Who: Iowa State (9-9, 0-0 Huge 12) at Houston (14-6, 0-0 Huge 12)
The place: Cougar Softball Stadium – Houston, Texas
When: March 7-9 – 6, 2 & 12 p.m.
Main Off
Iowa State will open up Huge 12 play on the highway this weekend in opposition to the Houston Cougars. The Cyclones will look to earn their first Huge 12-opening collection win since 2002 (2-0 vs. TTU), when the collection format was two video games (the league swapped to 3 in 2012).
The Cyclones are coming off a 3-2 weekend on the Mardi Gras Mambo. After beginning 0-2, ISU rattled off three straight to go away Louisiana sitting at .500. On the season, ISU is 2-2 on the highway and 7-7 on impartial web site fields.
Houton enters its first dwelling collection of the season having received 5 of its final six video games. The final day trip, Houston squared off with No. 3 Florida – its solely frequent opponent with ISU. The Cougars fell to the third-ranked Gators, 11-0, in 5 innings.
From the Notes:
- ISU is in the midst of spending seven straight weekends on the highway to begin the season.
- Which means their first 28 video games will all happen away from the Cyclone Softball Advanced.
- After having 11 seniors go away, ISU solely has two on this yr’s roster. Over half of the staff, 14, are underclassmen.
- ISU’s most regularly featured lineup has had 5 newcomers within the fold.
- 2025 marks the start of a brand new Huge 12 enlargement, as three new faculties – Arizona, Arizona State and Utah – all enter the fray.
- Freshman Jessie Clemons is without doubt one of the greatest hitting rookies within the nation, as she at present ranks within the high ten for batting common (.366 – third), doubles (6 – T9th) and hits (27 – sixth) amongst all collegiate freshmen.
- Freshman Abby Huhn tossed a one-hit shutout in her first profession begin, falling two outs shy of an ideal recreation in opposition to Portland State.
- Freshman pitcher Sami Potvin hurled a five-inning excellent recreation in opposition to Grambling State, hanging out a career-high 9 batters.
Main the Cyclones
Iowa State’s offense begins actually and statistically with the beginning of the order. Returning All-American Angelina Allen finds herself sandwiched between a pair of standout freshmen, Sereniti Trice and Jessie Clemons, within the batting order. Clemons has a team-high .466 batting common with a team-best 27 hits. Allen leads the staff in homers and walks whereas Trice has scored probably the most runs and has probably the most stolen bases.
Transfers Reagan Bartholomew and Sydney Malott have additionally been strong on the plate. Malott is batting .333 and has three homers, whereas Bartholomew is tied for the second-most RBI on the staff.
Within the circle, 5 Cyclones have seen motion. Lauren Schurman leads the best way with a team-low ERA of two.69 and team-high 28 strikeouts in 16 appearances. Jaiden Ralston has appeared within the second-most video games, 13, and has thrown 26 innings. Freshmen Sami Potvin and Abby Huhn are a mixed 3-1, whereas sophomore Aziza Rodriguez has seen simply 7.0 innings of labor.
General, the Cyclones are hitting .298 and have produced 95 runs on 145 hits. The staff has 51 extra-base hits with 83 RBI, whereas drawing 34 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.67 ERA and has allowed 142 hits in 108.0 innings of labor.
Opponent Outlook
Houston’s offense does not boast loopy hitting numbers, however the Cougars get on base a ton. The truth is, UH leads the nation in walks drawn with 133 – practically 100 greater than the Cyclones. Seven Cougars hit over .300 and 7 have drawn no less than ten walks.
Brooke Wells has a team-high 24 hits, with 11 going for additional bases, whereas additionally toting the staff’s most RBI with 26. Makenna Mitchell (21) and Maddie Hartley (20) even have no less than 20 RBI and assist deliver stability to the Cougar lineup.
Eight completely different Cougars have seen the circle in 2025, with Gigi Solis tossing a team-high 33 innings. Solis holds the staff’s lowest ERA, 3.82, and opposing batters are hitting simply .275. Nevaeh Brown (4-0), Maddie Hartley (3-1) and Rylee Michalak (2-1) spherical out the Cougars inning-eaters.
General, the Cougars are hitting .303 and have produced 140 runs on 161 hits. The staff has 50 extra-base hits with 130 RBI, whereas drawing 133 walks. UH holds a collective 5.15 ERA and has allowed 174 hits in 138.2 innings of labor.
Sequence Historical past
Iowa State and Houston have met 11 instances previous to this weekend, with the final matchup coming in 2024 in Ames. ISU took final season’s three-game collection, 2-1, profitable the primary two video games. That is simply the second collection ISU could have performed at Houston (2007). The Cougars maintain the all-time benefit, boasting a 7-4 collection edge.
On Deck
Following the convention opener at Houston, Iowa State will likely be again in motion subsequent weekend for its last non-conference match of the yr when it heads to Oxford, Mississippi, for the Insurgent Invitational. Motion in Oxford will begin on March 14 at 1 p.m.
