By Jacob Miller
This week, the Iowa softball team has been blessed with two unusual things: an extra week of practice before its next game and 70-degree weather in February.
The extra week and fantastic weather allows the Hawkeyes to better prepare themselves before the Judi Garman Classic March 2.
“I think it’s just a time for us to refocus, and work as a team, and kind of have a little rest time, but also get after it during our four hours of practice,” freshman Allison Doocy said.
It is unusual to have a bye week this early in the season, but it could not have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes. They are on a seven-game losing streak, and the extra time will allow them to learn from their mistakes and get back in the win column.
“I think it’s both on offense and defense,” Doocy said. “Pitchers just need to learn to get through the game, and we need to work hard throughout the game but also score runs early. Just working as a team and knowing that we need to hold them, but also get some runs on the board.”
In all their games in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge they lost by 1 run. This extra time will allow them to focus on the little things to get over the one-run hump and string some wins together.
“We’ve been doing the little things pretty well, and in practice we do them pretty well, it’s just a matter of transitioning that now to game time when the heats on,” head coach Marla Looper said. “We’re right there. We’re right on the cusp.”
Typically, in February, the softball team is stuck inside until opening day in the middle of March. Thanks to some unusually warm February weather, the team can practice outside. The infielders benefit greatly from this because they are able to practice on the infield dirt — much better than the indoor turf surface.
“We’re actually able to get on the infield yesterday, and we’ll be on it again today,” senior Claire Fritsch said. “It definitely helps with outfielders getting to actually read balls with the sun and just actually being outside and especially with the infield getting to play on dirt is a big deal.”
Another helpful thing about the outdoor weather is getting reps with the Sun overhead. Until March, the Hawkeyes will travel to warmer, sunnier states to compete. It is basically impossible to simulate the Sun in an indoor environment, so being able to get reps outside this early in the season is huge for the Hawkeyes in preparing for warmer elements.
“It allows you to have a little bit different energy,” Looper said. “You travel, you get some nice weather. We’ve had great weather both places we’ve been. You come home, and you get inside, and you’ve got florescent lights, you got four walls around you, a roof, and it’s just like here we go, were inside the house again. You get a little bit of spring fever when you get out and about, but the nice thing is we’re used to that and it’s nothing new.