Iowa softball ‘hungry’ for more in 2024 after last year’s NISC title

IOWA CITY — Iowa softball won a championship last year — the NISC, essentially the softball equivalent to basketball’s NIT — albeit a championship that does not come with rings.

“We got a cool banner, though, and some T-shirts,” Iowa Coach Renee Gillispie said with a laugh.

The Hawkeyes now have their sights set on another title in 2024 — a Big Ten championship, to be specific — and what would be the program’s first NCAA berth since 2009.

“They want to be able to get a ring on their finger in this season,” Gillispie said.

Gillispie’s program, despite not being one of the four Big Ten teams included in D1Softball’s preseason bracketology, has “incredible confidence” because of its experience last year at the NISC.

The tournament gave the Hawkeyes “that understanding of how to win championships,” Gillispie said.

“Getting to Colorado, getting to that opportunity with the NISC was a chance for them to see what it feels like to be able to go through a tournament format,” Gillispie said. “So this year, they’re really hungry to win a championship.”

There is precedent for NISC champions using their title as a springboard for the following season. The 2022 champion, Baylor, appeared in the 2023 NCAA tournament field last year.

As Iowa looks to accomplish the same feat, outfielder Brylee Klosterman said last year’s NISC title showed that “we can do this.”

“We can compete with anybody,” the North Liberty native said. “We can make a statement. So I’m really excited.”

Gillispie has built the program with a heavy concentration of players from Iowa. Ten of the 27 players on the Hawkeyes’ roster are from in-state; Iowa State’s roster, in comparison, has four in-state players.

Jena Young, a freshman from Winterset, is slated to start right away at shortstop and is “probably going to be one or two in the lineup,” Gillispie said.

“She’s a huge threat at the plate,” Gillispie said. “She’s not a big kid, but watch out because she’s got home run power.”

Iowa also has several players returning who had key roles as freshmen in 2023, including pitcher Jalen Adams and infielder Tory Bennett, both from Fort Dodge. Adams posted a 2.02 ERA, and Bennett had a .303 batting average while starting all 62 games.

The Hawkeyes’ season will begin Friday against North Carolina State as part of a tournament in Clearwater, Fla. Their home opener will be March 22 against Wisconsin.

Looking further ahead, the Big Ten tournament — where the title that the Hawkeyes have an obvious thirst for will be crowned — is May 8-11 at Pearl Field in Iowa City.

“The Big Ten is tough, and we got three new teams coming in next year with Washington, Oregon and UCLA,” Gillispie said. “So they know this is going to be the opportunity this year to have it at home and be able to win that championship.”

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