2026 Season Recap: Softball

The Lead
Iowa State produced the most prolific offensive season in school history in 2026, rewriting many school records as it tallied its second-most Big 12 wins in a single season in school history. ISU also secured a 30-win season for the second consecutive season. It's the first time since 1988-89 that ISU has totaled at least 30 wins in back-to-back years.

Key Storylines
- Four Cyclones earned All-Big 12 honors, as Tatum Johnson, Reagan Bartholomew and Karlee Ford were named to the All-League second team while Sydney Malott made the All-Defensive Team (1B).
- A record number of ISU athletes earned NFCA All-Region honors, as five were recognized. Karlee Ford, Reagan Bartholomew, Tatum Johnson and Jessie Clemons were all named to the Midwest Region Second Team while Kadence Shepherd made the Third Team.
- McKenna Andrews, Bartholomew, Clemons, Malott and Lauren Schurman all earned CSC Academic All-District. It's the second consecutive year five Cyclones earned the honor.
- Iowa State was not shutout once this season. It was the first season that the ISU offense recorded a run in every game since 1975, when ISU played just 22 competitions. The Cyclones have now scored a run in 59-straight games.
- Iowa State's record-breaking offensive season was highlighted by 79 homers, a .325 batting average, 482 hits, 374 runs, 108 doubles, 348 RBI and 222 walks drawn - all school records.
- Coach Pinkerton and his team landed three top 25 wins this season. He now has 18 top 25 wins at ISU, accounting for just under 40% the team's all-time ranked wins. A 12-0 win over No. 19 Oklahoma State marked the largest margin of victory against a ranked foe in school history.
- The Cyclones recorded their best non-conference performance of the Pinkerton Era, going 23-8 on the year.
- Being the last Big 12 team to host a home game didn't faze ISU, as the Cyclones swept Houston in the home-opening series. The wins marked the Cyclones' first home sweep since 2019 and second sweep in the last two seasons.
- Sydney Malott was named Big 12 Player of the Week while Lauren Schurman earned Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Week on 3/24 after they helped ISU go 4-0 against Creighton and Houston (3x).
- Iowa State set a program-best in NFCA honors, as five Cyclones received recognition. The previous high for Cyclones in a season to make All-Region was four.
- The Cyclones finished with the highest single-season fielding percentage in program history (.975) as they led the Big 12. The team was 25th nationally in fielding.
- Iowa State completed its 53rd season of softball and its ninth under Coach Pinkerton.
- Reagan Bartholomew had one of the best single seasons in program history, as the senior led the team in batting average (.415), runs (55), hits (71), homers (15) and walks (32). Her 32 walks drawn are the most in a single season in school history.
- Sophomore Jessie Clemons ended the season with 23 doubles, two off the single-season record. At the end of the regular season, Clemons' 23 doubles were tied for the most in the country.
- Four of the top eight home run outputs in a single season by a Cyclone were logged this year, as Bartholomew (15) was joined by Kadence Shepherd, Tatum Johnson and Sydney Malott, who each had 12.
- Jaiden Ralston set the Iowa State career saves record with ten.
- ISU had its most RBI in a Big 12 series at BYU (27), and its most total bases (61) and homers (7) in a series against Arizona.

Players Mentioned

McKenna Andrews

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Karlee Ford

Tatum Johnson

Sydney Malott

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Kadence Shepherd

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics