Who: (9) Iowa State (20-30, 6-18 Big 12) vs. (8) Texas Tech (28-20, 8-16 Big 12)
Where: OGE Field at Devon Park – Oklahoma City, Okla.
When: May 8 – 7:30 p.m
Leading Off
Iowa State will open postseason play this Wednesday, meeting up with the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship. The two teams, ISU and TTU, are the only Big 12 schools to have not met in the regular season, as the scheduled weekend series between the two was canceled due to severe winter weather in Ames.
The Cyclones will look to secure a first-round win in the Big 12 Championship for the third straight season. In the past two conference tournaments, ISU earned first round wins over a ranked Baylor squad before falling to top-seeded Oklahoma in the second round of action.
ISU enters Wednesday’s contest winners of its last four midweek contests. The Cyclones last played TTU in 2023, taking one of three in Lubbock. The Cyclones led late in the other two but Red Raider comebacks spoiled a road series win for the Cyclones.
Texas Tech is 3-7 in its last ten contests and enters the tournament coming off a weekend against top-ranked Texas where the Red Raiders were outscored 50-7. TTU has one ranked win on the season and is looking to earn its first postseason win since 2021.
Quick Hits:
- Iowa State has recorded double-digit runs in a game five times so far this season. It had only two such games in 2023.
- The Cyclones reached 20 wins over the weekend, marking the fourth straight year Iowa State has won 20 or more games.
- A four-year stretch of 20-plus wins has happened five times in program history now.
- Iowa State earned its second and third wins over a ranked team when it played Oklahoma State. It’s the second straight year that ISU has earned at least three ranked wins.
- The Cyclones have been a bit feast or famine early in the season, as the team averages 7.8 runs scored a game in wins but just 2.3 runs in losses.
- Junior outfielder Angelina Allen has been phenomenal this season and is pushing for an all-time ISU single-season performance. She’s 19th in the country in hits (72) which is tops in the Big 12. Her 20 doubles are first in the conference and rank her sixth nationally.
- Allen has 125 total bases on the season, the fourth most in the Big 12. Allen has the third-best batting average in the conference (.434) and ranks 16th nationally.
- Allen was awarded the Big 12 Player of the Week award on March 5, making her the first Cyclone to earn the award since Sami Williams in 2021.
- Milaysia Ochoa broke the program record for most HBP at Oklahoma in the Big 12 opening weekend, being struck by her 29th pitch.
- Ochoa is just behind Allen for the most doubles in the conference, as she currently sits at 16 – the 33rd most in the country.
- Senior Saya Swain recorded her seventh career save in Vegas earlier this season. She needs two more to break the all-time program record.
- Sophomores Ashley Minor has been hit by a pitch 14 times this season, the most in the Big 12. Minor is one HBP away from tying the single season school record.
Leading the Cyclones
The Cyclone offense both literally and statistically starts with a pair of lefties in Ochoa and Allen. Allen leads the Cyclones in most every offensive category outside of runs, triples and walks drawn. Ochoa, a fellow team captain, complimented Allen nicely at the top of the order. From the leadoff spot, Milaysia is hitting .321 and has scored a team-best 42 runs.
Olivia Wardlow has really come on strong this season, as she’s been given the opportunity to start between second base and DP. This year, Wardlow is hitting .288 with only 13 strikeouts and has been a perfect 6-6 on steals. Alesia Ranches, Ashley Minor, Tiana Poole and Carli Spelhaug all have over 30 hits and help power the Cyclone offense. Overall, ISU’s offense slashes .271/.363/.454 and averages 4.5 runs per game.
All six players on the Cyclone pitching staff have seen the circle this season, including seniors Karlie Charles leading the way. Charles holds a 4.14 ERA and has pitched a team-high 89.2 innings. Senior fellow Saya Swainwho has the lowest ERA on the team with a 2.07, hasn’t pitched since mid-February due to injury.
Lauren Schurman, Jaiden Ralston, Aziza Rodriguez and Tatum Johnson make up the remainder of the staff, with all being either a sophomore or freshman. Ralston has a team-best 56 strikeouts and opposing hitters bat just .299 against her. As a staff, ISU holds a 5.55 ERA with six complete games and opposing batters are hitting .316.
Opponent Outlook
The Texas Tech offense is led by the quartet of Kailey Wyckoff, Arriana Villa, Abbie Orrick and Riley Love. Wyckoff, last year’s Freshman of the Year, has a team-high .406 batting average on 56 hits. She’s the only Red Raider to have played in all 48 games for TTU.
Love leads the team in RBI with 47, as she blasted a team-best 13 homers. Villa’s got 14 doubles to go with seven homers and 33 runs scored. Orrick chips in 31 RBI, tied with Wyckoff for most in the league, and 44 hits. Overall, Texas Tech’s offense slashes .309/.386/.527 and averages 5.9 runs per game.
Maddy Wright and Maddie Kuehl have handled most of the pitching load for the Red Raiders, with both hurling over 80 frames. Wright has a team-high 1-6.1 innings pitched and a team-low 5.07 ERA. Huehl leads the team in punchouts with 73 and has held opposing batters to just a .282 average.
Olivia Rains has made 21 appearances with just over 55 innings pitched. She along with Ranci Willis and Mimi Blackledge – each with roughly 25 innings pitched – make up the remainder of the unit. As a staff, TTU holds a 5.95 ERA with 22 complete games and four shutouts as opposing batters are hitting .304 against them.
Series History
Iowa State and Texas Tech will meet for the 69th all-time meeting this week, with the Red Raiders holding a 43-25 all-time edge. This will be just the fifth time the two teams meet on a neutral playing field, with TTU holding a 3-1 advantage in those games.
On Deck
With a win, Iowa State would advance to the second round to face off with top-ranked Texas, who has a first round bye, on Thursday, May 9. Thursday’s game would start at 5 pm and be livestreamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Should ISU lose, the Cyclones season would conclude in OKC.
