Primer: Iowa State at UCF

Who: Iowa State (11-14, 1-2 Big 12) at UCF (20-11-1, 3-3 Big 12)

Where: UCF Softball Complex – Orlando, Fla.

When: March 20, 5 pm CT // March 21, 5 pm CT // March 22, 11 am CT

Leading Off
After taking a one-weekend break from conference play to participate in the Rebel Invitational, Iowa State will jump back into conference play this weekend as it heads to UCF. The Cyclones will officially close a 28-game road streak this weekend as they're set to host ASU next weekend.

The Cyclones are currently in the midst of a 10-day road trip, as they departed for Oxford, Miss. on March 13 before flying straight to Florida for the UCF series, as the team is on spring break. Last weekend, ISU took part in the Rebel Invitational, going 1-3 at the tournament with a win over Samford.

After going to Tucson and taking two-of-three from then No. 4 Arizona, UCF dropped last weekend's series to Arizona State at home, 1-2. The Knights will look to move above .500 and reenter the NFCA rankings as the team is just receiving votes this week.

From the Notes:

ISU is at the tail end of spending seven straight weekends on the road to start the season.
- The team will play games 26, 27 and 28 away from home at UCF.
After having 11 seniors leave, ISU only has two on this year's roster. Over half of the team, 14, are underclassmen.
- ISU's most frequently featured lineup has had five newcomers in the fold.
- Only four players are over the age of 21.
2025 marks the beginning of a new Big 12 expansion, as three new schools – Arizona, Arizona State and Utah – all enter the fray.
Freshman Jessie Clemons is one of the best hitting rookies in the country, as she currently ranks in the top 10 for batting average (.405 – 20th), doubles (8 – T8th) and hits (34 – T8th) amongst all collegiate freshmen.
Freshman Abby Huhn tossed a one-hit shutout in her first career start, falling two outs shy of a perfect game against Portland State.
Freshman pitcher Sami Potvin hurled a five-inning perfect game against Grambling State, striking out a career-high nine batters.

Leading the Cyclones
Iowa State's top half of the order has done the majority of the heavy lifting this season and is led by a pair of freshmen at the top. Jessie Clemons (.405) and Sereniti Trice (.369) lead the team in batting average and hits. The team leader in OB% though is returning All-American Angelina Allen who slashes .346/.430/.568. Allen owns 12 walks, a team high.

Rounding out the four and five spots are another pair of newcomers – transfers Sydney Malott and Reagan Bartholomew. Malott has a team-best five home runs, tying her career single-season high. Bartholomew's 18 RBI are the third-most on the team and she is one of eight Cyclones with double-digit hits.

In the circle, five Cyclones have seen action. Lauren Schurman leads the way with a team-low ERA of 2.94. Schurman has hurled 62 innings, a team-high, and owns 40 punchouts, also a team high. Jaiden Ralston has five starts in 18 appearances with 27 strikeouts. Freshmen Abby Huhn and Sami Potvin have been solid, as each has two wins.

Overall, the Cyclones are hitting .288 and have produced 126 runs on 198 hits. The team has 67 extra-base hits with 114 RBI, while drawing 64 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.67 ERA and has allowed 208 hits in 156.0 innings of work.

Opponent Outlook
UCF's offense features six players with at least 20 hits, while Sierra Humphreys leads the way with 34 hits as she's the only Knight with over 30 knocks. Six Knights have double-figure RBI with Beth Damon leading the way with 19.

The Knights do the majority of their damage through doubles, only owning 14 homers and five triples. The team has three players (Izzy Mertes, Humphreys and Stormy Kotzelnick) within the top five doubles totals in the conference.

Like Iowa State, UCF keeps a tight rotation in the circle as only six players have seen action this season. Kaitlyn Felton and Yessenia Lopez each have over 62 innings of work as Felton owns a staggering 0.79 ERA across 17 appearances. The Knights have won with dominant pitching, as three hurlers have under-four ERAs.

Overall, the Knights are hitting .282 and have produced 127 runs on 225 hits. The team has 62 extra-base hits with 111 RBI, while drawing 65 walks. UCF holds a collective 2.65 ERA and has allowed 195 hits in 209 innings of work.

Series History
The Cyclones and Knights have met eight times prior to this weekend, with the only previous three-game series coming last year in Ames. As conference foes, UCF holds the advantage, 2-1. Overall, the Knights lead the series 6-2. All eight meetings between the teams have come in the last nine seasons and four of the eight meetings have been decided via run-rule.

On Deck
Iowa State will finally open its home campaign this coming weekend as it returns to the Cyclone Sports Complex to host Arizona State. The Cyclones will meet the Sun Devils at home for the first time ever with all previous meetings either coming in Tempe or at a neutral site. Action against the Sun Devils begins March 28 at 4 p.m.

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Abby Huhn

Sydney Malott

Sami Potvin

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sereniti Trice

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