Iowa State softball gears up for the Desert Classic

Ella Roths, Sports Reporter | February 15, 2024

Milaysia Ochoa catching a deep ball to center field during the Drake vs. Iowa State softball match on Sept. 29, 2023.

The Iowa State softball team will continue its 2024 season in Las Vegas, competing in the UNLV Desert Classic beginning Friday.

The Cyclones finished their trip in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with a record of 2-2 after competing against ranked opponents in Duke and Washington.

Hitting was a massive aspect of Iowa State’s game in Mexico. The Cyclones finished with 34 hits over the four games they played, seven of which were home runs.

The defense in the circle was on top for Iowa State, with senior pitcher Saya Swain leading the Cyclones. Swain finished with 11 strikeouts and three walks during her time in Mexico.

Starting the trip to Las Vegas, the Cyclones will be taking on UC Santa Barbara on Friday. They will compete against the Gauchos twice in Nevada, once Friday and once Saturday.

The Cyclones will continue playing Friday night against UNLV. The Rebels are going into the weekend with a record of 3-0 to start the season.

Then, finishing their time in Las Vegas the Cyclones will play against Bradley on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Bradley will be starting its 2024 season in Las Vegas this weekend.

The first game for Iowa State will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday against UC Santa Barbara.