Iowa State vs. DePaul Primer

Who: Iowa State (13-21, 3-9 Big 12) vs. DePaul (8-25, 3-9 Big East)

Where: Cyclone Sports Complex – Ames, Iowa

When: April 9 – 4 p.m.

Leading Off
Iowa State is set to welcome the DePaul Blue Demons this Tuesday for its fifth consecutive home game at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The Cyclones will look to regain momentum after being swept by the Kansas Jayhawks over the weekend.

The Blue Demons will be just the fourth different opponent ISU has welcomed to Ames, as the Cyclones lost a home series against Texas Tech earlier this season due to weather. Iowa State is set to continue its home stretch this coming weekend against what is expected to be a top-10 Oklahoma State team.

DePaul has struggled this season, having won just two of its last 11 games. The Blue Demons' first baseman – Brooke Johnson – is the sister of current Cyclone Tatum Johnson.

Quick Hits:

Iowa State has recorded double-digit runs in a game four times so far this season. It had only two such games in 2023.
The Cyclones have been a bit feast or famine early in the season, as the team averages 8.2 runs scored a game in wins but just 2.3 runs in losses.
Junior outfielder Angelina Allen has been phenomenal to start the season. She's 25th in the country in hits (52) which is tops in the Big 12. Her 11 doubles are first in the conference and rank her 66th nationally.
- Allen has 93 total bases on the season, the seventh most in the Big 12. Allen has the fifth-highest batting average in the conference (.444) and ranks 24th nationally.
- Allen was awarded the Big 12 Player of the Week award on March 5, making her the first Cyclone to earn the award since Sami Williams in 2021.
Milaysia Ochoa broke the program record for most HBP at Oklahoma in the Big 12 opening weekend, being struck by her 29th pitch.
- Ochoa and Allen are tied with 11 doubles on the season to lead the Big 12.
Senior Saya Swain recorded her seventh career save in Vegas earlier this season. She needs two more to break the all-time program record.

Leading the Cyclones
Allen leads the Cyclones in most every offensive category outside of runs, triples and walks drawn. Ochoa, a fellow team captain, has complimented Allen nicely at the top of the order. From the leadoff spot, Milaysia is hitting .327 with 22 walks drawn and four HBP – giving her an OBP of .451. Both Allen and Ochoa lead the team in on-base percentage from the first two spots in the batting order.

Ashley Minor, Alesia Ranches, Tiana Poole and Carli Spelhaug join Ochoa and Allen as Cyclones who have double digit RBI on the year. Olivia Wardlow has come on in her junior year, hitting .284 out of the nine-hole and turning the lineup over for the Cyclones.

All six pitchers on staff have taken the circle this season, with freshman Lauren Schurman leading the way with a team-high 49 innings pitched. Sophomore Jaiden Ralston has thrown 48.2 innings while Karlie Charles has hurled 44.2. Ralston leads the team in strikeouts with 40, while Swain leads the team with a 2.07 ERA but has not pitched in two months due to injury.

Opponent Outlook
DePaul is led by a pair of Blue Demons who are hitting over .370 through 33 games of action. Brooke Johnson leads the team with a .385 batting average to go along with team-bests in hits (37), triples (2), RBI (19) and home runs (8) while only having struck out five times.

Along with Johnson is Riley Pool who is hitting a respectable .372 with 32 hits and 18 RBI. Pool has a team-high 17 walks and four sacrifice flies.

The Blue Demons have a trio of pitcher who see the majority of action. Brenna Smith, Bella Nigey and Katey Pierce each have over 50 innings pitched on the season. Nigey has a team-high 37 punchouts while Smith is right behind her with 34. Smith totes the lowest ERA of the staff with a 2.78 and opposing batters are hitting just .240 off of her.

Collectively, DePaul hits at a .240 average as a team, holds opponents to 5.5 runs per game and fields at a .941 clip.

Series History
Iowa State and DePaul will meet for the fifth time on Tuesday, in a series that dates all the way back to 1986. The Blue Demons own the all-time series edge, 3-1, but the Cyclones won the last outing – a 6-4 victory in nine innings back in 2019. All four previous meetings have been in neutral locations and Tuesday will be the first time either team travels to the opposing campus.

On Deck
Iowa State will be back at the Cyclone Sports Complex this weekend when it welcomes nationally ranked Oklahoma State to Ames. The Cyclones and Cowgirls are set to compete in a three-game series which will begin on Friday and run through Sunday. Friday's series-opener is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

As a reminder, admission to the Cyclones Sports Complex is free.

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Karlie Charles

Tatum Johnson

Ashley Minor

Milaysia Ochoa

Tiana Poole

Jaiden Ralston

Alesia Ranches

Lauren Schurman

Carli Spelhaug

Saya Swain

Olivia Wardlow

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