The scene, the sights, the sounds — they all looked different to former coach Gayle Blevins. Unfamiliar indeed, but encouraging nonetheless. Standing along the first base line at Pearl Field, Blevins observed the Iowa softball team from a distance, but couldn’t drag her eyes away from the atmosphere.
The Hawkeyes were hosting Southeast Community College on Sept. 12. The fall scrimmage was more of a measuring stick than a competitive contest, and Blevins understood the idea better than most. Blevins coached the team from 1988 to 2010, retiring as the program’s all-time winningest coach with 945 victories. She led the Hawkeyes to four Big Ten regular season titles and four College World Series appearances, but in the 15 years since her tenure, those heights remained out of reach.
Watching this season’s Iowa squad, Blevins saw potential in the details. Small actions and interactions she hadn’t seen in a while. Hustle on and off the field. Constant chatter across the turf. Instructive coaching in the dugout. Everyone looked confident and assured with their preparation. Blevins couldn’t help but think:…