Softball Heads West For Red Desert Classic

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State Softball team (7-7) is looking to bounce back this weekend as the Cyclones travel west to compete in the St. George Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah.

The Cyclones will be taking on UCSB, UNLV, Nevada, Utah State and Utah Valley in the tournament, playing one game against each opponent. The tournament, hosted by Southern Utah University, will be played at Canyons Softball Complex.

The Cyclones are looking to get back in the win column following an 0-4 weekend at the Samford/UAB Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama.

St. George Red Desert Classic Tournament
Where: St. George, Utah – Canyons Softball Complex
When: Friday, March 3 – Sunday, March 5
Live Stats: Live stats will be available, and link can be found on the schedule page here.
Live Updates: Follow @CycloneSB on Twitter for live in-game updates from the field.

Cyclone Headlines
-The Iowa State softball team (7-7) is bound for St. George, Utah to play in the St. George Red Desert Classic, hosted by Southern Utah. The tournament, taking place March 3-5, will feature the Cyclones taking on UCSB, UNLV, Nevada, Utah State and Utah Valley.

-The Cyclones will look to bounce back from an 0-4 weekend at the Samford/UAB Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama.

-Rachel Hartman was one of the highlights of ISU's weekend in Birmingham. The senior notched her second home run of the season, as well as a double, on three hits in nine at-bats. Hartman's quality plate appearances were key for the Cyclones, as the native of Las Flores, Calif., drew three walks and had an on-base percentage of .538 for the weekend.

-Kelsey McFarland's junior campaign is off to a strong start. The New Prague, Minn. native ranks among the top-50 nationally and No. 2 in the Big 12 with a .463 batting average. McFarland leads the team with 19 hits and has stolen five bases in 14 games, after stealing one all of last season.

-Iowa State went 5-0 at the Tiger Classic in Nashville, Tenn., hosted by Tennessee State. The Cyclones swept a trio of games against the Tigers and also took a pair of games off of Alabama A&M.

-ISU swept the Big 12 weekly softball awards following their first undefeated weekend since 2015. Sophomore Emma Hylen was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, while freshman Sami Williams was named Big 12 Player of the Week.

-Hylen went 1-0 with two saves on the weekend, including a career-high 11 strikeouts in Iowa State's 5-1 win over Alabama A&M. The sophomore gave up just 5 hits and no earned runs in 11.1 innings of work over the weekend.

-Williams went 6-of-14 at the plate at the Tiger Classic with three home runs and two doubles. The freshman, who has started every game this season at second base, also racked up a team-high nine RBIs at the tournament.

-The Cyclones set a single-game school record by scoring 21 runs in their victory over Alabama A&M on Feb. 18. The previous record of 20 runs was set on May 22, 1976 vs. Drake.

-The Cyclone infield has had an infusion of youth, with three freshmen (Sami Williams - 2B, Logan Schaben - SS and Talyn Lewis - 1B/3B) starting every game this season. Freshman Jaiden Johnson also got a start at the designated player position and has seen extensive action as a pinch hitter and runner.

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Players Mentioned

Rachel Hartman

Emma Hylen

Jaiden Johnson

Talyn Lewis

Kelsey McFarland

Logan Schaben

Sami Williams

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics