After hosting Purdue last weekend, Indiana softball faced a quick turnaround with a two-game midweek set against the University of Notre Dame and the University of Louisville. The Hoosiers claimed an 11-1 victory over Notre Dame, before falling to Louisville 8-7 in extra innings.
On little rest, Indiana heads to Iowa City, Iowa, for a three-game weekend series. The slate is set to begin at 7 p.m. EST Friday. It will continue at 2 p.m. Saturday, before concluding at 1 p.m. Sunday. All games will be streamed on B1G+.
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 67-46, dating back to 1976. Indiana and Iowa last met in March 2025, when the Hoosiers lost both games in the series.
Iowa got out to a hot start in 2026, winning eight of its first 10 games. But the Hawkeyes take a 22-20 record into their matchup against Indiana after losing 10 of their last 11. Their lone win during this stretch came against the Georgia Institute of Technology on April 10. However, Iowa faced a pair of tough opponents during the span, getting swept by then-No. 16 Washington and then-No. 18 Oregon.
Meanwhile, the Cream and Crimson sit fifth in the Big Ten entering the weekend with a 10-5 conference record and a 32-11 overall record –– their fourth consecutive season with 30 or more wins.
The Hawkeyes are led by first-year head coach Stacy May-Johnson. The program announced the hiring of May-Johnson in May 2025 after former head coach Renee Gillispie stepped away due to a health issue. The coaching change marked a reunion for May-Johnson and the Hawkeyes. She was a three-time All-Big Ten selection as a player at Iowa, before serving as an assistant coach for the program from 2011-14.
In 2025, the Hawkeyes finished with a 35-18 record. But the team lost 2025 All-Big Ten First Team selection Jena Young and All-Big Ten Second Team selection Jalen Adams in the offseason, contributing to a rocky start to May-Johnson's tenure.
Pitching has been the root of Iowa’s issues this season, with the Hawkeyes allowing 194 earned runs –– the fourth most in the Big Ten. They surrendered at least 10 runs in all three of their games against Washington and conceded 36 total in the series.
Freshman pitcher and outfielder Braylen Conlon leads Iowa with a team-low 4.57 ERA across 53.2 innings pitched. Senior pitcher Serayah Neiss is not far behind with a 4.58 ERA through a team-high 96.1 innings.
The Hawkeyes’ pitching staff has experience against explosive bats with contests against Washington and Oregon –– both of which rank top six in runs scored among Big Ten programs. However, the Hoosiers may present the staff’s most difficult test yet. Indiana ranks second in the conference with 355 runs scored and a .357 batting average.
Iowa also ranks in the bottom half of the conference offensively. As a team, the Hawkeyes own a 0.282 batting average –– the 13th highest mark in the Big Ten. However, they have been effective around the base paths in 2026, recording 42 stolen bases –– tied for fifth most in the conference.
After playing in all 53 games as a sophomore in 2025, now-junior outfielder Devin Simon leads the program with 46 hits. The Cascade, Iowa, native has also stolen 16 bases, ranking third in the Big Ten.
Indiana enters the weekend with a 3.16 team ERA. Sophomore pitcher Ella Troutt has been a consistent force in the circle, owning a team-low 2.32 ERA across 87.2 innings pitched –– the most by any Hoosier this season. Before allowing three against Louisville on Wednesday, Troutt went 19.2 consecutive innings without surrendering an earned run.
Senior catcher Avery Parker tied Indiana’s program career home runs record against Butler University on April 8. The Westfield, Indiana, native is still searching for the record-breaking 46th homer heading into Iowa City.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
