With the season coming to an end, the Cyclones want to go out with a bang.

The ISU softball team is scheduled to take on Baylor this weekend in one of its final home games of the season.

This is the last game for the Cyclones in Big 12 play. Iowa State is 2-10 and Baylor is 9-4 in the conference this season. With Baylor significantly ahead of Iowa State in conference standings, the Cyclones are preparing to face tough competition this weekend.

“Compete with them. Basically keep up with them. When they steal, we steal. We need our fastest runners on base every single time,” said junior shortstop Lexi Slater. “We need to execute when they are on base and get them in basically just bring all three.”

ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler wants her team to focus on its hitting. She said her team is ready for Bears pitcher Whitney Canion. Canion pitched last season against the Cyclones.

“I think Whitney Canion and the other pitcher are both good pitchers. They always do a good job offensively. In conference, you just got to come out, play your game and control the things you can control and let it go,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said.

Gemeinhardt-Cesler has been focused in on watching Canion on video to see how she pitches this season. The team has also been watching Baylor’s scouting reports since the Cyclones faced Baylor and Canion last year.

Junior first baseman Jorden Spendlove agrees with her coach. She believes her team needs to hit well against Canion once again this season.

“We hit Whitney Canion pretty well last year so we’re planning on hitting her well again,” Spendlove said. “So if we keep our defense up we’ll give them a good battle.”

Gemeinhardt-Cesler was not too impressed with her team’s defense last weekend. She hopes to improve the defense to play against the Bears. Gemeinhardt-Cesler added that she wants her team to control what they can control as well as make the plays that they are capable of making.

Slater agrees with her coach. She wants to work on cleaning up the Cyclones’ defense for a tough team like Baylor.

“Our defense struggled last weekend, so we’re really going to work on that this week leading into the game,” Slater said.

Slater said she believes her team can accomplish this goal by taking reps, throwing to bases and focusing in on the game itself.

With this being the last three-game series at home for the Cyclones, this weekend is bittersweet for the seniors.

Iowa State will take on Baylor in the three-game series starting May 2 at home.

“It’s going to be our last home game,” Slater said. “I think that it’s definitely going to give us motivation for the seniors. Senior day is on [May 4], so hopefully we’re going to play the best for them and just send them away with a bang.”