Iowa State vs. Baylor Primer

Who: Iowa State (28-21, 13-8 Big 12) vs. Baylor (25-24, 10-11 Big 12)

Where: Cyclone Sports Complex (1,500) – Ames, Iowa

When: May 2 – 4 p.m. // May 3 – 1 p.m. // May 4 – 12 p.m.

Leading Off
Iowa State aims to finish conference play strong on Senior Weekend, as the Cyclones can finish anywhere from second to seventh in the final Big 12 standings. ISU will also attempt to become the first Big 12 school since Oklahoma in 2023 to win every Big 12 series-opening game in a season.

After finishing a stretch that saw the Cyclones play 10 games in a 13-day stretch, ISU is back at the Cyclone Sports Complex for the final time in 2025. Already having shattered its record for most conference series wins in a season, Iowa State will attempt to add one more as they close the regular season with Baylor.

Baylor, like Iowa State, has played 49 games on the season. The Bears have been on a tear on the backstretch, as they've won 10 of their last 13 contests. Baylor has finished in the top half of the league the past two seasons and will more than likely need to take all three from ISU to do so again in 2025.

Weekend Promotions

Friday – Bark at the Park
Saturday – Student Organization Day
Sunday – Senior Day (recognitions will follow the game)

As a reminder, admission to the Cyclone Sports Complex is free.

Leading the Cyclones
The Cyclone offense is led by a pair of freshmen in Jessie Clemons and Sereniti Trice. Clemons leads the team in batting average (.381) and doubles (13), while Trice leads the squad in runs scored (44) and stolen bases (14) as the two are tied for the most hits on the team (61).

Rounding out ISU's offensive attack are returning All-American Angelina Allen, who has the most walks on the team (27), Sydney Malott, who leads the team in home runs (11) and RBI (36), and Tatum Johnson, who leads the team in OPS with a 1.131.

In the circle, five Cyclones have seen action. Lauren Schurman leads the way with a team-low ERA of 3.55. Schurman has hurled 126.1 innings, a team-high, and owns 63 punchouts, also a team-high. Jaiden Ralston has 12 starts in 39 appearances with 51 strikeouts. Freshmen Abby Huhn and Sami Potvin have also seen time, as each has multiple wins on the year.

Overall, the Cyclones are hitting .291 and have produced 250 runs on 380 hits. The team has 122 extra-base hits with 228 RBI, while drawing 147 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.62 ERA and has allowed 398 hits in 313.2 innings of work.

Opponent Outlook
The Baylor bats are led by Shaylon Govan and Houston transfer Turiya Coleman. Govan is top ten in the nation in both walks drawn (44) and on-base percentage (.593), and leads the team in home runs (6). In her first year with the Bears, Coleman leads the team in hits (43) and doubles (11).

Presleigh Pilon and Brooklyn Carter join both Govan and Coleman with 40-plus hits on the season. Carter leads the squad in bags swiped, having stolen 18 on the season.

The Bears are led in the circle by standout pitcher Lillie Walker. Walker, a Duke transfer, holds a team-low ERA of 2.60 as she has made appearances in 34 games and made 18 starts. Flanking Walker are Sadie Ross and Lexie Warncke who both hold ERAs under four. Walker has a team-high 81 strikeouts and has opposing batters hitting just .249.

Overall, the Bears are hitting .271 and have produced 218 runs on 336 hits. The team has 86 extra-base hits with 180 RBI, while drawing 152 walks. Baylor holds a collective 3.67 ERA and has allowed 346 hits in 322.1 innings of work.

Series History
Baylor leads the all-time series over Iowa State, 47-24, however, ISU is 7-3 against the Bears in the last ten meetings. The Cyclones will be hosting BU for the home regular season finale for the third time since 2021.

From the Notes:

The Cyclones spent the first seven weeks of the season away from the Cyclone Softball Complex, playing 28 straight games on the road or at a neutral site.
- March 28 was the latest season-opener since 2022. That squad didn't play at home until April 6.
Iowa State went 1-2 in its first Big 12 series, taking the opening game against Houston. For ISU, it was the program's first Big 12-opening win since 2006.
Iowa State earned its first road Big 12 sweep since 2019 in Orlando, defeating UCF in three straight games. The road series sweep also happened to be the team's first since 2021.
Iowa State snapped a seven-game skid to Arizona State in its third conference series, besting the Sun Devils for the first time since 1998, earning a second-straight Big 12 series win.
- For the Cyclones, it was their first back-to-back Big 12 series victory since 2023, when they downed Baylor and Kansas to close the season.
ISU took game one of the conference series against BYU, marking four straight series with a series-opening win.
The Cyclones earned their first road series win over a ranked opponent at No. 17 Oklahoma State, taking the series 2-1.
- The rubber match win over the Cowgirls gave ISU its ninth conference win of the season, setting a new program single-season high.
- The win also gave ISU its third conference series win of the season – the most in a single season in school history.
ISU took two of three games on Easter weekend to claim its fourth conference series win of the season.
In its penultimate week of the regular season, Iowa State played six games in seven days, earning a 5-1 record. As part of the five win week, ISU claimed its fifth conference series win of the season and third on the road.
After having 11 seniors leave, ISU only has two on this year's roster. Over half of the team, 14, are underclassmen.
- Of Iowa State's most-used lineup this season, just one position player started over 50 percent of last year's games (Angelina Allen).
- Only four players are over the age of 21.
Freshman pitcher Sami Potvin hurled a five-inning perfect game against Grambling State, striking out a career-high nine batters.

On Deck
Depending on how Iowa State does this weekend will help determine how the team is seeded next week in Oklahoma City. ISU, who is currently third in the conference, has a chance to finish as high as second (with a little help) or as low as seven. If the Cyclones finish in the top five, they'll receive a first-round bye and play on May 8. Should they earn a bottom six seed, they'll play on Wednesday, May 7.

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Players Mentioned

Angelina Allen

Jessie Clemons

Abby Huhn

Tatum Johnson

Sydney Malott

Sami Potvin

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sereniti Trice

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics