As if improving its record in each of the last three seasons wasn’t hard enough, the ISU softball team has had to do it against five teams ranked in the top 25 this season.

Things don’t get any easier this weekend, when the Cyclones (26-19, 3-6 Big 12) welcome No. 8 Oklahoma (35-11, 8-2) to Ames in a two-game series beginning Saturday. The Cyclones enter the series against the Oklahoma Sooners on a high note, having won two straight conference games and three of their last four games overall.

“I think it gives us some confidence going in,” co-head coach Gary Hines said. “The last few years, Oklahoma has been as good offensively as anyone around.”

Cyclone pitchers will try to keep the ball on the ground against the Sooners, who lead the conference in both extra base hits and home runs.

Most teams are incredibly fortunate to have one finalist for the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, but Oklahoma boasts two of them: Outfielder Amber Flores and pitcher D.J. Mathis. Flores leads the conference with a .410 batting average. Mathis is 22-5 on the season and leads the conference with a 1.08 ERA.

Senior Ariel Coburn is looking forward to the challenge of facing Mathis.

“I played against her when I was young and hit against her last year when we played at their place,” she said. “I don’t really think about what she can pitch, I just try to hit the ball or get on base. I can’t wait to see her, and see how she is.”

Although Flores and Mathis have had outstanding seasons, Cyclone players won’t forget about Samantha Ricketts, who finished in the top three in voting last year for the Player of the Year Award. Ricketts finished 6-for-6 with a home run in two games against the Cyclones last season, when the then-No. 3 Sooners won both games in Norman.

“Ricketts is about as good of a hitter as I’ve seen,” Hines said. “We saw [Flores] last year; she really puts the bat on the ball, but their whole lineup is good offensively. It will come down to pitching and playing good defense, and trying not to give up the big hits.”