Schaben makes the most of final Cyclone season

 AMES, IA -- When Iowa State’s 2020 softball season was shortened to just 24 games due to COVID-19, senior Logan Schaben and her teammates were devastated.
 When the NCAA allowed seniors an extra year of eligibility if they wanted it, Schaben didn’t have to think twice.
 The Portsmouth native and 2016 Harlan Community graduate returned for a fifth season this past spring and enjoyed every last bit of an historic campaign for ISU.
 The Cyclones finished 34-23 overall (6-12 in Big 12 Conference play) and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1988. They went 2-2 in regionals, ending the year with a 5-0 loss to Missouri in the Columbia Regional final - the school’s first-ever regional final softball game.
 Schaben, who started 226 of 232 games during her collegiate career, said it was “something special” to be able to finish competitive softball on her own terms.
 “When everything is taken away from you like that and then you come back, you play with a whole different meaning,” Schaben said following one of her final regular season home games. “Being able to play with these girls again - that’s the main reason I came back is because of the relationships I’ve built with them and how much I enjoy playing with them."
 Schaben's career totals include a .205 batting average, 111 hits, 19 home runs, 16 doubles, three triples, 70 runs scored, 62 RBI, 49 walks, 20 HBP, 17 stolen bases and a .294 on-base percentage. Defensively, she tallied 209 putouts, 406 assists and a .914 fielding percentage, playing primarily at third and shortstop.
 Schaben also excelled in the classroom as a four-time Academic All-Big 12 first-team selection and was one of just 12 student-athletes in the conference nominated with a 4.00 GPA this past spring.
 She finished classes in mid-April and graduated from Iowa State in June with a Master’s degree in information systems as well as undergraduate degrees in marketing and finance.

Full story in August 17 Harlan Tribune.