Felsberg Invitational Primer

Who: Iowa State vs. Stony Brook / FIU / Indiana

Where: FIU Softball Stadium – Miami, Fla.

When: Feb. 7 / 8 / 9 – 11:30 am & 4:30 p.m. / 9 am & TBD / TBD

Leading Off
Iowa State is set to open up its 2025 campaign this weekend as it heads for warmer weather to take part in the Felsberg Classic, hosted by FIU, in Miami. This weekend's action will be the first of seven straight weekends on the road for the Cyclones.

ISU will look to keep a streak of winning at least two of its opening season tournament games alive, as it's done every year since 2020. Through the early portion of the season, Iowa State will integrate a bevy of new players, as the team lost 11 seniors from last year's team.

The Cyclones open the Felsberg Invitational with a pair of contests on Friday, beginning with the season opener against Stony Brook at 11:30 a.m. Following the Stony Brook game, ISU will face host school FIU at 4:30. Iowa State opens the Saturday slate with a 9 a.m. matchup with Indiana before waiting to see who it'll play next. The fourth and fifth games will be decided by how the teams fared in the first three scheduled games.

From the Notes:

As mentioned, ISU will spend seven straight weekends on the road to start the season. That means their first 28 games will all take place away from the Cyclone Softball Complex.
After having 11 seniors leave, ISU only has two on this year's roster. Over half of the team, 14, are underclassmen.
2025 marks the beginning of a new Big 12 expansion, as three new schools – Arizona, Arizona State and Utah – all enter the fray.
The Cyclones reached 20 wins over the weekend, marking the fourth straight year the Iowa State has won 20 or more games.
- A four-year stretch of 20-plus wins has happened five times in program history now.

Leading the Cyclones
When talking about the Cyclone bats, you have to start with Angelina Allen. The senior from Moreno Valley, Calif., had one of the best seasons in program history last year as she finished with the 11th-best batting average (.435), the third-most doubles (22) and the 28th-most hits (74) nationally.

Other Cyclones that look to have a major impact on offense are returning infielder Ashley Minor and Miami (OH) transfer Reagan Bartholomew. Bartholomew was a First Team All-MAC selection last season and helped the Redhawks advance to the postseason, where they competed in the Knoxville Regional.

ISU's pitching staff consists of six arms, all of which are juniors or younger. Returners Jaiden Ralston and Lauren Schurman will look to lead the staff as they return the most innings pitched from last season. Freshmen Abby Huhn and Sami Potvin join returners Aziza Rodriguez and Tatum Johnson to complete the staff.

Opponent Outlook
Stony Brook ended its 2024 season with a 35-17 record overall and a 19-8 conference mark, finishing third in the CAA. Seawolf star Kyra McFarland earned a spot on the Preseason All-CAA team as a shortstop after picking up NFCA Northeast All-Region Third Team and All-CAA First Team distinction in 2024. Teammates Naiah Ackerman and Alyssa Costello were voted as honorable mentions.

FIU will be in a difficult spot to start the season. Its coach, Mike Larabee, announced on Jan. 18 that he would be temporarily stepping away from the team after a cancer diagnosis. The Panthers, who finished 21-29 last year, will look to stay afloat without their leader with the help of sophomore outfielder Kally Meredith, who was voted to the Preseason All-CUSA team.

After finishing 40-20 last year and making the NCAA Tournament, Indiana will look to start the 2025 season strong. Indiana's trio of Bri Copeland, Taylor Minnick and Avery Parker have earned plenty of preseason honors as all three are on the Big Ten Players to Watch List. Copeland, along with ISU's Allen, made the USA Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.

Series History
Iowa State and Stony Brook will meet for the first time in Miami, with the possibility of meeting twice. When it comes to FIU, the Cyclones and Panthers will be meeting for the third time, as the series is tied at one apiece. ISU and Indiana will match up for the 11^th time, as the Hoosiers are 6-4 all-time against the Cyclones.

On Deck
The Cyclones will head to the opposite coast next week, as they're off to California for the Wilson Invitational, where they'll play Long Beach, Oregon State, St. Mary's, Southern Utah and Cal. Play starts on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, and runs through the 16th.

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Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Reagan Bartholomew

Abby Huhn

Tatum Johnson

Ashley Minor

Sami Potvin

Jaiden Ralston

Aziza Rodriguez

Lauren Schurman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics