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10 a.m.
Softball
Omaha
Iowa State University Athletics
Friday, March 7
Houston, Texas
6 p.m.
Iowa State
at
Houston
Big 12 Opener: Iowa State at Houston Primer
03.06.2025 | Softball
Who: Iowa State (9-9, 0-0 Big 12) at Houston (14-6, 0-0 Big 12)
Where: Cougar Softball Stadium – Houston, Texas
When: March 7 - 6 pm //Â March 8 - 2 pm //Â March 9 - 12 pm
Leading Off
Iowa State will open up Big 12 play on the road this weekend against the Houston Cougars. The Cyclones will look to earn their first Big 12-opening series win since 2002 (2-0 vs. TTU), when the series format was two games (the league swapped to three in 2012).
The Cyclones are coming off a 3-2 weekend at the Mardi Gras Mambo. After starting 0-2, ISU rattled off three straight to leave Louisiana sitting at .500. On the season, ISU is 2-2 on the road and 7-7 on neutral site fields.
Houton enters its first home series of the season having won five of its last six games. The last time out, Houston squared off with No. 3 Florida – its only common opponent with ISU. The Cougars fell to the third-ranked Gators, 11-0, in five innings.
From the Notes:
- ISU is in the middle of spending 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.
- ISU's most frequently featured lineup has had five newcomers in the fold.
- 2025 marks the beginning of a new Big 12 expansion, as three new schools – Arizona, Arizona State and Utah – all enter the fray.
- Freshman Jessie Clemons is one of the best hitting rookies in the country, as she currently ranks in the top ten for batting average (.366 – 3rd), doubles (6 - T9th) and hits (27 – 6th) amongst all collegiate freshmen.
- Freshman Abby Huhn tossed a one-hit shutout in her first career start, falling two outs shy of a perfect game against Portland State.
- Freshman pitcher Sami Potvin hurled a five-inning perfect game against Grambling State, striking out a career-high nine batters.
Leading the Cyclones
Iowa State's offense begins literally and statistically with the start of the order. Returning All-American Angelina Allen finds herself sandwiched between a pair of standout freshmen, Sereniti Trice and Jessie Clemons, in the batting order. Clemons has a team-high .466 batting average with a team-best 27 hits. Allen leads the team in homers and walks while Trice has scored the most runs and has the most stolen bases.
Transfers Reagan Bartholomew and Sydney Malott have also been solid at the plate. Malott is batting .333 and has three homers, while Bartholomew is tied for the second-most RBI on the team.
In the circle, five Cyclones have seen action. Lauren Schurman leads the way with a team-low ERA of 2.69 and team-high 28 strikeouts in 16 appearances. Jaiden Ralston has appeared in the second-most games, 13, and has thrown 26 innings. Freshmen Sami Potvin and Abby Huhn are a combined 3-1, while sophomore Aziza Rodriguez has seen just 7.0 innings of work.
Overall, the Cyclones are hitting .298 and have produced 95 runs on 145 hits. The team has 51 extra-base hits with 83 RBI, while drawing 34 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.67 ERA and has allowed 142 hits in 108.0 innings of work.
Opponent Outlook
Houston's offense doesn't boast crazy hitting numbers, but the Cougars get on base a ton. In fact, UH leads the nation in walks drawn with 133 – nearly 100 more than the Cyclones. Seven Cougars hit over .300 and seven have drawn at least ten walks.
Brooke Wells has a team-high 24 hits, with 11 going for extra bases, while also toting the team's most RBI with 26. Makenna Mitchell (21) and Maddie Hartley (20) also have at least 20 RBI and help bring balance to the Cougar lineup.
Eight different Cougars have seen the circle in 2025, with Gigi Solis tossing a team-high 33 innings. Solis holds the team's lowest ERA, 3.82, and opposing batters are hitting just .275. Nevaeh Brown (4-0), Maddie Hartley (3-1) and Rylee Michalak (2-1) round out the Cougars inning-eaters.
Overall, the Cougars are hitting .303 and have produced 140 runs on 161 hits. The team has 50 extra-base hits with 130 RBI, while drawing 133 walks. UH holds a collective 5.15 ERA and has allowed 174 hits in 138.2 innings of work.
Series History
Iowa State and Houston have met 11 times prior to this weekend, with the last matchup coming in 2024 in Ames. ISU took last season's three-game series, 2-1, winning the first two games. This is just the second series ISU will have played at Houston (2007). The Cougars hold the all-time advantage, boasting a 7-4 series edge.
On Deck
Following the conference opener at Houston, Iowa State will be back in action next weekend for its final non-conference tournament of the year when it heads to Oxford, Mississippi, for the Rebel Invitational. Action in Oxford will start on March 14 at 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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