HAWK TALK

March 2015

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121 I was going to give my all whether I'm cheering from the bench or out there playing." Pratt shined in her Hawkeye debut at the UNI Dome Tournament from Feb. 6-8. She batted at a .462 clip, collecting six hits in 13 at bats. With a .923 fielding percentage, Pratt is nearly perfect in le field. She's committed one error in 12 putouts this season, and early success has boosted her confidence. "is game means a lot to me," said Pratt. "I'm going to give it my all and whatever happens, happens. I've prepared for it, so I just have to know that I'm capable of doing it and have confidence in myself." Kurtz and Wood are both starting to find their stroke at the plate. Kurtz, a native of Herndon, Virginia, logged her first collegiate home run against Wisconsin-Green Bay on Feb. 8. Kurtz said the blast has encouraged her to keep working. Wood has started to see her bat come to life. e freshman from Cypress, California, went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in a doubleheader against Hofstra and No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 21. "It's nice to have her getting in sync a little bit," said Looper. "I think she's been trying to do too much. When she can stay within herself she will have results like that." e Hawkeyes resume play at the UCF Doubletree/Radisson Invitational on Feb. 27-March 1 in Orlando, Florida. e Hawkeyes will play LIU Brooklyn, UCF, Princeton and Florida A&M in the three-day tournament. F or the University of Iowa soball freshmen, labels are a thing of the past. "We try not to call them freshmen," said UI head coach Marla Looper. "It's about stepping up and being part of the team, not limiting yourself with a title." In 13 games this season, six freshmen — Sarah Kurtz, Daniella Ibarra, Cheyenne Pratt, Angela Schmiederer, Allie Wood, and Ashley Yoways — have logged starts for the Hawkeyes, some of them in roles they were not expecting. Yoways was recruited as a middle infielder, but she also saw success in the circle for Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Yoways owned a 23-3 record as a senior with a 0.63 ERA and 243 strikeouts. When a spot in the circle opened for the Hawkeyes, Looper called on Yoways. Although transitioning to throwing strikes to collegiate hitters is nerve-wracking for the freshman, Yoways has joyfully accepted her new role. "I've always liked pitching, but I really love it now," said Yoways. "It's great to work with coach Looper. She is such a good coach, and she is teaching me a lot." Pratt has seen success both in the field and at the plate. e Festus, Missouri, native has started all 13 games in le field for the Hawkeyes. "I didn't know if I was going to play or not," said Pratt. "All I knew was that I was on this team, and MARCH SCHEDULE March 1 at UCF Doubletree/Radisson Invitational (Orlando, Fla.) March 6-8 at Judi Garman Classic (Fullerton, Calif.) March 14-16 at Univ. of Oklahoma Tournament (Norman, Okla.) March 17 at Oklahoma State March 18 at Tulsa March 20-22 Maryland March 24 Nebraska (DH) March 27-29 at Michigan

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