Iowa State vs. Houston Primer

Who: Iowa State (9-14, 0-3 Big 12) vs. Houston (17-7, 1-2 Big 12)

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

When: March 15 & 16 – 1, 4 p.m. & 1 p.m.

Leading Off
Iowa State is set to host Big 12 newcomer Houston this weekend in the home-opening series of the 2024 season. The Cyclones have been on the road for the past five weekends and are the tenth and final Big 12 school to play a home game. ISU has hit an offensive slump as of late, dropping its last five games and averaging just two runs a game.

The Cyclones spent the last week in Oklahoma, facing off with the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a three-game series as part of the Big 12 Conference opening weekend. ISU ten spent the week in the Sooner state and played Tulsa on Tuesday evening.

The Cougars didn't have a midweek game and enter the weekend coming off of their Big 12 opening weekend series against the previously second-ranked Texas Longhorns. UH upset Texas in game one of the series but eventually dropped the set, 1-2. The Cougars are 4-2 on the road this season.

The weekend series, originally scheduled to be played across three days, was adjusted on Wednesday night to account for weekend weather. ISU and UH will play twice on Friday, March 15, in a doubleheader before wrapping the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Quick Hits:

The Cyclones have used a fifth inning or later comeback in seven of its nine wins.
Iowa State has recorded double-digit runs in a game four times so far this season. It had only two such games in 2023.
Junior outfielder Angelina Allen has been phenomenal to start the season. She's fifth in the country in hits (39) which is tops in the Big 12. Her nine doubles are also tops in the conference and rank her ninth nationally.
- Allen was awarded the Big 12 Player of the Week award last week for her performances in the Colorado Classic.
  - Allen's Big 12 Player of the Week marked the first by a Cyclone since 2021.
- Allen was also ranked as the fifth-best outfielder in the country by Softball America following her torrid start to the season.
Milaysia Ochoa broke the program record for most HBP over the weekend, being struck by her 29th pitch at No. 1 Oklahoma.
Alesia Ranches is tied for the second-most doubles in the league with eight. Both her and Ochoa are tied for the seventh-most walks with 15.
Senior Saya Swain recorded her seventh career save in Vegas earlier this season. She needs two more to break the all-time program record.

Leading the Cyclones
The aforementioned Allen leads the Cyclones in most every offensive category outside of runs, triples and walks drawn. Ochoa, a fellow team captain, has complimented Allen nicely to start the season. From the leadoff spot, Milaysia is hitting .361 with 15 walks drawn and four HBP – giving her an OBP of .489. Both Allen and Ochoa lead the team in on-base percentage from the first two spots in the batting order.

Ashley Minor, Alesia Ranches and Ochoa join Allen as Cyclones who have double digit RBI on the year. Both Minor and Ranches have three homers, while Carli Spelhaug has four – the second-most on the team. Olivia Wardlow, along with Allen and Ochoa, hits over .300 out of the nine-hole and has done a great job as the lineup turns over throughout the season.

All six pitchers on staff have taken the circle this season, with freshman Lauren Schurman leading the way with a team-high 37.2 innings pitched. Senior Karlie Charles has thrown 30 innings while both Saya Swain and Aziza Rodriguez have hurled 23.2. Swain leads the team in punchouts with 24 but Schurman is right behind her with 23 of her own.

Opponent Outlook
In its first ever Big 12 season, Houston won their first Big 12 game in style, sealing the team's highest ranked win in program history with a 12-10 win over No. 2 Texas. The Cougars have gotten off to a solid start this season thanks to its offensive production. UH's 94 runs tied the program record for most runs through the first 11 games, originally set in 2014.

Collectively, Houston is hitting .330 on the season and has two players hitting over .400 in Kennedy Thomas and Shelby Smith. Thomas leads the Cougars with 34 hits and leads the conference in runs scored with 30, while Bree Cantu leads the team in RBI with 30. Her 30 RBI this season ranks 14th in the country and third in the Big 12.

Smith is a two-way player for the Cougars, as not only is she getting it done at the plate, but also in the circle. Smith has thrown 64 innings so far this season – the second-most in the conference – and has nine wins. Paris Lehman holds a 4-1 record with a 3.85 ERA and a team-best 1.35 WHIP.

Series History
The Cyclones and Cougars have met eight times prior, with Houston holding a 6-2 advantage. The two teams last met in 2018 in Houston in a game the Cyclones won, 4-1. This will be the first meeting between the two teams as conference foes.

On Deck
After its home-opening Big 12 series against Houston, Iowa State will head to Kansas City for a midweek matchup with UMKC on Wednesday, March 20. First pitch against the 'Roos is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Karlie Charles

Ashley Minor

Milaysia Ochoa

Alesia Ranches

Aziza Rodriguez

Lauren Schurman

Carli Spelhaug

Saya Swain

Olivia Wardlow

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics