2019 Softball Season Review

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State softball team concluded its 2019 campaign with a record of 37-25 overall (7-11 Big 12) and as runners-up in the National Invitational Softball Championship. Under second-year head coach Jamie Pinkerton, the Cyclones surged to achieve the program's winningest season since 1982, and tied for the second-winningest season of all-time.

Cyclone Softball Headlines
1. The Cyclones' NISC bid marked the program's first time in a national postseason tournament since 1988, when Iowa State advanced to NCAA Regionals in Lincoln, Neb. This year, Iowa State punched its ticket to Fort Collins for the finals by going 3-0 at the NISC Ames Regional, defeating South Dakota and Purdue (twice) to earn a spot in the championship round.

2. Second-year head coach Jamie Pinkerton has already piled up 58 wins at Iowa State, the most ever for an ISU coach in their first two seasons at the program's helm.

3. Sami Williams was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Softball America following an oustanding junior campaign. She becomes the first Cyclone softball player since Jenny Condon in 1989 to earn All-America honors.

4. Hannah Carter became the third Cyclone softball player ever to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honors, and the first since Jenny Condon in 1990. Williams also earned CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team, making the duo the first set of ISU teammates to both be honored by CoSIDA in the same year since 1990. Williams was also named the Big 12 Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year, becoming the second Cyclone (Aly Cappaert) to earn that honor.

5. Williams finished the 2019 campaign as the NCAA DI doubles leader with 25 on the season. She set Iowa State single-season records for hits (82), doubles (25), home runs (17) and runs scored (59) during her historic 2019 campaign.

6. Williams is set to be the NCAA's active leader in career doubles going into the 2020 season, and is already the Big 12's all-time doubles leader with 59.

7. Kaylee Bosworth, Emma Hylen, Talyn Lewis, Sydney Stites and Williams (MVP) were named to the NISC All-Region team following Iowa State's title-clinching victoy over Purdue. Williams went 8-of-12 at the plate with six runs, five doubles and two RBI to lead the Iowa State offense during the three-game stretch.

8. ISU's fifth-place finish in the Big 12 is tied for its best final conference standing since 1993. The Cyclones also finished with a winning record for the first time since 1995.

9. Senior Emma Hylen, a third-team All-Region selection, was dominant at the NISC Ames Regional, going 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA in 18.0 innings of action. The native of Roseville, Minn., rang up 10 strikeouts during the tournament. Her 2.75 ERA was the lowest single-season earned run average by a Cyclone pitcher since 2010 (Rachel Zabriskie - 2.74).

10. Hylen ends her career as Iowa State's all-time leader in saves with nine. She also climbed into the school's all-time top-10 in several categories. Her 45 career wins are T-No. 4 in ISU history. She is also among the all-time leaders in appearances (T-No. 2- 148), games started (No. 4 - 79), innings pitched (No. 3 - 571.1) and strikeouts (No. 9 - 321).

11. Iowa State was No. 48 in the final RPI rankings, released by the NCAA. It is the highest RPI finish in program history. The Cyclones were ranked No. 44 on April 8, 2019, which was the highest weekly RPI ranking ever achieved by Iowa State.

12. Iowa State's much-improved defense was a catalyst to success in 2019. The Cyclones boasted the Big 12's No. 3 defense with a .967 fielding percentage (up from .956 in 2018) and ranked No. 5 nationally in double plays turned with 32 on the year.

13. Iowa State defeated No. 8 Texas in the opening game of the 2019 Big 12 Championship, notching its first win over a top-10 team since March 9, 2013 (vs. No. 8 Oregon). It was also ISU's first postseason win since May 8, 2009 (vs. Kansas - Big 12 Tournament). ISU's third-place game at the 2019 Big 12 Championship was canceleld due to weather and field conditions.

14. Savannah Sanders also climbed Iowa State's all-time pitching charts during her final season as a Cyclone. The native of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., finishes her career No. 3 in school history with 84 career starts, No. 4 in games pitched with 128 and No. 7 in innings pitched with 468.2. Sanders is also No. 11 in all-time strikeouts with 277.

15. Prior to this season, Iowa State had never swept multiple three-game series vs "Power 5" opponents in the same season. The 2019 Cyclones had three such three-game sweeps (Georgia Tech, Baylor, Kansas).

Players Mentioned

Kaylee Bosworth

Aly Cappaert

Hannah Carter

Emma Hylen

Talyn Lewis

Savannah Sanders

Sydney Stites

Sami Williams

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics