High School

Top Iowa High School Softball Standout Makes College Decision

Indianola junior Samantha Gripp commits to Drake

Dana Becker

Samantha Gripp/X

One of the top Iowa high school softball players in the state will remain close to home for her college academics and athletics.

Indianola High School junior Samantha Gripp announced her commitment to Drake University on social media.

“I am so grateful to announce my commitment to Drake University to continue my softball and academic career,” Gripp wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Thank you Coach Diehl, Marshall and Jacobsen for giving me this opportunity to make my dreams come true through out this softball experience.”

Samantha Gripp Has Been Big-Time Hitter for Indianola

Gripp hit .520 with 15 home runs, 11 doubles and 49 RBI over 34 games, recording an on-base percentage of .588 and a slugging percentage of 1.092. She recorded a .982 fielding percentage, committing just four errors on 226 chances with 206 putouts.

As a freshman, Gripp hit .405 with 14 homers, driving in 46 runs. 

Indianola finished 21-15 this past summer, placing third in the Little Hawkeye Conference behind Norwalk and Dallas Center-Grimes. 

Gripp was also a medalist at the state track and field championships in the shot put last spring, placing fifth overall. 

Drake Continues to Add In-State Talent to Roster

Drake, a four-year school in Des Moines, is led by Lindsay Diehl, who led the Bulldogs to a 23-26 record in her debut with the program last year. She led Indian Hills, one of the top junior college programs in the country, to 186 wins and a pair of NJCAA World Series appearances before taking the Drake job.

The roster for Diehl and the Bulldogs features several former Iowa high school softball standouts, including recent graduates Ava Husak and Pearson Hall.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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