AMES — What started with growing pains and unfamiliarity ended in one of the most successful regular-season finishes in program history.
Iowa State softball entered its 2025 campaign with high turnover, a young roster and only a few returning starters, including senior second-team All-American Angelina Allen.
After opening Big 12 play with a 1-2 series loss to Houston and holding an 11-14 overall record through the middle of March, the Cyclones found themselves searching for answers. But over the final six weeks, the team won 19 of its final 27 games, riding a balanced lineup and steady pitching staff.
That started with the UCF sweep in late March. From there, confidence spread across the roster, roles solidified and Iowa State surged to a 30-22 regular season record and a 15-9 finish in Big 12 play, securing the program’s highest-ever placement in the conference standings.
“I think chemistry [was key],” head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “They truly want [success] for each other. Sometimes you get into interposition battles and that can get contentious. That hasn’t seemed to happen with this team.”
Over the eight Big 12 series that Iowa State played in, it captured the opening game seven times, including the sweep over UCF and series wins over Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Utah and Baylor. The Cyclones never let an early loss spiral and consistently bounced back in tight games.
The lineup, which featured multiple first-year starters and new position players, gelled steadily. Freshman standouts Jessie Clemons and Sereniti Trice emerged as reliable catalysts at the top of the order, while veterans like Allen and junior Tatum Johnson provided power and leadership.
Clemons, who began the season in right field, transitioned to shortstop midseason following injuries to junior Reagan Bartholomew. Despite the move, Clemons anchored the defense with poise and range.
Trice, who played second base all year, consistently made standout plays, from tracking popups to turning tough grounders into outs.
“It took us a while to get some chemistry on the field,” Pinkerton said. “But once that happened and they started winning, they did a really nice job. That’s what’s special about them—just the way they’re playing.”
Statistically, the Cyclones finished second in the Big 12 in doubles with 79, just one behind Texas Tech, and were tied for fourth in runs scored with 256. They also ranked fourth in total hits (397) and sixth in team batting average (.289).
Clemons led the way with a .373 average as a freshman and placed eighth in the Big 12. Trice wasn’t far behind, batting .366, which ranked 15th. Both players tied for fourth in the Big 12 with 63 hits each, while Clemons also recorded 13 doubles, the third most in the conference.
Johnson capped her junior campaign with a .354 average, good for 20th in the Big 12, while junior transfer Sydney Malott led the team with 11 home runs, ranking 10th in the conference.
Allen, the lone starting senior returning for her last season as a Cyclone, anchored the middle of the lineup and delivered one of the season’s most meaningful swings with a game-tying home run on Senior Day against Baylor.
“They just care,” Allen said. “They care about the little things, they care about winning. Even when we lose, they want to know how to fix it. That’s not something every group has.”
Clemons, whose late-game RBI single helped secure the final win of the regular season, said the togetherness of the group was a difference-maker.
“We all love each other so much,” Clemons said. “When you have that, it’s not hard to work hard. You want to do it for your teammates. I think that motivates us and gives us an extra gear.”
In the circle, Iowa State relied heavily on its depth. Sophomore Lauren Schurman threw the sixth-most innings in the Big 12 (134.2) and appeared in 47 of 52 games, the most of any pitcher in Division I softball. Junior Jaiden Ralston appeared in 42 games, tied for ninth nationally.
“We haven’t always been clean pitching-wise, defensively or even offensively,” Pinkerton said. “But it seems like we figured it out enough to win.”
Defensively, the Cyclones turned 28 double plays, tied for the second most in the Big 12.
The win on Senior Day marked Iowa State’s third 30-win season under Pinkerton. Before he arrived in 2018, the program hadn’t reached that mark since 1989.
“Coach keeps us grounded,” Clemons said. “After a big win or a bad loss, he brings us back to the next pitch. That’s helped us all season.”
“He lets us play free,” Allen said. “We want to win. We want to be here. That’s what makes this team different. And I think we’re just getting started.”
Now, Iowa State enters the Big 12 Championship as the No. 3 seed, its highest ever, and will face the winner of the BYU vs. Houston game Thursday in Oklahoma City.
