The ISU softball team travels to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend for a three-game series against Oklahoma State. The Cyclones (12-25, 1-8 Big 12) are coming off an 8-6 loss at Drake on Tuesday afternoon.

Oklahoma State (18-16, 2-6 Big 12) is currently ranked eighth in the conference, ahead of only Iowa State. The Cowgirls’ last game was an 11-1 loss to Oklahoma on Wednesday night.

“I think that you go into any Big 12 team, and if you don’t compete, if you don’t come ready to play, then you’re just not going to do well,” said ISU coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler.

The Cyclones rallied late at Drake on Tuesday, but failed to complete the comeback. Senior Dalyn Varela finished the day 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman Lexi Slater went 2-for-3 and added an RBI of her own.

Oklahoma State currently ranks last in the Big 12 in team batting with a .213 average and seventh in team pitching with a 2.58 ERA. Junior Tamara Brown, who owns a .315 batting average this season, is the only player on the Cowgirls’ roster that is currently batting above .300.

“They had a very good team last year,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “They went to the World Series. I think that this year they’ve been struggling a little bit more. Offensively, they’ve been struggling a bit.”

The pitching duo of Kat Espinosa and Simone Freeman has carried the load in the circle for the Cowgirls, combining to pitch 213 of the team’s 233 innings this season. Espinosa is 10-8 with a 2.44 ERA while Freeman is 6-6 with a 2.35 ERA.

Oklahoma State is last in the conference in terms of team fielding as well, with a .968 team fielding percentage.

The Cyclones are 16-53 all-time against the Cowgirls. The teams split the two-game series between one another in Ames last season. Oklahoma State was ranked No. 17 in the country at the time.

Juniors Erica Miller and Tori Torrescano continue to excel offensively for the Cyclones and are doing their best to lead by example. Miller currently ranks 10th in the Big 12 in hitting with a .380 batting average and sixth in doubles with eight. Torrescano ranks fourth in home runs with 10 and fifth in RBIs with 34.

“Hopefully get refocused, ready to go and play like we played Sunday, like we played against Creighton, like we played against Drake the week before,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “I think if we do that then I feel great about this weekend.”

This weekend’s games are slated for 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday in Stillwater, Okla.