Click here to listen to Coach King preview the season
Iowa Lakes Softball will be taking the field for the first time this season March 12th at Iowa Western Community College. Head coach, Katie King, will be entering her sixth season at Iowa Lakes. Coach King has been at the helm of the Iowa Lakes Softball Program since 2015. In that time, she has compiled a 104-106 record, 3.3 Team GPA average, Two NJCAA top 20 rankings- #16 (2016) and #19 (2021), 25 All-Region Players (ICCAC), 4 NFCA Midwest All-Region players, 50 Academic All-Region players (ICCAC) and 12 Academic All-American Players (NJCAA).
Coach King recapped last year by saying, "Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we did not get to have a season last year. We had played just six games when the season was shut down. At the time of the shutdown, we were 3-3 after one weekend of play." The 2019-2020 did not go as planned, but the #19 ranked Lakers are looking forward to picking up where they left off.
There are four returning players for the Lakers, including a 5'5" second Base/third Base from Peoria, Az, Kailey Maksim. Maksim is an infielder that has some great pop in her bat. Prior to the shutdown, she was batting over .500. She is a true leader for the Lakers on the field, not only because of her athletic ability, but also because of her softball IQ. She is very smart on the diamond, which means she does not make many mistakes. The next returning Laker is 5'8" First Base/Outfield from Red Oak, IA, Kamryn Buntrock. Buntrock is a utility player that has really shown that she will do whatever is best for her team to win. She is a true team player and has learned a new position to help her team.
Gabby West, a 5'8" Catcher/Third Base from Perry, IA, will also be returning for the Lakers. West is a utility player that will be seeing innings in multiple different positions. She also has a lot of power in her swing that we are anticipating her to bring to our lineup. The last returner for the Lakers is Madison Brevik, a 5'4" Middle Infield/Pitcher from Lake Park, IA. Brevik is a utility player that because of her athleticism will see lots of innings in multiple positions. She will bring another look within the pitching circle, strengthen the middle infield, or cover ground in the outfield. Her speed is another thing she will bring to the lineup.
Coach King also had some good things to say about the freshman class for this season, "We have brought in a very strong freshman class that we are excited to see how the compete within the strong ICCAC. Lexi Chase is a pitcher/outfielder that will find great success for us both defensively and offensively. In the circle, Lexi is what we call a pitcher, not a thrower. She understands what she is doing in the circle and how to execute that. Additionally, Lexi is going to be a tough out at the plate. She is smart and aggressive at the plate, and rarely misses on her pitch."
Eliya Johnson is another freshman expected to step up this season. She is a first basemen/pitcher with a ton of power in her bat. In the circle, she has a nasty drop ball, which compliments the other pitchers very nicely. At the plate, she has a ton of power in her swing. She has the ability to take the ball out of the park on every swing. Allie McCabe will be a spark plug for the team this year. She is the heart and soul of the team.
King is looking for contributions from all of her players though, "Although, I spoke of just these three athletes, every single athlete that we brought in this year is a key contributor. For us to be successful, each athlete needs to show up every day and own their role. Every one of them has strengths and I cannot wait to watch them play together to accomplish some amazing things this year."
When asked what the conference will look like this year Coach King responded with, "As always, the ICCAC is a very tough conference to play in and now you add in that we are playing the division I junior colleges in Iowa and it makes it that much harder." There are currently four teams ranked in the Division II NJCAA national poll, one of those being Iowa Lakes, and one team ranked in the Division I NJCAA national poll and one receiving votes in the Division I NJCAA national poll. On top of that, there are many other competitive teams in the conference, which will make for a dog fight each and every game.
To conclude, Coach King says, "You can expect some great things from these athletes. They are a very well-rounded team and if everybody shows up each day to win, there is nothing that will stand in their way. As a team, we strive to outwork our opponents to earn every win. We are a scrappy team that will continue to work hard every game, every inning, and every pitch until it is our last."
OTHER: Interview with Head Coach Katie King attached.
20-21 Roster: https://iowalakesathletics.com/sports/sball/2020-21/roster
20-21 Schedule: https://iowalakesathletics.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule
PHOTO: Photo of team attached.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Head Softball Coach Katie King at (712) 362-8367 or the Iowa Lakes sports information office at (712) 362-7928.