After notching its first conference win — and its first win in 13 games — the Iowa State softball team will take on another test with big implications: The Cy-Hawk game.

Iowa State (16-30, 1-11 Big 12) will travel to Iowa City on Tuesday to play the Hawkeyes (14-24, 7-7 Big 10).

After weeks of dropping games, the Cyclones pulled off a win against Oklahoma State over the weekend in the last game of a three-game set. 

While the Cyclones fell in the first two games of the series, they turned things around in the final game, which was on Saturday. They beat the Cowgirls, 10-9, handing Oklahoma State its first conference loss of the season.

Head coach Jamie Trachsel credited the success in the final game against Oklahoma State to mental toughness and being able to keep competing throughout the game. Players believe that they can use the same intensity they used in the win during the Iowa game.

“We had such a great win,” senior outfielder Cathlin Bingham said. “I think we’ll really take that energy and hopefully use it not only for Iowa but the rest of our games to come.”

Freshman outfielder Megan Schweitzer agreed with Bingham, saying that the Oklahoma State win will help the team stay motivated for the Iowa game.

“I feel pretty great about [the Iowa game],” Schweitzer said. “I think that this win is just what we needed under our belts to excite us and get us moving, definitely for the rest of our season, and I think that it’s going to be a huge momentum changer for us.”

Some players are looking forward to competing, but Iowa brings its own set of challenges that the Cyclones will have to be prepared to face. The Hawkeyes have a better conference record than the Cyclones. They also beat Nebraska, which beat Iowa State.

But the Cyclones and Hawkeyes played each other last season, and the Cyclones claimed the 5-0 victory. 

“Of course [playing Iowa] is awesome because it’s rivalry,” Bingham said. “I’m looking forward to it, and I think it’s a game. It’s not any different than any of the other games we’ve played so I’m just approaching it like we have another job to do that day.”

The Hawkeyes are not only a rival for the school but part of a long-standing tradition known as the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series. This series began in 2004 and the two schools compete in every athletic event and academics during each school year.

The Hawkeyes are currently leading the 2016-17 series 18-7, and softball is the last of the teams to compete.

Some fans and athletes might see this game as a bigger deal than others because it’s a rivalry, but Trachsel does not feel the same.

“I really don’t care who we play,” Trachsel said “I care about our kids and trying to get better, and to go out and compete that way we’re supposed to represent this program.”