2023 Softball Season in Review

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State finished its 2023 campaign with a 25-30 overall record and a 6-12 mark in the Big 12 for the third consecutive season. The Cyclones placed fifth in the league standings, advancing to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship before falling to top-seeded Oklahoma.

ISU completed its third straight season with at least 25 wins in 2023, making it just the third time in school history the team has posted three-straight 25+ win seasons. Since 2000, Iowa State has recorded 25+ win seasons just eight times, with four coming under head coach Jamie Pinkerton.

The Cyclones finished the season strong, winning 12 of their final 17 games, which included four top-25 victories (OSU, Baylor 3x). Iowa State's win over No. 3 Oklahoma State tied the program record for the largest upset in school history and spearheaded the second-half surge for ISU.

𝐘𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐧. 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤! 📽️ pic.twitter.com/0WmivmZM0d
— Iowa State Softball (@CycloneSB) April 17, 2023

Iowa State's softball fanbase continued to grow this year, as four of the top ten most-attended home games in program history came this season. Of those four games was the Saturday doubleheader against top-ranked Oklahoma, which pulled in a record crowd of 1,715 spectators. Overall, seven of the top ten home attendances have come under Coach Pinkerton.

1⃣,7⃣1⃣5⃣

𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝.

🌪️🥎🌪️ pic.twitter.com/tVHbmy3xQu
— Iowa State Softball (@CycloneSB) March 25, 2023

In six seasons under Pinkerton, Iowa State has recorded three winning seasons. Before his arrival, ISU hadn't recorded a winning season since 1995. In his five full seasons, Pinkerton's squads have belted 40+ home runs in each, marking the only five seasons to do so in school history. Pinkerton now owns the third most wins in school history with a 158-151 record, surpassing Ruthe Crowe.

Key Storylines

Iowa State won 12 of its final 17 games and advanced to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship after defeating a ranked Baylor team in the opening round before falling to top-seeded OU.
ISU upset No. 3 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on April 16, which tied the program record for the highest-ranked opponent the Cyclones have defeated, joining the time they beat No. 3 Texas in Austin in 2005. It was just the ninth win over a top-10 foe in program history.
Iowa State punctuated the 2022-23 Cy-Hawk Series with a 7-4 victory over Iowa in Iowa City to preserve Coach Pinkerton's unblemished record against the Hawkeyes.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥.🌪️ pic.twitter.com/qulQ98utwF
— Iowa State Softball (@CycloneSB) April 27, 2023

Iowa State won four matchups against top 25 opponents in 2023, good enough to tie for the second-most wins over ranked opponents in a single season in program history. The 1998 squad downed four ranked teams, while 2003's team defeated five ranked opponents.
Jamie Pinkerton hit two milestone victories during his sixth season at the helm of the Cyclones. Pinkerton earned his 150th win at Iowa State and 500th overall win in the same game, as the Cyclones downed Colorado State on April 22.

5⃣0⃣0⃣ career wins.

1⃣5⃣0⃣ wins at Iowa State.

Congrats, @CoachPinkerton!! pic.twitter.com/q4ZELs5NB7
— Iowa State Softball (@CycloneSB) April 22, 2023

The Cyclone pitching staff recorded 301 strikeouts in 2023 which is just the seventh time in school history ISU has struck out 300+ opponents. It was the first time under Pinkerton and the first time since 2017 that ISU broke the 300 K barrier.

Player Notables

Milaysia Ochoa led the team in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.319), runs (44), hits (53), doubles (13), home runs (12), RBI (33), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.614), HBP (9), and at-bats (166).
- Ochoa was the lone Cyclone to start in and play all 55 games.

Record Book Check-In

Single Season

Milaysia Ochoa scored 44 runs in 2023, the seventh most in a single season in Iowa State history.
- Ochoa also made the single-season top 10 for most homers. The junior belted 12, tying her with Sami Williams (2018) and Monica Campana (1987) for the seventh most in a year.
- For the second time in her three-year career, Ochoa found herself amongst the top 10 list for most HBP in a season. In 2023, Ochoa was hit nine times, giving her two of the top four most HBP in a season.
Carli Spelhaug drew 27 walks on the year, tying Sami Williams (2019) for the eighth most walks drawn in a season.
Saya Swain allowed just 82 hits in 2023 across 37 outings. It's the tenth fewest hits allowed by a Cyclone pitcher in a single season.
- Swain also notched six saves in 2023, the most in a single season at ISU.

Career Leaders

Milaysia Ochoa (39-third most) and Carli Spelhaug (33-seventh most) are each in the top 10 for most doubles in a career at Iowa State.
- Both Ochoa and Spelhaug are also in the most career home runs list as Spelhaug (24) is ninth while Ochoa (23) is tenth.
- The pair also share a top ten list for most runs scored in a Cyclone uniform. Spelhaug (152) has the third most while Ochoa (105) is tied for the sixth most runs scored.
- Ochoa (25-second most) and Spelhaug (21-fourth most) each have a chance to break the career record for HBP, as the record sits at 28.
- The final top ten list they share is stolen bases. Spelhaug has stolen 56 in her career, the second most ever by an ISU player, while Ochoa has stolen 36 bases, the eighth most by a Cyclone.
Spelhaug has eight career triples, tied for the ninth most by any Cyclone.
Ochoa broke the 100 RBI mark in 2023 as she's up to 108 in her career – the eighth most in Cyclone history.
Both Saya Swain (6) and Karlie Charles (5) are in the top ten for most saves in a Cyclone career. Swain is tied for fourth, while Charles is tied for sixth.
Charles has piched in 99 outings for the Cyclones across her career, the ninth most games pitched by any Cyclone.

Awards

Junior outfielder Milaysia Ochoa was named an All-Big 12 Second Team selection. It was the third straight season a Cyclone made the second team.
Ochoa was also named to the All-Midwest Region third team, marking the third straight season a Cyclone has made a regional team.

𝘾𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙖. 😤💥

Our center fielder has been named to the All-Big 12 Second Team!

📰| https://t.co/RNPlZb24Lv

🌪️🥎🌪️ pic.twitter.com/GMMGhVim86
— Iowa State Softball (@CycloneSB) May 10, 2023

Ellie Spelhaug and junior Angelina Allen were each named to the All-Big 12 Tournament team following their performance in Oklahoma City. ISU placed the second-most players on the team and it was the first time in program history ISU had more than one player on the Big 12 Tournament team.
Seniors Lea Nelson, Carli Spelhaug and Ellie Spelhaug were each named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. It was Carli's second time earning the recognition.

Rankings

Iowa State ranked No. 70in the RPI at the end of the regular season.
ISU ranked 18th nationally in double plays turned per game (.45).
The Cyclone pitching staff plunked just 23 batters this season, the second lowest in the conference.
Milaysia Ochoa ranked second in the Big 12 in HBP per game (.17) and 131st nationally.
- Ochoa also had the eighth most home runs in the Big 12 (12), which put her tied for 91 in the country.
Saya Swain recorded the 11th most saves in the country (6), which led the Big 12. Her six saves were the most in a single season in program history.
- Swain averaged 8.6 Ks per seven innings pitched, ranking 32nd in the country and giving her the fourth-best mark in the Big 12.
Karlie Charles walked just 1.15 batters per seven innings, good enough for best in the Big 12. That put Charles 31st in the country.

To view the entire end-of-season release, click here.

-ISU-

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Karlie Charles

Lea Nelson

Milaysia Ochoa

Carli Spelhaug

Ellie Spelhaug

Saya Swain

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics