With just four games left on the regular season schedule, the ISU softball team is fast approaching several important milestones.

The Cyclones (26-26, 3-13 Big 12) burst out of the gate with an 11-1 record, the best start in school history. With two more wins in their final four games, Iowa State will finish at or above .500 for the first time since 1999. The win totals have increased in each of the last three years, and Iowa State’s 26 wins this season are the most since 1989, when the Cyclones went 32-18-1.

“It does mean something – it shows that we are taking a step forward,” co-head coach Gary Hines said. “We have some big games coming up.”

The odds of finishing .500 appear to be in the Cyclone’s favor, with doubleheaders scheduled Wednesday against South Dakota State (15-24) and this weekend at Kansas (34-15, 4-8 Big 12) to close out the season. Iowa State is a perfect 6-0 all-time against the Jackrabbits, including two wins earlier this season at the Shocker Invitational in Wichita, Kan.

The Cyclones took two of three from Kansas last season, losing to the Jayhawks in the Big 12 tournament after sweeping the regular-season series in Ames. With two conference games remaining, Iowa State has a chance to possibly gain the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 tournament beginning May 9th. Baylor (22-18, 4-10 Big 12), Kansas and Texas Tech (18-33, 5-9) sit above Iowa State in the conference standings. If all three teams lose their remaining games and Iowa State sweeps Kansas, Iowa State would then be tied with Texas Tech in the conference standings. Texas Tech beat Iowa State this season, so they hold the tiebreaker for the top position.ÿ

“It would big to get some conference wins and have something to build on going into the Big 12 tournament,” Hines said.

Despite struggling through several dry spells along the way, the Cyclone offense is on the cusp of establishing new records for production in a season. Four players have more than 20 RBIs for the first time since the Big 12 was created in 1996.

Last night against Nebraska, ISU hitters drove in four runs to give them 168 on the season, four more than the previous record set during 1988 season. The Cyclones have scored 195 runs this season, seven short of breaking the previous record of 201 set in both the ’88 and ’89 seasons. It would be the third consecutive season Iowa State has increased its run total.ÿ

The three-year offensive improvement has been fueled by the team’s ability to wreak havoc on the base paths. With two more steals, the Cyclones will have increased their total for the third consecutive sea son (35, 63, 62) of head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler’s tenure.ÿ ÿ

Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Kidwellcq has 16 steals this season, three shy of the single-season record. Kidwell stole a school-record five bases the last time Iowa State played South Dakota State. Hines believes the number of opportunities has decreased since the Cyclones began playing tougher competition with the start of Big 12 play.

“In Big 12 play, there aren’t as many opportunities to steal,” Hines said. “Some of that has to do with getting on base. You have better pitchers and better defenses. Also, we’ve been playing from behind a lot, so that limits our ability to steal in certain situations. All those things stacked together against her. The opportunity may come up in these last few games.”