Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Tory Bennett makes a play at Rogers Park last season. Bennett committed to the University of Iowa’s softball program on Wednesday.

IOWA CITY — Tory Bennett could’ve gone the safer, more conventional route and committed to a softball program at a smaller school.

Playing it close to the vest has never been Bennett’s style, though. So when her dream team showed interest, the Fort Dodge senior jumped at the opportunity to become an Iowa Hawkeye.

Bennett verbally committed to head coach Renee Gillispie’s rising program on Wednesday, choosing the Div. I route in the sport she loves over schools that possibly made more financial sense but lacked the punch of Big Ten potential.

“Ever since I was little, I dreamed of playing at a high level for a program like Iowa,” said Bennett, who plans to major in biology and ultimately pursue a medical degree. “I guess that’s what I kept coming back to. It just seemed like a perfect fit for me: not just in the player and person I am, but the one I want to be.

“It’s a huge step. I know that. But I’m excited for the challenge and the idea of having to prove I belong. When I visited campus, being at a bigger school just felt right. The coaches and the players were very welcoming and made me feel wanted. I was looking for that opportunity — the chance to prove I can make it and that (recruiting) me was the right decision.”

Bennett is a two-time all-state shortstop for the Dodgers, who captured the 2021 championship in Class 5A. Last season, the four-year starter hit .455 and led Fort Dodge in runs scored (50). Bennett stole 23 bases, drove in 36 runs committed only two errors at shortstop.

The Dodgers were 38-4 and captured the first state title in program history.

“I still have a lot of improving to do,” said Bennett, also an all-conference basketball player and track letterwinner. “‘I talked to quite a few people about Iowa’s program — if you can hit, you’ll work your way into the lineup. So I’m really going to focus on that even more this winter and beyond. More power. More consistency. Better pitch selection. Being smarter at the plate.

“You can always get better.”

Bennett’s long-time high school teammate, standout catcher Tristin Doster, is a freshman with the Hawkeyes. And her classmate, all-state pitcher Jalen Adams, will be joining the Iowa program as well in the fall of 2022.

In addition, Bennett’s brother, Drew, is now a member of the Iowa wrestling team.

“I made a list of pros and cons, and obviously having Drew, Jalen and Tristin there is definitely a ‘pro,'” Bennett said. “That didn’t necessarily make my decision at the end of the day, but it will absolutely help and be nice having them (on campus).

“There’s always the drive to be your own person, of course, but I’m not going to (downplay) the influence of my family. They’re such a big motivating factor to me in so many different ways.”

Bennett was inspired at an early age by the play of her older sister, Madi.

“I’ve looked up to her for as long as I can remember,” Bennett said of Madi, a former Simpson College standout. “I remember being a bat girl when they went to state (at FDSH), dreaming of making it there myself. Then when my brother won a state title (both team and individual in 2018), I knew that was something we had to do.

“We’ve done it once now, but our focus has shifted on trying to go back-to-back (this summer).”

Bennett also credited Hall of Fame Dodger head coach Andi Adams “for literally making me the player I am today.”

“She’s amazing at what she does,” Bennett said. “Coach Adams has been such a positive influence on me (on and off the field). I can’t thank her enough.”

Gillispie took over the Hawkeye program in 2019 after 18 successful seasons at Central Florida. Before her arrival, previous UI head coach Marla Looper went 172-247-1 overall and 68-113 in the Big Ten.

Under Gillispie, the Hawkeyes went 17-5 before the COVID-19 global pandemic shut down the 2020 campaign. Iowa posted a 26-18 mark last spring.

Bennett becomes the 14th Webster County athlete since 2015 to commit to a University of Iowa program, joining Mallory Kilian (softball), Sam Cook (football/wrestling), Kole Kampen (baseball), Taylor Hartley (swimming), Andrew Fierke (swimming), Elora Fierke (rowing), Drake Ayala (wrestling), Kyler Fisher (football), Kiersten Fisher (track), Aaron Graves (football), Bennett (wrestling), Doster and Adams.