Today was the day the Cyclones have been patiently waiting for – their home opener. Unfortunately, Mother Nature’s spring snowstorm is forcing them to wait a little bit longer.

Iowa State’s home opener against North Dakota State at the Southwest Athletic Complex was canceled much to the dismay of the anxious Cyclones.

“It was pretty disappointing because we just came back from Florida where it was sunny,” said senior shortstop Cary Akins. “We were excited to be coming home, and then there was snow on the ground – it was pretty heartbreaking.”

The Cyclones have played all of their 25 games this season on the road, and they were excited by the prospect of finally getting to play at home.

“I think it’s always exciting when you finally get to play in front of the home crowd,” said head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt. “So I think we were definitely looking forward to it and hopefully we will be able to play Monday.”

The doubleheader is rescheduled for Monday, but the times are still yet to be determined.

For the Cyclones, bad weather and canceled games are something they have gotten used to.

“The one thing you know about the weather is it’s so unpredictable,” Akins said. “So you’re always waiting to see what is going to happen because you never know.”

Iowa State won’t be letting the snow get them down too much, because they have the excitement of their first Big 12 games looming this weekend.

“I think it’s very exciting and I’m excited for the things we can do in the conference,” Gemeinhardt said. “It’s kind of a whole new season within our season.”

The Cyclones (14-11) will be going on the road to play two conference games against Oklahoma State (13-13). Although the road can be a harsh place for other teams, the Cyclones feel that they are prepared for playing on the road.

“I think we pretty much approach the games the same,” said catcher Ashley Killeen. “We play a lot on the road so we kind of get used to the protocol.”

The Cyclones know that this is the time when they need to be focused.

“It’s the Big 12, when it comes down to it that’s all that matters,” Akins said.

“It’s like our home stretch so it’s important to be peaking at that time and everything you’ve been working on needs to come together right now.”

Killeen also stressed the importance of getting out to a fast start in conference play.

“I think it’s very big and I think we have a good shot at winning both,” Killeen said.

The Cyclones said they feel that after a good week of practice they are ready to begin conference play.

“We’re working hard,” Akins said. “I’m going to go into there completely confident that we’re going to take care of Oklahoma State.”