Cyclones Bound For Marucci Desert Classic

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State softball team (2-3) is bound for Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the 2018 Marucci Desert Classic, hosted by UNLV.

While at the tournament, Iowa State will face Boise State (Friday - 5:45 p.m.), Long Beach State (Friday - 8:00 p.m.), BYU (Saturday - 1:15 p.m.), Nevada (Saturday - 5:45 p.m.) and San Jose State (Sunday - 1:15 p.m.). Iowa State's games vs. BYU and vs. San Jose State will be played at UNLV/Eller Media Stadium, while the rest are scheduled to be played at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

This weekend looks to be a step up in competition, as the Cyclones will face a pair of 2017 NCAA Regional teams in BYU and San Jose State. Iowa State has faced one NCAA tournament qualifier so far this season, defeating Saint Francis 1-0 in extra innings.

Marucci Desert Classic
Where: Las Vegas, Nev. – UNLV/Eller Media Stadium // SLC Park
When: Friday, Feb. 16 – Sunday, Feb. 18
Live Stats: Live stats will be available on the schedule page here.
Live Updates: Follow @CycloneSB on Twitter for live in-game updates from the field.

Cyclone Headlines
-Iowa State enters the second weekend of the season with a 2-3 record following the Kickin' Chicken Classic in Conway, S.C. The Cyclones opened the season with the 1-0 walk-off victory over Saint Francis, and also took down Presbyterian 10-2 in five innings. ISU dropped a pair of contest vs. tournament host Coastal Carolina, and also fell 2-0 to UNCG to close the weekend.

-Sami Williams logged the second walk-off hit of her career in the season-opener, sending the Cyclones to a 1-0 win against Saint Francis. With the game-winning run on third base thanks to the international tiebreaker rule, Williams sent an RBI base hit through the left side, scoring Hannah Carter to end the game in the bottom of the eighth inning.

-Williams, Talyn Lewis and Nychole Antillon all hit home runs in the first inning of Iowa State's 10-2 run-rule victory over Presbyterian. The three home runs are tied for the third-most single-game home runs in school history.

-The Cyclone defense played excepitonally well over the first five games of the season, committing just two errors at the Kickin' Chicken Classic. Iowa State has a .984 fielding percentage to rank No. 2 in the Big 12, only behind the nation's No. 1 team, Oklahoma.

-Lewis and Williams led the Iowa State offensive effort in the first weekend of the season. Lewis had team-highs in batting average (.444) and slugging percentage (.778), while Williams led the team in hits (6), doubles (2), RBI (5) and total bases (11).

-2018 marks Jamie Pinkerton's debut season as Iowa State's head coach. Pinkerton returned to Ames after serving as an assisant coach with the Cyclones from 2010-2013, during which Iowa State's offense excelled under his tutelage. The 2013 Cyclones set schools records for runs (284), home runs (40), RBI (253) and walks (166). Pinkerton left to start Montana's softball program from scratch following the 2013 season.

-Among the returning talent are two NFCA All-Midwest Region First Team honorees from a season ago in senior Kelsey McFarland and sophmore Sami Williams. 2017 was the first time in school history that two Cyclones earned first team regional honors in the same season.

-Williams was also named to the 2017 All-Big 12 First Team after her stand-out rookie campaign. She was one of three freshmen to garner first team accolades and is just the second newcomer in program history to be named to the first team. She is also a finalist for the 2017 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year.

-Iowa State bolstered its roster with the addition of three transfers: 2016 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Sydney Stites (Montana), two-time Junior College National Player of the Year Taylor Nearad (Kirkwood) and NSAA Co-Newcomer of the Year Hannah Carter (Bellevue).

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Players Mentioned

Nychole Antillon

Hannah Carter

Talyn Lewis

Kelsey McFarland

Taylor Nearad

Sydney Stites

Sami Williams

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics