The rivalry between Iowa State and Iowa has leaned primarily in the Cyclones’ favor this year.

The ISU football team beat the Hawkeyes on Sept. 10, 2011, for the first time since 2007; the ISU women’s basketball team defeated the Hawkeyes on Dec. 7, 2011; and the ISU men’s basketball team defeated the Hawkeyes on Dec. 9, 2011, for the third consecutive time.

When thinking of this historic rivalry, it is not too often that club sports come to mind. The ISU Club Baseball team, however, sees this as one of the most important games of their season, just like any other ISU team.

“We try to take as much momentum into those games as we can; we want to play our best,” said Ethan Schroeder, one of the team’s vice presidents. “They’re our big rivals even in our baseball conference for us; they’re always our biggest competition.”

Dalton Hauer, freshman in civil engineering, has similar feelings regarding the rivalry with the Hawkeyes.

“It’s definitely the same way,” Hauer said. “They’re still a big rival, we still just want to stick it to them. I feel like it’s the same mentality where you just want to blow them out.”

Last season the Cyclones were defeated by the Hawkeyes in all three conference games, which were played at Cedar Rapids Xavier High School. The Hawkeyes won by scores of 3-0, 12-5 and 15-5 and Schroeder said they have a chip on their shoulder this year.

Schroeder said Cyclones have been “more intense” and “trying to get into the game mode a little bit earlier on in the week.”

“We really want to come out swinging on Saturday in that first game,” Schroeder said.

Last weekend the Cyclones took three out of four conference games on the road against the University of South Dakota and Hauer said it has them feeling pretty “loose” in practice this week.

“We have a lot of confidence coming off of last weekend, so we’re still staying focused, but we’re still having a good time out there on the diamond,” Hauer said.

The Cyclones take on the Hawkeyes on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and then again on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. All four games will be played at Cap Timm Field.