50 Iowa moments since Title IX: Iowa softball earns first trip to Women’s College World Series

Editor’s note: This is 34th in a series counting down the Top 50 moments in Iowa Hawkeyes women’s athletics history in the 50 days leading up to the 50th anniversary of Title IX in June.

Iowa softball didn’t have high outside expectations for the postseason in 1995 when it drew a regional with a “powerhouse” in Fresno State, an experienced California-Berkeley team and host Sacramento State.

“No one expected us to even win a game,” former Iowa softball coach Gayle Blevins said. “I don’t think any team from the Midwest had ever won a game at that point in time, at a west-coast regional.”

But Iowa beat the odds, not only winning a singular game, but winning the regional and going to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history.

“I’m sure if anybody would have bet on that, they would have lost the house,” Blevins said.

The Hawkeyes accomplished the feat while surrendering just two runs total in the four regional games. Three of the four games were decided by one run, including Iowa’s 2-1 extra-inning victory to win the regional.

“They were extremely tight games,” Blevins said. “When you play in a game like that and you’ve never been here before, this is a new, uncharted territory for Iowa.”

After losing to UCLA in the WCWS, Iowa worked its way back in the consolation bracket and was three wins away from an NCAA title. UCLA defeated the Hawkeyes again en route to the Bruins’ eventual championship that was later vacated.

The 1995 season started a seven-year stretch with four Iowa trips to the WCWS.

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