Iowa’s Nia Carter making most of senior softball season

IOWA CITY — Nia Carter is one of college softball’s top hitters.

The Iowa senior leadoff batter has devoted a lot of time, honing her craft since the first time she picked up a bat about the age of 9. Plenty of swings, sweat and sacrifices have helped her rank among the nation’s best.

Carter is quick to credit coaches and teammates, but there are two others at the top of the list that made it all possible. Her parents, Bettina and Clarence Carter Jr.

“My parents are my biggest supporters,” Carter said. “They paid for every hitting lesson (and) fielding lesson I’ve ever had since I was little. They really invested time in me and I have them to thank for that, too.

“Getting here and being able to get to play softball, I give that to my parents because they worked so hard for me.”

Carter ranks second in the nation with 70 hits after tallying two singles in a Big Ten Conference doubleheader Friday at Pearl Field. Her .467 batting average before Saturday’s series finale against the Terrapins is tops in the conference.

“I’ve been keeping it really loose,” Carter said. “I’m trying to have fun. It’s my senior year. I’m trying to make the most of it.

“I try not to think too much of my stats and what’s going on with the outside. I stay focused on my game, go get it and go pitch by pitch.”

Interestingly, softball was not her first love. Carter stepped on the stage ahead of stepping into a batter’s box. Dance was the activity of choice during her youth.

Imagine if she hadn’t traded tap shoes for cleats 12 years ago.

“I did dance before I did softball,” Carter said. “I was a big dancer. My parents were really excited when I wanted to play sports.”

It wasn’t until she watched her older brother, Clarence Carter III also known as Trey, playing catch and hitting with their parents in the yard that she turned her attention to softball.

“He played a bunch of sports growing up,” Carter said. “I wanted to be like him because I always (saw) him playing catch or hitting in the backyard with my parents. I was like I want to do that, so that’s when I finally quit dancing and I wanted to try something new.

“I owe a big thanks to my brother.”

The family’s legacy on the diamond has grown with Carter. Her dad played at Seattle University before a minor-league career with the Texas Rangers. Her brother played baseball at Bethune-Cookman.

Carter came to Iowa from St. Paul High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. She we was one of the top 100 recruits in the Class of 2019, according to multiple national rankings. Carter made an immediate impact, hitting over .500 as a freshman during the 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the Hawkeyes in hits with 42 as a sophomore.

“She became one of our top hitters in the 1-2 spot,” Iowa Coach Renee Gillispie said. “She learned to become a very good hitter. She moved back into her slapping a little bit and then she started putting down bunts for base hits. Now, she has the full arsenal.

“When she gets up there, she can get anything she wants. She does that really well.”

Carter finished second in the Big Ten in hits with a .405 batting average, earning first-team all-region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last season. She entered the Maryland series 13th in Iowa history with 204 career hits.

She smacked a groundball through the left side for a base hit in the opener Friday, then punched an opposite-field line drive to left in the nightcap.

“I’ve been working ever since I first picked up a bat,” said Carter, noting her work with well-known softball club Corona Angels and Coach Marty Tyson vaulted her into a top hitter as a teenager. “It is a product of work and having great coaching as well.

“Being confident in yourself helps as well. I go up there thinking I’m the best and if I fail it’s because of me. Not because of them. I think that is a mindset that also helps me as well.”

A keen eye allows her to command the strike zone, identify the pitches she likes and take advantage of those offerings. She also is a strong situational hitter and produces what the Hawkeyes need.

The quick left-hander can wreak havoc on pitchers and their defenses.

“She’s fearless,” Gillispie said. “When she’s at the plate, she has this confidence that she’s going to make something happen.”

One of the highlights this season was Iowa’s game against top-ranked UCLA at the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. She was able to play against her home state power and some familiar faces.

“That was a dream come true to me,” Carter said. “I hit my first triple against them. I know a lot of girls from UCLA, too. We played in the same organization, so that was a real special moment. We played them really tough, too.”

Carter and Game 1 pitcher Breanna Vasquez were the only senior starters. Carter is a mainstay in a young lineup that includes true freshman middle infielders Tory Bennett and Anna Streff, freshman pitcher Jalen Adams, who started Game 2 Friday, and sophomore Tristin Doster at catcher. The rest of the position players are juniors for a team with 26 victories.

Gillispie said she wouldn’t know where Iowa would be without Carter’s spark at the plate and that she plays a key role offensively and in right field. Her leadership has been invaluable and is a role that she has embraced.

“I really enjoy being a leader for them,” Carter said. “They’re great. They’re quick learners. It’s been good.”

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