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23 T he University of Iowa soball team concluded its season at the Big Ten Tournament on May 9 in Bloomington, Indiana, providing a final look at the building blocks the team has moving into the 2020 season. Iowa loses two seniors to graduation, but will return 16 players plus a large recruiting class that continues to grow. "We're sad to see Erin (Redding) and Mallory (Killian) leave us," Iowa head coach Renee Gillispie said. "We know we are going to build a great program that they are going to be proud of." But with only two players leaving and more than 10 joining the team this summer, the Hawkeyes are in good shape to continue building. "We're looking to build with what we have," Gillispie said. "We are always looking to get better players than we had the year before and build that up. It's going to be great competition next year and the players know that." At the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa kept pace with fih-seeded Wisconsin, thanks to three underclassmen with multi-hit efforts — freshmen Cameron Cecil and Abby Lien, and sophomore Ashley Hamilton. Iowa's 10 hits were the most since April 13 against Illinois. e team also returns junior pitcher Allison Doocy, who was named All-Big Ten and All- Region for a second straight season. Doocy finished the year ranked fih in the Big Ten with 195 strikeouts. She also eclipsed 500 career strikeouts, becoming the seventh player in program history to accomplish the feat. "It was an awesome year," Doocy said. "We built new relationships and worked on new things we haven't done before, but we are still working and still building to get better every day." Sophomore Lauren Shaw will return from a redshirt season and freshman Sarah Lehman will have a full summer to work on her game aer becoming Iowa's go-to arm late in the regular season. "We needed her arm all season," Gillispie said. "We have played a lot of different scenarios and Sarah worked hard to get where she is at aer playing volleyball at Coe College last year. "Being about a year behind, she worked hard to get us those innings late in the season." When it comes to the future of Iowa soball, Gillispie is certain of one thing: "We do not want to be the last team in the Big Ten Tournament and the first one out. at will not happen again in the history of Iowa soball," she said. Iowa finished the season with a record of 19- 32, 5-18 in Big Ten play. Offensive team leaders include sophomore Aralee Bogar (35 hits, 26 stolen bases, 21 runs, 20 RBIs), junior Donirae Mayhew (eight doubles), Bogar and Killian (three triples), and Lien and Mayhew (five home runs). On the mound, Doocy was 14-15 with a 2.70 ERA. She threw 187 innings with 195 strikeouts.