Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/651348
135 F ans at two University of Iowa sporting events in November, 2011, had a lot to do with winning over Claire Fritsch, now a junior on the Hawkeye soball team. e sellout crowd of 70,585 that watched Iowa's football team rally past Pittsburgh on Nov. 17 impressed Fritsch about as much as a few hundred the night before at the soball team's 20-1 exhibition victory over Indian Hills Community College. "I went to a football game and that was probably one of the coolest things I have ever experienced," Fritsch said. "At home there is tailgating, but there aren't RVs everywhere with black and gold painted all over them. "I was able to watch a soball scrimmage and there were fans. You don't normally see that at home. It was impressive; it was kind of chilly and there were fans at a scrimmage. e fan following for all the sports at Iowa is amazing. You don't see that everywhere." Home to Fritsch is Round Rock, Texas, about 20 miles north of Austin. e state is loaded with soball talent, as UI head coach Marla Looper and assistant Adrianna Baggetta know well. ey went on a particular recruiting trip with a keen eye on one of Fritsch's teammates. "We were comparing the two and (Claire) kept one-upping her in every game we watched," Looper said. "Coach B and I looked at each other and said, 'Wow, this kid is pretty good.' She is scrappy, quick, heady, and has a good sense about the game." Fritsch flew to Iowa City on a recruiting visit and was amazed by Hawkeye fan support. Her interest in Baylor and Texas A&M came to an end. "I liked the (Iowa) coaches a lot, they fit my personality well," Fritsch said. "e school and campus all fit. I flew home Sunday and called coach Looper and said I was ready to come here. It didn't take me much time to think about." Fritsch entered Iowa's starting lineup at second base immediately and has been a mainstay in the Hawkeye lineup since. As a freshman she played 46 games, batting .230 with eight extra-base hits and 10 RBIs. She wasn't satisfied with her final fielding percentage of .918. "Freshman year was rough defensively and I have never figured out why," Fritsch said. "At some point (sophomore) year, something clicked with me and my confidence level came back and I started playing like myself again. Everything started coming more naturally." Last season Fritsch reduced her error total by seven and her fielding percentage increased to .941. She started 51-of-55 games, batting .242. Fritsch is not an emotional player, opting instead to flash a stone face on the field during games. It is a lesson she picked up from her father, Darrell, who preached to her brother, Craig, to stay composed on the mound. Craig Fritsch was a relief pitcher for Baylor, who played in the minor leagues for the Phillies and Mets. "Growing up watching (Craig) in the way he always stayed calm and collected and never showed his emotion translated into how I played," Fritsch said. "at was something my dad helped me focus on. It was never difficult for me because I am not an extremely out-there person. It's important to stay collected on the field. If you make a mistake you will never see me kick the dirt or anything like that. I will keep going with my game." anks to her baseball-playing brother, Fritsch was throwing rolled tube socks around the family's living room since the age of 2. "It was fun and when you're little, if it hits a lamp, it's fine," Fritsch said with a smile. In soball, Fritsch played a year or two above her age through the different levels. Once she turned