win over the Black Knights.

• Brianna Johnson recorded two game-winning hits in a four-game span. She led Iowa to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota before delivering a two-run double in the Hawkeyes’ 4-3 win against St. Thomas.

IN THE BOOKS

• Serayah Neiss leads Iowa with 51 strikeouts and recorded 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 is tied for 13th in program history with 34 career doubles.

COMING IN HOT

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

• Through three seasons, Avery Jackson had recorded two career home runs and has five this year.

• Devin Simon doubled her 2025 home run total, going from three last season to six in 2026.

• McKenzie Leitgen, Tory Bennett, Brianna Johnson and Devin Simon have all recorded their first career multi-home run games in 2026.

LEADING THE WAY

• Devin Simon leads the team in hits (41), stolen bases (14) and runs scored (33).

• In the circle, freshman Braylen Conlon has a team-best 4.34 ERA and ranks third with 32 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings pitched. She is the only Hawkeye pitcher to record a complete-game shutout this season and has limited opposing batters to a .249 average.

• Tory Bennett ranks first on the team in home runs (8) and second in runs scored (28). The senior is slashing .307/.388/.605.

• Sophomore Kiara Sipe leads the team with 28 RBIs, including 10 in the series sweep of Illinois.

B1G NUMBERS

In the Big Ten Conference, Iowa ranks third in doubles (64), second in sacrifice flies (18) and fifth in stolen bases (36).

• Kiara Sipe ranks third in the conference with 13 doubles.

• Devin Simon’s 14 stolen bases rank her third in the Big Ten.

• Serayah Neiss has the 11th-most victories in the conference 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 welcomes Indiana for a three-game conference series April 17-19. All games will be played at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City and streamed on B1G+.

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.