Cyclones To Open Season At Hawaii's Paradise Classic

Thursday, February 6

Honolulu, Hawaii

7:30 PM

Iowa State

Memphis

Cyclones To Open Season At Hawaii's Paradise Classic

02.05.2020 | Softball

Notes

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State softball team is set to begin its 2020 season in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Paradise Classic. The Cyclones open the season on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CT vs. Memphis. On Friday, Iowa State will battle Northern Colorado (4 p.m.) and Hawaii (9 p.m.). The teams will then be seeded according to results and play two more games Sunday.

2020 Paradise Classic
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii – Rainbow Wahine Stadium
When: Feb. 6-8
Live Stats: Available here.
Live Stream: There will not be a live stream of any games at this weekend's tournament.

CYCLONE NOTEBOOK
1.The 2020 Paradise Classic marks the program's first-ever trip to the Hawaiian Islands. The Cyclones have also never previously faced Hawaii or Memphis on the softball diamond. Iowa State is 2-1 all-time vs. Northern Colorado. The two teams last met in 2019 in a 7-3 Cyclone victory.

2. 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, falling 4-3 to Loyola Marymount in the tournament finals. It was program's winningest season since 1982, and tied for the second-winningest season of all-time.

3. 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.

4. Entering his third season at the helm, head coach Jamie Pinkerton has already piled up 58 wins at Iowa State, the most ever for an ISU head coach in their first two seasons.

5. Sami Williams returns for her senior season, and was named a Softball America Preseason All-American, and was also ranked the No. 34 player in the country by the outlet. Williams was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Softball America following an oustanding junior campaign, becoming the first Cyclone softball player since Jenny Condon in 1989 to earn All-America honors.

6. 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.

7. Entering the 2020 season, Williams is the NCAA's DI active leader in career doubles, and is already the Big 12's all-time doubles leader with 59.

8. When freshman Alesia Ranches takes the field for her collegiate debut, she will become the first Hawaiian to don the Cardinal & Gold in program history.

9. Iowa State was No. 48 in the final RPI rankings, released by the NCAA. It was the highest RPI finish in program history.

10. In 2019, 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.

11. ISU's fifth-place 2019 finish in the Big 12 was tied for its best final conference standing since 1993. The Cyclones also finished with a winning record for the first time since 1995.

12. The Cyclones return their starting third baseman (Logan Schaben), shortstop (Williams) and second baseman (Kasey Simpson). 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.