The crowd cheers at the Cyclone Sports Complex. Lexi Slater makes her way from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box. She looks around, two outs and her teammate is on second. She knows what she has to do, she’s done it a thousand times.

She gets to the box and visualizes her goal. “Just hit the ball,” she thinks to herself.

She thinks back to all her practice time in the cages and to what the coaches have told her. Get ahead in the count, swing at the first strike and don’t be afraid of the outside pitch.

This scene described by Slater is familiar to every ISU batter during the last two years. The team has been in the midst of an offensive revolution since the addition of coach Lindsey Ubrun, and the rapid increase of success at the plate has been evident. The Cyclones have been rewriting the record books for the past two seasons but have been unable to make significant progress in the win-loss column.

According to the official ISU softball records on Cyclones.com, the team has seen huge improvements in overall team records since the new coaching regime took over. The most obvious statistic was the jump in overall team batting average from .288 in 2013 to .325 in 2014.

The Cyclones have also seen major increases in total hits with a 61-hit increase, while also showing discipline at the plate by decreasing their strikeouts by a factor of 97 in just one season.

“We really just want our players to attack at the plate, and put the ball in play,” Ubrun said. “We don’t like to have our hitters sit back and wait for their pitch. We’d rather have them try to jump on the first strike they see and attack early in the count.”

Ubrun has always had a knack for hitting the ball and being a great overall player. According to NCAA.com, she played collegiately at Maryland and Missouri and was an All-ACC Freshman selection for the Terrapins.

She was also a part of the Women’s College World Series in 2009 for the Tigers. After her playing career she became an assistant coach for Chattanooga before she was discovered by ISU head coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler.

“She was a fantastic player herself, and she was putting up great numbers in Chattanooga, so we really wanted her to be a part of our organization,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “She can really relate with our players given her talent and recent experience.”

This player relation has led to the cultivation of talent in many of the players on the roster. Players who were average suddenly found a way to hit another gear, and new players benefited immediately.

Junior centerfielder Brittany Gomez made an immediate impact on the team since she arrived. Gomez has set multiple records already and is on pace for more.

According to Cyclones.com, she ranked third in team history with a batting average of .397 in 2014 and is set to break the all-time record this season with her current batting average of .444. She has also flown up the all-time hits chart and currently sits at second with 201 career hits. She has been eyeing the record all year and sits just 15 hits away from ISU immortality.

“I just go out and do what I’m supposed to do,” Gomez said. “They always say get on base and that’s what I do. It’s exciting to know the record is in reach, and I’m going to do my best to get it this season.”

While Gomez had the benefit of being a part of this revolution early, some players had to make changes in the middle of their careers. Senior shortstop Lexi Slater has made the smoothest transition of her fellow upperclassmen and has had a revelation under the new system.

Slater has put her name in the record books recently as well. She took the all-time doubles record back on March 8, and has moved up to fourth in career RBIs with 125. Although she has nonchalantly drawn her name in the sand of the Cyclone Sports Complex, she knows the recent culture change helped put her there.

“We’ve all started to apply ourselves much more to hitting, and coach [Ubrun] has helped us to really get it,” Slater said. “Having a coach that has been there and knows how to do it makes it really easy for me personally to understand how to get better.”

With all these records and changes, one would look at this team and expect huge postseason aspirations. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, that is one thing they haven’t been able to change.

Since the new offensive ideas have been implemented, the team record hasn’t changed too much. The Cyclones have only able to increase their win totals from 21 to 23 games and their win percentage has only jumped from .319 to .427 from two years ago to last season. So what could the problem be?

One major explanation is the level of competition. The Cyclones are surrounded by Big 12 powerhouses like Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor for much of the season. When a blossoming team like the Cyclones has to face established, perennial contenders, there can be a few growing pains.

Taking its lumps in the conference will only help the team get better. According to Cyclones.com, the team is on pace to post a record better than .500 since 1995. This major milestone could help set the tone for a breakout season.

The Cyclones have always had some trouble recruiting, but their recent offensive successes could change that.

“We’re really excited about our upcoming recruits,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. “These are all hitters we really like, and [we] think they’ll all fit our system well.”

In the midst of an offensive revolution, the Cyclones have put themselves in a great place. The hardest thing a team can do is learn how to win consistently, but they are progressing in that area. The record book will be a testament to the changes being made, and this new culture is the first step in turning this team from a budding talent to a perennial title contender.