The Iowa softball team announces that a Marshall transfer will use the remainder of her eligibility to play for Iowa next season.
By Jordan Zuniga
This summer, Iowa softball head coach Marla Looper has focused on adding talent.
Looper demonstrated that on June 14, when Elizabeth DeShields of Marshall announced she will transfer to Iowa for the remainder of her softball career.
She has three years of eligibility left.
“We are happy to have Liz join the Hawkeye softball family,” Looper said in a release. “Defensively, she will give us more depth in the infield, especially at the corners, and she has the ability to contribute offensively, too.”
This was the second transfer that Iowa softball signed last week. On June 11, former Indiana State pitcher Makenzie Ihle decided to head to Iowa.
The Hawkeyes hope to improve on last season, when they finished 19-32 (9-14 in the Big Ten) and placed 10th in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes secured a spot in the Big Ten Tournament as the eighth seed last season, but Wisconsin quickly sent them packing.
The Hawkeyes hope that DeShields can provide some much-needed offense; they finished 12th in the Big Ten in batting average (.260) and tied for 11th with 84 runs scored.
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The Hawkeyes graduated four seniors after last season, pitchers Shayla Starkenburg and Elizabeth Wiegand, second baseman Claire Fritsch, and first baseman Kaitlyn Mullarkey.
With the departure of Fritsch and Mullarkey, an opening in the Hawkeye lineup is available and hopefully, DeShields can find a spot.
DeShields is coming off a freshman season at Marshall in which she started 44 of 46 games and hit .287; she also had a home run and 10 RBIs, scored 6 runs, and ran up a .414 OBP.
DeShields shone on defense; she committed only 3 errors and recorded a .985 fielding percentage.
Her success on the diamond started before her time at Marshall.
While attending Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, she earned the Oklahoma All-District 5A-1 Defensive Player of the Year and was named an Oklahoma All-District, All-Region 11, and All-State catcher.
During her high-school career, she led her team to two state championships and had a career batting average of .421.
For the Hawkeyes, DeShields will catch and be a utility player.
Hopefully, her stellar defense and impressive ability to get on base can help the Hawkeyes.