The ISU softball team will try to stay hot this weekend when it travels to Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Classic.

The Cyclones opened the season with an impressive four-game series in Fargo, N.D. Their 3-1 record after four games is the program’s best start since the 1993-94 season, when they opened 3-1-1.

“We hit the ball hard, played solid defense and our pitching was great,” said head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler. “I was very proud of the way we played.”

The Cyclones will play Central Arkansas (0-5), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2), Louisiana-Monroe (0-3), Louisiana Tech (2-2) and Southeast Missouri State (0-0) in games beginning Friday night.

The Cyclones head into the weekend tournament feeling confident after seeing solid contributions from players throughout the lineup. Five Cyclones had at least four hits over the weekend, led by senior Ariel Coburn and sophomore Kelsey Kidwell, who each had five.

Senior Amie Ford allowed only one hit over 4.2 innings in her return from shoulder surgery, and sophomore Charissa Carlin didn’t allow a single walk in 6.1 innings of work. Freshman Rachel Zabriskie highlighted the weekend by throwing a no-hitter against Wisconsin-Green Bay in her first collegiate start.

“We feel good about how we started,” said assistant coach Gary Hines. “We feel good about our defense and pitching staff and the way they handled themselves.”

The Cyclones have committed only one error and lead all Big 12 teams with a .991 fielding percentage after four games. Iowa State has improved a great deal defensively from last season, when they made 97 errors and had the worst fielding percentage in the Big 12 Conference. Hines, who serves as the team’s pitching coach, believes the defensive improvements have given his pitching staff a mental boost.

“They did a great job defensively and made every play they needed to,” Hines said. “As a pitcher, it gives you confidence when you know you don’t have to strike people out because you know the defense going to make a play behind you.”

The 21 runs scored over the weekend are the most Iowa State has scored in its first four games since the 1993-94 season, and the Cyclones did it without their top hitter from last year.

Sophomore Alex Johnson, who earned second team all-Big 12 honors last season, sat out the opening weekend for violating a team policy. Freshman Renae Cooper started at catcher in her place.

“Alex violated a team policy, so she didn’t play, but she’ll be back at it this weekend,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “Renae stepped in and played really well. She gave us a big boost hitting and with her arm.”

In addition to Johnson not starting, the Cyclones played the first pitch of the season opener without a center fielder in honor of former player Fallon Johnson, who died in a car accident last November.