Completed Event: Softball versus Central Michigan on February 20, 2026 , Win , 7, to, 5
Final
Softball
7
Central Michigan
5
Iowa State University Athletics
Friday, February 27
Santa Barbara, Calif.
11 a.m.
Iowa State
vs
LIU
Photo by: Iowa State Athletics
PRIMER: Iowa State at UCSB Tournament
02.25.2026 | Softball
Who: Iowa State vs. UCSB / /LIU
Where: Campus Diamond (500) – Santa Barbara, Calif.
When: Feb. 27 – 11 am & 4:15 pm // Feb. 28 – 12 pm & 2:45 pm // March 1 – 12:30 pm
Leading Off
Iowa State will head west this weekend for its penultimate non-conference tournament, as it is set to face both LIU and UCSB in a five-game event hosted by the Gauchos. The Cyclones will look to finish February strong before heading to Waco next weekend for the start of Big 12 play.
The Cyclones are coming off a perfect weekend at the Gopher Indoor Classic, where they swept the field and left Minneapolis with a 5-0 record. For ISU, it was its first undefeated early-season tournament since 2022.
UCSB will host its first weekend outing of the season, having played just one midweek game at home and its other 16 contests on the road or at a neutral site. LIU, like Iowa State, will be on the road for the fourth-straight week to start the season.
Scouting the Cyclones
Through three weeks, Iowa State is off to the most prolific offensive start in school history. The team has its most runs scored, hits and highest batting average through 14 games in program history. ISU is second in the conference in hits and doubles (34), both of which are behind No. 2 TTU.
Senior Sydney Malott leads the team in batting average (.488) and home runs (4). Her batting average leads all Big 12 players. Sophomores Jessie Clemons and Karlee Ford are tied for the most hits on the team with 21, while Clemons leads the Cyclones in runs scored (17). Tatum Johnson boasts a team-best 19 RBI.
Lauren Schurman has logged a team-high 38.2 innings through nine contests and is 5-2 on the year and owns one complete game. Michigan State transfer Ava Mullen has appeared in all but two contests, has a save, and has allowed just a .254 batting average.
The Cyclones own a .363 batting average and have produced 118 runs on 147 hits. The team has 55 extra-base hits with 108 RBI and has drawn 56 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.17 ERA and has allowed 111 hits in 90.2 innings of work.
Opponent Outlook
LIU has gone 0-5 in each of its first five tournaments, spending the first two weekends in Florida before playing in Minnesota last weekend. The Sharks have a .203 batting average, have scored 24 runs and notched 68 hits. The pitching staff owns a 9.39 ERA.
UCSB has faced some stiff competition in the early goings, as it sits 4-13. The Gauchos own a .315 batting average, have scored 64 runs and notched 147 hits. The pitching staff owns a 5.56 ERA.
Series History
Iowa State and UCSB will be meeting for the 18, 19 and 20th times this weekend in a series that ISU leads, 11-6. The Cyclones are 3-3 against the Gauchos when playing in Santa Barbara. The Cyclones and Sharks will face off for the second-straight weekend. ISU leads the series 2-0 after facing LIU for the first time ever at the Gopher Indoor Classic.
On Deck
Iowa State will be back in action next weekend when it heads to Waco to take on Baylor in its Big 12 opener. The Cyclones will face Baylor three times across Friday-Sunday, with game one starting Friday evening at 6:30 pm. All action will be streamed on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballIowa State Big 12 Softball Virtual Media Day
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SB Replay 2025 B12 Quarterfinal ISU vs BYU
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SB Highlights vs. BYU (Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals)
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