PRIMER: Iowa State at Creighton

Who: Iowa State (15-10, 0-3 Big 12) at Creighton (12-16, 4-2 BIG EAST)

Where: Creighton Softball Stadium (300) – Omaha, Neb.

When: March 18 – 6 p.m.

Leading Off
After six weeks of strictly weekend action, Iowa State is set to compete in its first midweek of the season as it heads to Omaha to take on Creighton. ISU went 5-1 in its midweek games in 2025.

The Cyclones enter Wednesday's game coming off a 2-1 weekend in Columbia, where they participated in their final non-conference, regular-season tournament of the season. ISU downed both Minnesota and South Dakota before falling to Mizzou.

Winners of six of their last eight contests, Creighton will be playing the fourth leg of a seven-game home stretch against the Cyclones. The Bluejays enter the midweek having lost their weekend series to Providence, 2-1.

Scouting the Cyclones
Iowa State boasts a balanced lineup, as eight Cyclones are batting over .800 through six weeks of play. Reagan Bartholomew leads the team with a batting average of .436 – good enough for seventh in the conference. Both Bartholomew and Jessie Clemons are tied for a team-high in hits with 34.

Clemons also leads the team in runs scored (25) and doubles (12). Tatum Johnson has a squad-best six homers and 27 RBI, while Clemons is just behind with 22 RBI of her own.

In the circle, five Cyclones have seen action. Lauren Schurman leads the way with a team-low ERA of 3.54. Schurman has hurled 59.1 innings, a team-high, and owns 37 punchouts, also a team-high. Freshmen Liv Palumbo (5-2) and Ava Mullen (2-3), senior Jaiden Ralston (1-2), and freshman Hailey Holtz (0-0) round out the pitchers for ISU.

The Cyclones own a .327 batting average and have produced 173 runs on 225 hits. The team has 85 extra-base hits with 162 RBI and has drawn 98 walks. ISU holds a collective 4.23 ERA and fields the ball at a .977 clip.

Opponent Outlook
Creighton's offense featured six players batting over .300, with Lily West leading the way with a .384. West has a team-high in hits (33) and RBI (23), while also drawing 14 walks to fuel her team-leading .475 on-base percentage.

In the circle, three Bluejays see the majority of the work, led by Audrey Gilman. Gilman is 6-6 in 19 appearances with 37 strikeouts. Brooklyn Patchen leads the team with 31 strikeouts and a team-low batting average allowed (.287).

Creighton has already played two BIG EAST series and will be playing ISU in its second midweek game of the season. The Bluejays own a .301 batting average, have scored 166 runs and notched 221 hits. The pitching staff owns a 5.29 ERA and the team fields at a .968 clip.

Series History
Iowa State and Creighton will play for the 53^rd time on Wednesday. The Bluejays lead the all-time series, 26-25-1. ISU is 13-13-1 against Creighton all-time in Omaha and has won three of the last four contests on the road.

On Deck
ISU will be back in action on Friday when it kicks off its home-opening series against Houston at 4 pm. The Cyclones will face the Cougars on both Saturday and Sunday, too, and all three games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

Reagan Bartholomew

Jessie Clemons

Hailey Holtz

Tatum Johnson

Ava Mullen

Liv Palumbo

Jaiden Ralston

Lauren Schurman

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics