The Cyclones’ postseason will be on the line as they return to Ames for a homestand against No. 22 UCF for their 2026 regular season finale. The games will be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting May 1.

To secure a spot in the Big 12 tournament, they will have to earn it. The top eight teams with the best conference records will play in Oklahoma City. 

Texas Tech, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Kansas and UCF are locked in as the top five teams, but the other three spots are still up for grabs. 

Baylor (9-12), Utah (8-12-1), Arizona State (8-13), Iowa State (8-13) and BYU (7-14) will duke it out to fight for a spot in the tournament. 

Iowa State’s offense has gotten back on track

The Cyclones went through a rough patch offensively last week, scoring two runs in three of the four games they played. They escaped with one win in a three-game series against Kansas and split the season series with Iowa.

Iowa State’s doubleheader Tuesday was exactly what they needed to spark the offense. Even though St. Thomas is in the Summit League, the Tommies (32-16) were no joke. 

The Cyclones won the first game 6-5 after scoring two in the sixth inning, and raked in game two. Iowa State scored 11 runs on 14 hits and left only five runners on base.

Drake was no different, as the Cyclones tallied seven runs and 12 hits.

Head coach Jamie Pinkerton believes his offense is widely regarded as one of the best across the country. His squad has a slashline of .327/.414/.563 and an OPS near 1.000 as a team. 

Iowa State is in the top four in the Big 12 in batting average, runs, hits, doubles and home runs. 

The Cyclones are just as good against better competition. They have three players in the top 12 in OPS in conference play.

Senior third baseman Reagan Bartholomew has been great all season long. She ranks ninth in OPS in the Big 12 at 1.196, and is a leader of Iowa State’s potent offense.

“We’re putting things together, and we always have the chance for a long ball, which is really special about this team,” Bartholomew said. “We just know and believe in each other that we’re going to get a hit every time.”

After going hitless in five consecutive games at the end of March, sophomore catcher Karlee Ford has been on fire. She’s hitting .407 in 54 at-bats since then, and ranks eight in batting average in the Big 12 as a whole.

“It’s just kind of the ups and downs of softball,” Ford said. “Staying consistent with my preparation has helped me, just, you know, make more contact, better contact with the ball.”

Senior outfielder Tatum Johnson is capping off an impressive Cyclone career. 

She split time as a pitcher and hitter her first two seasons, but ever since giving her full attention to improving at the plate, she’s been mashing. In conference play, she ranks second in doubles and 11th in OPS.

Johnson left in the second game against St. Thomas, avoiding a big collision with second baseman Kadence Shepherd, but still got clipped in the process.

She hopes to suit up for what could be her final games against UCF this weekend. 

Iowa State’s offense will meet UCF’s electric pitching staff

The main reason UCF has been ranked since week eight in the AP Poll is its success in the circle. 

The Knights hold the second-best ERA in the Big 12, and let up the fewest home runs in the conference.

Out of pitchers that have pitched more than 10 innings for UCF, none have a higher than a 3.50 ERA. For comparison, senior Jaiden Ralston has the lowest ERA for Iowa State at 4.18. 

Redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega has pitched by far the most innings for the Knights at 128.1 and has dazzled. She ranks top 10 in the conference in innings pitched, ERA, wins, strikeouts and batting average against. 

The Knights can also swing the bat. Out of their seven qualified hitters, four UCF batters have above a 1.000 OPS with double-digit home runs. 

Sophomore utility Kendall Yarnell stands above the rest with a .355 batting average and 14 homers. 

Iowa State has to pick up a crucial win or two to keep its season alive past this weekend. 

“We got to continue swinging the bats, staying within ourselves,” Pinkerton said. “We know what’s on the line.”