The ISU softball team is hoping to get back on track after four losses in a row.

The Cyclones will head south to Stillwater, Okla., on April 4 to take on Oklahoma State in a three-game series. In a game where both teams have found wins hard to come by recently, something will have to give this weekend.

Iowa State is searching for its first Big 12 victory coming off a 9-0 loss April 2 to the University of Northern Iowa. The Cyclones (17-15, 0-3 Big 12) look to put their most recent struggles behind them.

The Cowgirls (19-15, 0-4 Big 12), much like the Cyclones, are searching for their first conference win of the season. Oklahoma State dropped three close games to Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., before losing one to in-state rival Oklahoma on April 2.

Iowa State featured a prolific offense to start the season and currently ranks among the top offenses in the Big 12 with an overall team average of .316. Yet during its four-game losing streak, the Cyclones have been outscored by opponents for a combined 44-2.

The Cyclones also find themselves on the bottom of the Big 12 rankings when it comes to their team pitching. Iowa State has the highest team earned run average at 5.36, nearly three runs more than Texas’ 2.79, the next highest in the conference.

For Iowa State, the solution to its problems is simple. Find any way possible to get back to the success it enjoyed starting the season.

“Our expectations for this weekend are definitely to play better than last weekend [against Oklahoma],” said ISU first baseman Jorden Spendlove. “We have to bring our game and hit some pitches, but mainly our expectation is to win.”

The weekend’s outcome clearly hinges on the Cyclones’ ability to make solid contact, but Iowa State will have to do more than hit in order to stay competitive.

The team will have to limit its mistakes on defense as well as the number of base runners for the Cowgirls if it wants to leave Stillwater with confidence heading into the bulk of the Big 12 season.

“It’s not easy looking at last weeks’ games and drawing up ways to be better,” said ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “That being said, we need to have better at-bats as hitters, and we need for pitchers to come out and not walk anybody.”

Walks will haunt a team trying to find ways to win ballgames, and that’s exactly the case for Iowa State. During the current four-game losing streak, Cyclone pitchers have walked a combined 26 batters.

“I expect our team to make a number of improvements over the weekend,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I anticipate these to be a couple close, tight games.”

Iowa State opens the series at 6 p.m. April 4 in Stillwater, Okla. The final two games will both take place at 12 p.m., with one April 5 and one April 6.