PRIMER: Iowa State vs. Houston

Who: Iowa State (16-10, 0-3 Big 12) vs. Houston (17-14, 1-5 Big 12)

Where: Cyclone Softball Complex (2,000) – Ames, Iowa

When: March 20 – 4 p.m. // March 21 – 1 p.m. // March 22 – 12 p.m.

Leading Off
After spending the first 26 games and six weeks on the road, Iowa State is finally set to host a home contest this weekend as it welcomes Houston to the CSC for a weekend series. ISU will look to get back on track in conference play after dropping its first series of the season at Baylor.

The Cyclones enter the weekend series coming off a midweek win over Creighton in Omaha. The win snapped a four-game road skid for the Cyclones, as the bats came alive and the team totaled 12 hits in the victory.

Houston will also look to right the ship, as it's dropped seven of its last ten outings, including the last four. The Cougars are coming off back-to-back home midweek losses to Texas State and Kentucky earlier this week.

Scouting the Cyclones
Iowa State boasts a balanced lineup, as eight Cyclones are batting over .300 through six weeks of play. Reagan Bartholomew leads the team with a batting average of .450 – good enough for sixth in the conference. Bartholomew leads the team in hits with 36, while Jessie Clemons is just behind her with 35.

Clemons also leads the team in runs scored (26) and doubles (13). Tatum Johnson and Bartholomew are tied for a squad-best six homers, while Johnson leads the team in RBI with 27. Clemons is just behind Johnson with 22 RBI of her own.

In the circle, five Cyclones have seen action. Lauren Schurman leads the way with a team-low ERA of 3.32. Schurman has hurled 63.1 innings, a team-high, and owns 39 punchouts, also a team-high. Freshmen Liv Palumbo (5-2) and Hailey Holtz (0-0), senior Jaiden Ralston (1-2), and Michigan State transfer Ava Mullen (2-3) round out the pitchers for ISU.

The Cyclones own a .329 batting average and have produced 179 runs on 237 hits. The team has 91 extra-base hits with 168 RBI and has drawn 102 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.14 ERA and fields the ball at a .978 clip.

Opponent Outlook
Houston's bats feature four players batting over .300, with Maddie Hartley (.368) leading the way. Hartley has a team-high 33 RBI as well as a team-high 13 homers. Makenna Mitchell is one of the other four batting over .300, with 12 homers and 29 RBI, trailing only Hartley in both categories.

Five Cougars have made appearances in ten or more games in the circle, with Nevaeh Brown leading the charge. Brown has a team-low ERA of 3.59 with four complete saves and 89.2 innings pitched. Her 63 strikeouts are more than the other six pitchers on the roster combined.

Houston has already played two Big 12 series, falling to both Texas Tech and Kansas. The Cougars own a .285 batting average, have scored 174 runs and notched 221 hits. The pitching staff owns a 5.85 ERA, and the team fields at a .964 clip.

Series History
ISU and Houston have met 14 times prior to this weekend, with the Cougars holding a 9-5 series advantage. ISU is 2-1 against UH in Ames, and each side has three wins against the other as league members in the Big 12.

On Deck
The Cyclones will return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 25, when they host Drake in the last leg of a four-game homestand. Wednesday's game is slated to start at 4 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Hailey Holtz

Tatum Johnson

Ava Mullen

Liv Palumbo

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics