The Iowa State softball team will take on another consecutive tournament weekend on beginning Friday in Columbia, Missouri.

At the Missouri Tournament, Iowa State will face Kent State, Missouri, and Drake. The Cyclones took on the Missouri Tigers earlier this season at the “Strikeout Cancer” tournament in Boca Raton, Florida. The team came out on top versus the Tigers, 9-8.

“I am excited to get to play [Missouri] twice this weekend, they are a very good team and I want to prove that we are also and just as good,” freshman Milaysia Ochoa said.

The Cyclones are currently 16-4 after the UT-Arlington Boerner Invitational with the team taking a couple losses on the last day of tournament play.

“You’re gonna have rough patches anytime through the season,” Head Coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “We didn’t have our A-game on Saturday but we were able to grind out a win… we hit a rough patch hitting wise and with a 56 game schedule you’re gonna run into that occasionally but I fully expect us to rebound and bounce back.”

Specific individual improvements could lead to potential success this weekend.

“I think being a bigger bat in the lineup is key,” senior Logan Schaben said. “I feel like my defense is always there and really having those key hits especially with runners on is my main focus for the weekend.”

The 16-4 start to the season has been the best in program history for the Cyclones and there is an opportunity this weekend to keep the momentum alive with not only individual improvements, but as a team.

The Cyclone team has depth in all ages which has allowed them to explore new defensive and offensive rotations.

“I personally feel like this has been our best team yet, and will continue to be,” Schaben said. “We have a tremendous amount of talent from the younger girls and from me and Sam staying.”