By Jacob Miller
Iowa softball will pack its bags and leave the cold winter behind, heading someplace warmer to open the 2017 season.
The Hawkeyes’ season will begin today in San Marcos, Texas, where they will compete in the CenturyLink Classic hosted by Texas State. This will be the second year in a row for Iowa’s season to begin in Texas.
The Hawkeyes have an experienced lineup returning this season, with 10 players who started more than 30 games in the 2016 season. The biggest plus is that all five pitchers from last season return.
Leading the charge will be senior Elizabeth Wiegand, who last season threw 11 complete games, with three shutouts and 73 strike outs. She also led the team with a 7-14 record in the circle.
Another Hawkeye to watch is senior Kaitlyn Mullarkey; the first baseman is arguably the best hitter on the team. She led the Hawkeyes last season in home runs with 9 and triples with 3, and she tied for first in doubles with 10.
Mullarkey also had the team-best slugging percentage and on-base percentage, .571 and .418, and, for good measure, led the team with 13 stolen bases. She is going to be a handful and a nuisance for pitchers again this season.
The Hawkeyes are the true road team this weekend; they play against four Texas opponents during the trip. The first will be against Abilene Christian, followed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Saturday will begin with a matchup against Texas State, followed by Texas Tech.