Small Fish, Big Pond: Iowa Softball’s Liz Watkins

Athletes are athletes, simple as that. Some have a competitive nature that they can't keep at bay, some have a dedication to their craft to be the best they can and some love being the one whose hard work pays off. More often than not, when these three things come together, you get a star.

Meet one Iowa Hawkeye whose star shines pretty bright on the UI Campus, and is determined to take that next step forward.

Iowa Softball Catcher Liz Watkins 

I will admit, I have never been to an Iowa Softball game. After talking with Iowa Softball star Catcher Liz Watkins however I may have to indulge. Watkins was awarded 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors this year after having a season that included 51 starts, 126 at-bats, 9 homeruns, a .294 batting average and 36 RBI's. As much as that might make any athlete satisfied, it only fueled the fire for Watkins.

“The first thing I did after getting the news of being Second-Team All Big Ten was to go out and hit some balls,” Watkins said. “I was Second-Team All Big Ten last year and this year I was hoping of moving up, but my batting average held me back. I was very excited about the honor but I always want to improve.”

Improvement is something that Watkins has done her entire career. Starting young, Watkins knew that she wanted to be a collegiate softball player, she just wasn't sure how to get there. She started playing softball at the T-Ball level and never looked back. After spending seven years with the Quad City Firebirds , Watkins spent the next three years with the Heartland Havoc, another local team based out of Moline, IL.

Watkins was interested in the Hawkeyes, but they didn't really return the love. Other than Iowa she was interested in schools up in Chicago as well as Illinois State and SIUE. Watkins sent resumes and videos to many Big Ten schools, including Iowa, but never heard back from former Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins. In the summer before her junior year of high school her mom made her go to the Iowa Softball Camp. Impressing the coaches while at the camp, Iowa finally took an interest in Watkins and as they say “the rest was history” and Watkins inked to become a Hawkeye that November.

Liz was ecstatic as she had fallen in love with Iowa, the school, the coaches and her new teammates. Also, her cousin, Iowa baseball player Tyson Blaser, was already a Hawkeye so being in Iowa City was a perfect fit. Unfortunately though it meant her family having to give up some of their Illini loyalty.

“My entire family has been Illini fans so when I signed my dad claimed he would only be “An Iowa Softball fan,” Watkins said. “But after his first game at Kinnick, I caught him giving away all of his Illini jerseys, and now we have Hawkeye stuff everywhere!”

Once becoming a Hawkeye, Watkins still had a lot of doubters to impress. She was happy she was playing D1 Softball and playing in the Big Ten, but people wondered if the “big fish from the small pond” would stand out now in the big spotlight.

Watkins was 2nd Team All-Big Ten in 2010 and 2011 

Well, Watkins definitely proved all of her critics wrong as soon as she could. As a freshman in 2009 she was named Third team All-Big Ten and played in 56 games, including 54 starts at catcher. She finished the year with 45 RBI's and 9 homeruns. She continued on in her career with being named to two consecutive 2nd Team All-Big Ten teams in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, Liz led the Hawkeyes with seven doubles, five triples, a .584 slugging percentage and a .441 on base percentage.

The 2011 season started out a little differently than others. Iconic Coach Gayle Blevins retired as the Iowa Softball coach after a 31 year career. Blevins retired from Iowa with 1,245 wins, 2nd All-Time in NCAA D1 history. The Hawkeyes decided to hire new Head Coach Marla Looper. Looper is a Florida State graduate who spent the past decade as an Assistant Coach at the University of Texas.

Although things were different, Watkins took it in stride.

”This year compared to last year has been different with a new head coach,” Watkins said. “Basically whenever a routine is changed the team has to adapt and get to know what is expected on a day to day basis. I like our new coaching staff and I think they can take this program to the next level.”

The Hawkeyes had a mediocre 2011 filled with a lot of ups and a lot of downs. At one point in the season the Hawkeyes won 5, lost 3, won 5 and then lost 7, Watkins was not happy. The Hawkeyes overcame some huge deficits to win games that helped them throughout the season tremendously. One of the biggest wins of the season came in April when the Hawkeyes defeated #1 ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor. That was their 5th win in a row and at the time the Hawkeyes were feeling good.

Unfortunately the next night the Hawkeyes lost a heartbreaker to the Wolverines, 3-2. Leading in the bottom of the 6th, the Hawkeyes let the Wolverines score 3 runs to win the game. This started Iowa on a 7 game slide that would pretty much end their season.

Now with the season over, Watkins and the rest of the Hawkeyes look towards 2012 with a purpose. Watkins is definitely ready for the challenge.

Watkins said, “We have specialized summer workouts 6 days a week, and they are brutal getting us in the best shape of our lives to ultimately push us over the top. I want to compete for a title! I know our coaches are giving us the tools to be successful now we just have to harness them and put it to work. I can't wait to get back on Pearl and show our fans, families, and everyone else what we can do in the 2012 season!”

Watkins' and teammates look to improve in 2012 

Also this summer Liz will play back and forth between the Quad Cities and Iowa City. She also plays with a women's team based out of Indiana known as the Indiana Slammers. The team consists of retired pros, collegiate standouts and pro players from Italy.

When not working out this summer Liz will be relaxing and enjoying her youth. If you're ever in East Moline, stop by Adolph's Mexican Foods and she might be there. If not, country concerts, watching “NCIS” or “ A League of Their Own”, or spending time with her family is where you can probably find Liz.

At this point in her career Liz knows nothing comes easy and as much as she wants to be a star softball player she wants to be like someone else much more.

“I want to be most like my sister Emily Watkins. She juggles so much and still comes out on top whether it is academics or athletics. When she is not the best at something she works hard to put herself at the top, and makes it look EASY!”

In 2012, the Hawkeyes and Liz hope to make winning look that easy too.