The Iowa softball team rewrote the school record book in a tournament in Arizona last week, and it will continue racking up frequent flier miles this weekend when it travels to California today to compete in the Cathedral City Classic.
Iowa (6-4) will kick off the tournament at 2:30 p.m. today against Fresno State in the first game of a double-header. The Bulldogs are 7-2 and boast a 0.80 team ERA. The nightcap will feature the Hawkeyes and Oregon State (7-3).
The Black and Gold will then take on Cal State-Northridge (0-10) on Saturday and finish the weekend against Long Island-Brooklyn (1-9).
Iowa has four Golden State natives on its roster, so a few of the Hawkeyes should feel at home. Megan Blank (Culver City), Nikki Gentile (Martinez), Brianna Luna (Indio), and Kayla Massey (Foothill Ranch) will all be making the trip.
Head coach Marla Looper’s squad goes into California with a .378 team batting average. Blank — who earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 13 for her performance at the Getterman Classic in Texas — leads the team with a mark of .533.
Iowa will continue its cross-country trip next weekend when it travels to three cities in Oklahoma — Stillwater, Oklahoma City, and Norman — to compete in the Hall of Fame Tournament.
— by Ben Ross
