Cyclones set to face ACC foe Georgia Tech
Members of the Iowa State Softball team high five each other during the starting lineup announcements before the start of the Iowa State vs South Dakota softball game held April 2 at the Cyclone Sports Complex. The Cyclones had three home run hits and defeated the Coyotes 9-1.
April 4, 2019
On Saturday and Sunday, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will be in Ames to face Iowa State at the Cyclone Sports Complex. Both teams have been on losing skids recently and have similar numbers so far this season.
Georgia Tech is 23-16 (5-7 ACC) and tied for eighth out of 12 teams in the Atlantic Coastal Conference, while Iowa State is 19-15 (1-5 Big 12) and in last place among the seven Big 12 teams.
Both teams are coming into the matchup on a skid, as Georgia Tech has lost six out of its last eight games and Iowa State has lost five out of its previous seven.
The Yellow Jackets have been outscored by 10 runs in their last eight games, and the Cyclones have been outscored by 25 runs in their last seven games.
The Yellow Jackets and Cyclones have met once before, 15 years ago in 2004, when Georgia Tech beat the Cyclones 11-0 in Marietta, Georgia.
The Yellow Jackets have a batting average of .291, which is fifth best in the ACC and 76th nationally. Iowa State has a batting average of .251, which is last among Big 12 teams and 217th overall.
Two of the top hitters from the ACC and the Big 12 will face off in Ames, with sophomore Breanna Roper representing Georgia Tech against junior Sami Williams for Iowa State.
Roper leads the Yellow Jackets in batting average with an average of .412, which is ninth best in the ACC and 75th nationally, while Williams has a batting average of .402. Williams’ average is eighth best in the Big 12 and 110th nationally.
Pitching seems to be the Achilles’ heel for the Yellow Jackets so far this season, as they have an ERA of 4.13, which is eighth in the ACC. The Cyclones have an ERA of 3.07, which is fifth in the Big 12.
When Georgia Tech and Iowa State play in Ames, the matchup will feature two of the top 50 defenses in the country, as both teams have a fielding percentage of .968, which is tied for 50th in the country.
Iowa State will play Georgia Tech twice Saturday, with the first pitch of the day scheduled for 1 p.m. and the second game starting thirty minutes after the first game ends.
The final matchup of the series will be at 12 p.m. Sunday at Cyclone Sports Complex.
