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41 T he University of Iowa soball team dropped the winter gloves and hats for soball gloves and visors for a spring training trip to Orlando in January. Normally camped out at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex in January, Iowa bucked that trend under first-year head coach Renee Gillispie. e six-day trip, from Jan. 7-12, provided quality training, bonding experiences for the players and coaches, and warm, sunny fields to practice on. "We wanted to take advantage of being able to get outside this early," Gillispie said. "Our team got to do and see things on the dirt that they won't be able to see for probably another six weeks. is advantage is really putting us ahead about three weeks from where we would have been." e Hawkeyes practiced all over the Orlando area, but no field was more impressive than the United States Specialty Sports Association's Space Coast Complex, which has served as the spring training sight for three Major League baseball teams. With a top-notch facility, sunny weather, and a hungry team, the only thing le to do was hit the field. With everybody getting a taste of live action, the coaches got their closest look at each player's strengths and weaknesses. "is gives us a chance to see who will be leaning into that starting lineup when February comes around," Gillispie said. "We saw a lot of improvement this weekend. We thought the communication on the field was tremendous, we got to see fly balls for our outfielders, everybody worked hard, and the hustle was good." Each player got an early and extended look at their game heading into 2019. Sophomore Aralee Bogar solidified her strengths while directly addressing any weaknesses in her game. "We got closer to where we need to be," Bogar said. "Personally, I can build off the things that I have done well and I can work on the things that I need to get better at." When they weren't on the field, the team was taking in the sights and sounds from around Florida from going to Universal Studios, to the beach, to team meals at a Hibachi grill. When the Hawkeyes departed from Florida, they knew they had a leg up on the rest of the Big Ten aer improving on the field and bonding off of it. "I feel like we are a leap ahead of everybody else because we got to be outside," Bogar said. "In the Big Ten, a lot of teams are where we are at in the cold and practicing inside right now." With the season opener set for Feb. 8, the Hawkeyes returned to Iowa City a much better soball team than when it le. "We improved a lot as the week went on, bonded as a team, and got everything cleaned up," Bogar added. "It is so much nicer to be out in the sun and knowing what it will feel like during the season. Physically, mentally, and emotionally we are further along because of the environment." e 2019 soball season begins for the Hawkeyes at the Tiger Classic, hosted by Louisiana State. FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Feb. 8 * vs. Bucknell Feb. 8 * at LSU Feb. 9 * vs. Tulsa Feb. 9 * at LSU Feb. 15 + vs. Villanova Feb. 15 + vs. Kansas Feb. 16 + vs. Missouri Feb. 16 + vs. St. Joe's Feb. 17 + vs. Massachusetts Feb. 22 # vs. Alabama-Birmingham Feb. 22 # vs. Fordham Feb. 23 # vs. Morgan State Feb. 23 # vs. Fordham Feb. 24 # vs. Notre Dame * Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, LA. + Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom in Orlando # Diamond 9 Citrus Classic in Orlando