ISU Opens 2016 At Cyclone Indoor Invitational

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State softball team will open its 2016 season on Friday with the Cyclone Indoor Invitational at the Bergstrom Football Complex. Admission is free for all games.

The event runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and features the Cyclones taking on IUPUI, Eastern Illinois and North Dakota in a pair of games against each, More information for fans interested in attending this weekend's games, including a full schedule, can be found here.

ISU opens the tournament and their season against IUPUI Friday at 4:30 p.m., followed by a 6:15 nightcap against Eastern Illinois. Saturday features another doubleheader for the Cyclones, playing North Dakota again at 1:30 p.m. and another meeting with IUPUI at 3:45 p.m. Iowa State closes out the tournament Sunday with games against EIU at 11:15 a.m. and UND at 1:30 p.m.

There will be no live video of the games. Cyclones.com will provide live stats for all games, including those not involving Iowa State, which can be accessed here.

Cyclone Headlines

·The 2016 Iowa State softball season kicks off this weekend at the Bernstrom Indoor Football Facility, with the Cyclones taking on North Dakota, IUPUI and Eastern Illinois in a pair of games each.

· Action and the Cyclone Invitational starts Friday at 2:15 p.m. with Eastern Illinois vs. IUPUI. The Cyclones then have a pair of games at 4:30 p.m. (vs. IUPUI) and 6:15 p.m. (vs. Eastern Illinois)

· On Saturday, Iowa State will face North Dakota at 1:30 p.m., followed by IUPUI at 3:45 p.m.

· Iowa State will close out the tournament on Sunday against the Panthers (11:15 a.m.) and the Fighting Hawks (1:30 p.m.)

· This weekend marks the sixth consecutive season that Iowa State has hosted a home tournament in the Bergstrom to open the season. In that time, Iowa State is 19-3, including an 8-0 record the last two years. Last season's Cyclone Invitational featured a pair of ISU wins over both Utah State and South Dakota State.

· ISU returns six players that started in at least 35 games during the 2015 campaign, as well as junior Rachel Hartman, who started all 22 games prior to a season-ending injury.

· The Cyclones will be led by the senior duo of Brittany Gomez and Aly Cappaert, who have both racked up conference and national honors during their time in Ames. Cappaert was a NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team selection in 2014, while centerfielder Gomez earned the honors in 2014 and 2015. They were the first Cyclones to earn All-Region First Team honors since 1999.

· Three of the top four place-holders on the Iowa State career batting average list are on the 2016 Cyclone roster in Brittany Gomez (1st - .394), Rachel Hartman (2nd - .357) and Aly Cappaert (4th - .347).

· In the final series of the 2015 season vs. Kansas, Gomez took down Jenny Condon's record for single-season hits. Gomez finished with 79, two ahead of Condon's long-time record of 77 she posted in 1988.