Iowa State will travel to Houston for three games against the Cougars this weekend.

The series begins Big 12 play for the Cyclones following a stretch of tournaments to open the season. 

The Cyclones roll into Houston at 9-9 on the season. In their last outing, they went 3-2 in the Mardi Gras Mambo, collecting dominant wins over Southern, Houston Christian and Grambling State. The three-game win streak is tied for the longest of the season, and the Cyclones will look to extend it to four on Friday.

The Cougars hold a strong 14-6 record this season. On Wednesday, they fell to the No. 3 Florida Gators 11-0 in five innings. 

Last season, the Cyclones found success against Houston. In the series, Iowa State won two of the three games. 

Notably, the games took place in Ames, as opposed to the hostile environment that the Cyclones will see in Texas this weekend. Houston has benefited from home-field advantage this year, with a 9-3 record at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Freshmen Jessie Clemons and Sereniti Trice have been a massive boost to the team this season. Clemons’ .466 average and 17 RBIs have generated clutch offense when needed. Trice has remained consistent throughout the season, bringing a threatening presence to the plate.

Freshmen Brooke Wells and Maddie Hartley have lit the bats up for Houston this year, with six and four home runs this season. The team has a batting average of .303 compared to the Cyclones’ .298. 

All signs point to a great series of close matchups this weekend, as the Cyclones face their first conference test in Houston. 

The games against the Cougars will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and noon Sunday. Each game will be live-streamed on ESPN+.