The Iowa State baseball team has hit quite a funk over the past few days.

The Cyclones were outscored 52-13 in dropping a three-game weekend series with Texas A&M and a Tuesday double header against Winona State at Cap Timm field in Ames.

Texas A&M pummeled Iowa State by scores of 10-5, 14-1 and 15-1, while Winona State topped the Cyclones 4-3 and 9-3. The five- game skid dropped Iowa State to 6-18 on the season and left the team with many questions to address.

“I have no answers,” said Cyclone All-American left fielder Aaron Runk. “This is the worst baseball I’ve ever been a part of.”

Iowa State was off in all phases of the game against the Aggies and Warriors. The Cyclone pitching staff surrendered an average of over 10 runs per game and didn’t receive much help from the defense, which committed a total of 14 errors.

“That’s inexcusable,” ISU head coach Lyle Smith said of his team’s sloppy play. “Occasionally you’re going to make a mistake, but we’re making too many. We certainly have the ability to stop it, but it’s like shooting free throws. Why do some people not shoot free throws very well but they can shoot well from the outside?”

Iowa State also struggled to get runners on base throughout the five games. The majority of offense the Cyclones were able to muster came via the long ball as Joe Urban, Jade O’Brien, Ryan Wickham and Rob Conway each homered for Iowa State.

“We’re just not getting guys on and putting the pressure on the [opposing] defense,” Conway said. “I think it’s a mindset where we’re not going out with an aggressive, confident attitude. We need to have more confidence in ourselves and play with a little cockiness.”

The only bright spots for the Cyclones were strong efforts by O’Brien and Ben McKay.

O’Brien opened the Texas A&M series by going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI before smacking his homer in game two. McKay came through with an effective pitching performance in the opening game against Winona State when he tossed 6 1/3 solid innings, surrendering only three earned runs and striking out five.

McKay’s outing gives hope to a depleted Cyclone pitching staff that is without the services of ace hurler Charly Bigwood. Bigwood suffered a dislocated ankle a few weeks ago and will be forced to miss several games.

Smith said Bigwood’s absence will make it tougher for Iowa State to turn things around but added that the players will have to adjust and attempt to rectify the situation.

“That’s a huge loss,” Smith said. “We don’t have him to get a rally going, so we have to go to other people who aren’t suited for those roles. But good teams can still overcome those types of things. Other people will get the opportunity, and they’ve got to make the best of it.”

Conway said he feels other people are going to step up and that things will eventually start evening out for the Cyclones.

“I believe in the laws of averages,” Conway said. “We’ve had a lot of things not go our way, so maybe stuff will start falling into place.”