Upcoming Event: Softball versus Omaha on February 6, 2026 at 10 a.m.
10 a.m.
Softball
Omaha
Iowa State University Athletics
Friday, February 9
Conway, S.C.
1:30 PM
Iowa State
vs
Saint Francis
Softball To Open 2018 Season At Coastal Carolina
02.06.2018 | Softball
AMES, Iowa – A new era of Iowa State softball starts this weekend, as first-year head coach Jamie Pinkerton and the Cyclones head to Conway, S.C. to compete in the Kickin' Chicken Classic, hosted by Coastal Carolina.
Iowa State will face Saint Francis (1:30 p.m.) and Coastal Carolina (4 p.m.) on Friday, followed by contests against Presbyterian (8:30 a.m.) and Coastal Carolina (1:30 p.m.) on Saturday. ISU closes out the tournament on Sunday vs. UNC-Greensboro at 8:30 a.m. All games will be played at Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium.
The tournament looks to be a strong test for Iowa State to open the 2018 season, as Saint Francis is coming off a 49-11 campaign in which it advanced to the NCAA Tournament and is among the teams receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA preseason poll. Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, boasts a tremendous home field advantage, having racked up a 31-9 record in home games a year ago.
Kickin' Chicken Classic
Where: Conway, S.C. – Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium
When: Friday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb. 11
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
-The Iowa State softball team opens its 2018 season and the Jamie Pinkerton era at the Kickin' Chicken Classic in Conway, S.C. on Feb. 9. Pinkerton was hired on August 2, 2017 as the ninth head coach in program history, coming from Montana, where he led the Griz to a Big Sky conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in the programs' third year of existence.
-The Cyclones take on Saint Francis (1:30 p.m.) and tournament host Coastal Carolina (4:00 p.m.) on Friday, followed by contests against Presbyterian (8:30 a.m.) and Coastal Carolina (1:30 p.m.) on Saturday. ISU closes out the tournament on Sunday vs. UNC-Greensboro at 8:30 a.m. All games will be played at Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium.
-Pinkerton returns 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.
-Iowa State had a promising close to the 2017 campaign, winning seven of its last eight regular season games to finish fifth in the Big 12 with a 23-35 record overall, while going 6-12 in league play. The fifth-place finish was the program's highest final league standing since 1994.
-The Cyclones return a lot of production from the 2017 squad. In the circle, Iowa State returns 100 percent of its starts and wins from 2017, along with 302 of 303 strikeouts. Offensively, the Cyclones return 87.4 percent of RBIs, 77.8 percent of hits and 89.2 percent of home runs.
-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).
-Williams broke Iowa State's single-season school record with her 17th double of the season in game two of ISU's series win over Texas. Williams ended the season ranked T-No. 3 nationally and No. 1 among all NCAA DI freshmen in doubles with 20.
-The Cyclones stole a school-record 99 bases in 2017, shattering the previous mark of 89 set in 2013. Iowa State returns 57 stolen bases on the 2018 squad, led by Kelsey McFarland (16) and Kaila Konz (15).
-Three of Iowa State's six Big 12 wins in 2017 came in walk-off fashion, including game three vs. Kansas, in which the Cyclones rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning to win on a walk-off RBI single by Sami Williams.
-Emma Hylen had perhaps the finest stretch of her career to close out the 2017 regular season. The sophomore went 6-1 in her last eight starts before postseason play, including four conference wins. Hylen also became the first player in program history to be named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week twice in the same season.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
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OF
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OF
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IF/UT
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