When Paige Timmerman enrolled in the Iowa Women's Softball League last year as a college freshman, she politely wondered if she could spend most of her time in the infield to boost her chances of making the starting lineup at Luther this year as a sophomore.

That's one of the benefits of playing in the IWSL: Players get a chance to help their college careers by playing a variety of spots against good competition, and Timmerman was an eager participant.

Timmerman can play just about any spot in the infield and outfield. She also can put on the gear and get behind the plate, but the Luther coaches suggested she focus on the infield for the 2018 college season that begins next month.

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Timmerman appeared in nine games for Luther last year as a freshman when the Norse finished 41-5, won the Iowa Conference title advanced to the NCAA postseason tournament. She hopes to play a more prominent role for Luther this year, and perhaps her experience in the Iowa Women's Softball League last summer will help.

Timmerman is the 29th player to join the IWSL for the 2018 campaign, which will consist of eight Sunday doubleheaders in June and July. Players can choose either the East Division in Cedar Rapids or the new Central Division in Ames and Indianola.

Timmerman starred at Kennedy High School during her prep career. She made the all-conference and all-Metro teams as a sophomore, junior and senior and helped the Cougars win the Mississippi Valley Conference title in 2016.

The Iowa Women's Softball League was created by the Metro Sports Report in 2017 as the only collegiate summer league in Iowa. There were 60 players in the league last year, with a mixture of players from NCAA, NAIA and Junior Colleges.

All college softball players are eligible for the league, including graduating seniors and former college players.

The entire registration process can be handled online at MetroSportsReport.com. Click on the "MSR Summer Softball" tab at the top of the home page, which takes you to all the softball stories and the registration link. Have a credit card handy to pay the $100 player fee with PayPal.

The $100 includes the 16-game season, a team jersey and a league T-shirt.

The Hawkeye Convenience Stores are the title sponsor of the Iowa Women's Softball League.