Iowa State softball seeks first win in Provo

The race for Big 12 postseason positioning converges on Gail Miller Field Thursday to Saturday, where Iowa State (25-17) and BYU (15-26) will attempt to break a deadlocked 5-10 conference standing.

For the Cyclones, the three-game series represents more than just a climb in the standings as the program is winless in six previous attempts at BYU.

Iowa State arrives in Provo wielding one of the most potent offenses in the region, carrying a .329 team batting average and having already crossed the plate 290 times this season. Reagan Bartholomew, with a .434 average and 12 home runs, is among the elite hitters in the Big 12.

Alongside her, the RBI tandem of Tatum Johnson (43) and Kadence Shepherd (11 HRs) provides a relentless scoring threat that BYU’s pitching staff — currently holding a 7.70 collective ERA — must find a way to neutralize.

However, the Cougars are not to be underestimated. BYU enters the series as the hottest team in the conference, riding the Big 12’s longest current winning streak following a sweep of Houston. Led by Danica Acosta’s .346 batting average and the strikeout power of Gianna Mares (92 punchouts), the Cougars have a knack for defending their home dirt (6-3).

The series hinges on whether Iowa State’s pitching, led by Lauren Schurman (3.81 ERA), can sustain the momentum from their recent 8-0 midweek shutout of South Dakota.

While the Cyclones have struggled in Provo in the past — including a sweep during their last visit in 2024 — a series win here would snap a three-series skid and provide critical momentum heading into the highly anticipated Cy-Hawk Series against Iowa on Tuesday.

With both teams fighting to escape the bottom half of the conference standings, these 21 innings in Utah will likely define the trajectory of their postseason hopes.

First pitch on Thursday is scheduled for 1 p.m.