Cyclones Travel to Iowa, Host Kansas

AMES, Iowa - On Wednesday night, the Cyclones (19-19, 1-7 Big 12) will travel to Iowa City for the HyVee Cy-Hawk Series game with the Iowa Hawkeyes, the final non-conference game for Iowa State this season. On Friday and Saturday, the Cyclones will host the Kansas Jayhawks.

Last season the Cyclones swept two games with Iowa, first at the Metrodome Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. and then in Ames by the scores of 8-2 and 7-3, respectively. Iowa is coming off three-straight wins against Minnesota and Northwestern (two) and has yet to lose at home this year, with a 6-0 record.

Against the Jayhawks, Iowa State is 4-1 in the last two years, including a 2-0 win in the first round of the 2009 Big 12 Championship. After starting the season 31-4 and being ranked and receiving votes in the polls, the Jayhawks are 2-14 since and 1-13 in the Big 12.

Although falling against No. 3 Texas over the weekend, the Cyclones defense continued to improve as the squad did not commit an error in the series, the second time this season the team has played back-to-back games with no errors.

Senior Rachel Zabriskie (12-13) was solid in Saturday's 3-0 loss, walking no one and allowing only three runs against a team that entered the weekend hitting .339 in conference play. Lexy Bennett who was leading the Big 12 with a .454 batting average had two hits, one in each game, over the weekend.

Wednesday's game with the Hawkeyes begins at 5 p.m. CDT. Friday's game with the Jayhawks is set for 4 p.m. with the second game to follow on Saturday at noon.

Cyclone Notebook

The Cyclones travel to Iowa on Wednesday for the HyVee Cy-Hawk Series before returning home for a Friday-Saturday series against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Friday's contest with the Jayhawks was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT but has been moved to 4 p.m.
The Cyclones did not commit an error in either game against No. 3 Texas last weekend, marking the second time this season the team has had back-to-back errorless games. (The other two game stretch was against Liberty and Notre Dame). Iowa State is 17-7 when committing a max of one error.
Right fielder Anna Cole's eight game hitting streak ended on Sunday.
Junior Heidi Kidwell's hit on Sunday gives hare 137 career hits, just two shy of the top 10 all-time hits leaders at Iowa State.
Sophomore Erica Miller has 35 RBIs on the season, tied for 5th all-time at ISU. Her 62 career RBIs is seven shy from 10th all-time at Iowa State.
Cole and fellow freshman Erin Johnson each picked up their first career doubles over the weekend, Cole on Saturday and Johnson on Sunday.
Iowa State has already played six teams ranked in the top 30 RPI.
The Cyclones are a perfect 14-0 when scoring more than five runs this season.
The Cyclones are 16-3 on the year when getting on the board ahead of their opponent.
Shortstop Sara Davison is off to a solid start in her freshman year, hitting .316 in 38 starts, which leads all newcomers. Davison is 3-for-3 in stolen bases.
Kidwell stole her 15th base of the season against Minnesota. Kidwell is three thefts away from the ISU single season record of 18 stolen bases, set by Kidwell's sister, Kelsey (2008) and Lisa Frank (2000).
Miller's nine homers this year is two short of Lindsey Herrin's single-season record of 11. Her 16 career home runs ranks fifth at Iowa State.
Iowa State's 28 home runs this season is 10 off the all-time record of 38 home runs in a season set in 2008.
Against Big 12 opponents, Miller is ninth in batting average (.375) and fifth in slugging percentage (.750) among the conference leaders
Dalyn Varela is also in the top 10 in conference slugging with a .619 average, ranked 10th.
Pitcher Lauren Kennewell ranks 13th in the league with an ERA of 5.88 through 8.1 innings.
Kidwell's 15 stolen bases rank seventh in the Big 12.
Rachel Zabriskie has struck out 22 batters in league play, ranked ninth.
Hitting .333 against left-handers in the Big 12, the Cyclones are struggling against right-handers, hitting only .196.
In six at-bats with a runner on third and two outs, Iowa State has five hits for an astounding .833 average.
As it has all season, the team is advancing runners with much success in conference play with an average of .455.
Lead-off hitters are getting it done at the plate as well, going 17-for-51, or .333 percent.
Cyclone pitchers are struggling to get the third out in league play this year as opponents have plated 28 runs with two outs. The Cyclones have plated eight two-out runs.
Tori Torrescano is the only Cyclone, in conference play, to bat with the bases loaded. In those at bats, Torrescano is 0-for-3.

Zabriskie Passes 700 K's
• Senior pitcher Rachel Zabriskie is the only Iowa State student-athlete to ever eclipse 700 strikeouts. Zabriskie is not only the Iowa State al-time strikeouts leader, but also ranks among the top 10 all-time Big 12 strikeout leaders. Zabriskie broke into the elite ranks of the conference leaders pitching against Minnesota on April 7, 2011.

Big 12 Strikeout Leaders
1 2,265 Cat Osterman, Texas 2002-03, 05-06
2. 1,226 Amanda Renfro, Texas Tech 1998-2001
3. 1,151 Lauren Bay, Oklahoma State 2000-03
4. 988 Meagan Denny, Texas 2005-08
5. 945 Peaches James, Nebraska 2001-04
6. 936 Ashley DeBuhr, Nebraska 2004-07
7. 865 Stephanie Falk, Missouri 1998-2001
8. 858 Leigh Ann Walker, Nebraska 1999-2002
9. 845 Jessica Hoppock, Oklahoma State 1996-97, 1999-2000
10. 783 Rachel Zabriskie, Iowa State 2008-

Watch Kidwell Run
• Junior outfielder Heidi Kidwell sits seventh all-time at Iowa State with 29 career stolen bases. In 2011, Kidwell is 15-19 in steals through 38 games and there's a pattern emerging when trying to predict Kidwell's next theft.

SB after leading off an inning: 11-14
SB when not leading off an inning: 4-5
SB with no outs: 11-14
SB with 1 out: 2-3
SB with 2 outs: 2-2

Getting to Know Iowa

Iowa State is 37-33-1 all-time against Iowa.
Last year the Cyclones swept Iowa with an 8-2 at the Metrodome Tournament and a 7-3 win in Ames.
The Hawkeyes are riding a three game winning streak into Wednesday night's game.
Iowa is 24-16 this year and 7-3 in the Big Ten. The team is a perfect 6-0 at home.
Senior Stephanie Ochoa leads the Hawkeyes with a .404 batting average. Ochoa has struck out only nine times.
An ever-changing lineup, only Liz Watkins and Katie Keim have started all 40 games for Iowa this year.
Freshman Kayla Massey is 11-6 this season with a 2.91 ERA.
Sophomore Chelsea Lyon is 13-10 in 28 appearances with a 3.46 ERA.

Getting to Know Kansas

Kansas leads the all-time series against Iowa State, 44-32.
The Cyclones are 4-1 in the last two seasons against the Jayhawks, including a 2-0 shutout win in the first round of the 2009 Big 12 Championships.
Kansas' Maggie Hull is hitting a team-high .346 this season and is ranked second in the conference in both overall doubles (13) and conference RBIs (13).
Catcher Brittany Hile leads the team and is ranked fifth in the Big 12 this season with 13 home runs.
Alex Jones is a danger on the base paths for Kansas, going 14-for-16 in stolen bases.

Players Mentioned

Anna Cole

Sara Davison

Erin Johnson

Lauren Kennewell

Lauren Kennewell

Heidi Kidwell

Heidi Kidwell

Erica Miller

Erica Miller

Tori Torrescano

Tori Torrescano

Dalyn Varela

Dalyn Varela

Rachel Zabriskie

Rachel Zabriskie

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