AMES — Iowa State’s 2026 season ended one spot short of the Big 12 Tournament, but not before the Cyclones rewrote history in the program record book and transformed into one of the most dangerous offensive teams in program history.

Behind a veteran core, a breakout offense and a season spent battling through one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12, Iowa State fought until the final day of the regular season. The Cyclones finished 32-23 overall and 9-15 in conference play.

The 32 wins marked the Cyclones’ fourth 30-win season under Pinkerton and their second consecutive 30-win campaign. Before Pinkerton arrived in 2018, Iowa State had not reached that mark since 1989.

“We thought we were postseason good,” Pinkerton said. “It just didn’t work out for us.”

The Cyclones entered the season looking to take another step forward after finishing third in the Big 12 standings in 2025, but narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament.

Early on, Iowa State looked every bit like a postseason contender, opening the year 13-6 in nonconference play behind an offense that consistently pressured opposing pitching staffs throughout the lineup.

After being swept at Baylor in its opening Big 12 series, Iowa State responded by going 2-1 at the Missouri Tournament, with its lone loss coming to host Missouri. The Cyclones followed with a road win at Creighton before returning to conference play with a home sweep of Houston.

The offense quickly became the team’s identity. Iowa State finished a perfect 6-0 in midweek games and split the Cy-Hawk series against the Iowa Hawkeyes, winning in Iowa City before falling in Ames later in the season.

Highlights included a home win over No. 14 Arizona, another against No. 19 Oklahoma State and a road sweep of BYU in Provo.

While the Cyclones consistently showed resilience, the challenge of navigating the Big 12 eventually caught up with them.

Iowa State faced one of the conference’s toughest schedules after finishing third in the league the previous season, drawing multiple nationally ranked opponents and postseason-caliber rosters. The Cyclones were swept by No. 2 Texas Tech and dropped key late-season series against Kansas and No. 23 UCF, ultimately finishing one spot outside the conference tournament field.

“You can’t live coming from behind all the time,” Pinkerton said. “We were pretty darn good at it this year, but sometimes that second punch just catches up to you.”

Even through difficult stretches, Iowa State developed a reputation for late-game rallies and explosive innings. Whether it was comeback wins against Arizona and UCF or grinding out close conference games, the Cyclones consistently stayed in the fight.

“We just had the belief that we could do it,” sophomore left fielder Jessie Clemons said April 6. “It is never over until the last out.”

The lineup featured six everyday seniors alongside sophomores Jessie Clemons and catcher Karlee Ford.

Iowa State’s offense became one of the top units in the Big 12, breaking program records in hits (482), runs (315), doubles (108), home runs (79), RBIs (348) and walks (222), while tying the team batting average record at .325.

“I think we’ve already broken the runs record, the home run record, and we’re right there on average,” Pinkerton said April 28. “This is probably one of the top one or two offenses I’ve had here.”

Each of those marks ranked inside the top five in the Big 12. Iowa State finished second in the conference in hits and batting average while leading the league in doubles.

“We knew our lineup could compete with anybody,” Ford said May 2. “One through nine, everyone trusted each other.”

At the top of the lineup, Clemons followed her standout freshman campaign by batting .358 and tying for second on the team with 69 hits while leading the nation with 23 doubles.

Senior center fielder Tatum Johnson finished second on the team with a .388 batting average and a 1.177 OPS. Johnson scored 51 runs, collected 69 hits, tied for second on the team with 12 home runs and led Iowa State with 51 RBIs.

“For a kid that tore her UCL and is going to have surgery, she went out and did a hell of a job,” Pinkerton said. “That’s just the grit and determination she has, and I think the whole team’s that way.”

“This team never stopped fighting,” Johnson said April 8. “We always believed we were good enough.”

Senior Reagan Bartholomew led the team in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average (.415), runs (55), OPS (1.286), hits (71), home runs (15), total bases (134), slugging percentage (.784) and on-base percentage (.502). Every category ranked inside the top 10 in the Big 12. She also broke the single-season program record with 32 walks.

Ford moved into the cleanup spot during the season because of her clutch hitting and multiple walk-off moments. She finished with a .345 batting average, while her 49 RBIs ranked second on the team behind Bartholomew.

Senior Sydney Malott battled through an up-and-down season before finishing strong, hitting four home runs over the final seven games to finish with 12 on the season.

“We stayed together the whole year,” Malott said May 2. “Nobody stopped believing in each other.”

Sophomore Missouri transfer Kadence Shepherd immediately made an impact at second base, batting .281 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs, including a stretch in which she homered in five consecutive games.

Senior Paige Nakashima had her final season cut short because of a leg injury and was visibly limping during Senior Day festivities.

Senior Tiana Poole provided energy in right field and leadership throughout the season, while senior Ashley Minor appeared in 19 games and batted .261 in 23 at-bats during her final year with the program.

Senior third baseman McKenna Andrews anchored the left side defensively, routinely making diving plays while serving as a second leadoff hitter near the bottom of the lineup. Andrews led the Big 12 with nine sacrifice hits while batting .271 with five home runs.

“Every year, seniors pour their heart and soul into a program,” Pinkerton said. “I can’t say enough about this class.”

“We had six of them that stayed the whole time,” Pinkerton said. “That loyalty means a lot in today’s college athletics.”

In the circle, junior right-hander Lauren Schurman emerged as Iowa State’s ace, appearing in 44 games, third most in the nation, while throwing 144.2 innings. Senior right-hander Jaiden Ralston served as the No. 2 option, posting a 4.93 ERA across 76.2 innings while becoming the program’s career saves leader with 10.

Defensively, Iowa State posted a .975 fielding percentage, breaking the previous program record of .967 set in 2019. The Cyclones led the Big 12 in fielding percentage and turned 23 double plays, sixth most in the conference.

Pinkerton said he believes Iowa State still has a strong foundation moving forward, with Clemons, Ford and Shepherd set to return next season.

“They’re all going to be successful women,” Pinkerton said. “That makes me more proud than any award or accolades on the field.”