PREVIEW: -/rv Softball Hits the Road to Battle Iowa State

AIMES, Iowa – The -/rv University of Houston Softball team plays its first Big 12 Conference road series against Iowa State this weekend. The series will now consist of a doubleheader on Friday (1 p.m. & 4 p.m.) and a single game on Saturday (1 p.m.) due to weather conditions.

Houston is coming off its inaugural Big 12 series against Texas. With a win over a top-ranked team, the Cougars clinched their first Big 12 win with the highest ranked victory in program history.

Iowa State (9-14, 0-3 Big 12)
Teams				Houston at Iowa State
Dates				Friday at 1 p.m. Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday at 1 p.m.
Location				Aimes, Iowa \| Cyclones Sports Complex
Live Streams				Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Live Stats				UHStats.com
Game Notes				Houston

HEAD COACH KRISTIN VESELY
Overall record: 203-170-1 (8th season)
At Houston: same

SERIES vs IOWA STATE

Overall: 6-2
First Meeting: W, 5-2, Feb. 24, 2001
Last Meeting: L, 1-4, March 10, 2018
Last Houston Win: W, 4-3 (8), Feb. 19, 2016
In Aimes: First Meeting
Run Differential: 24-19 (H+5)
Last five: 3-2
Last 10: 6-2
Under Vesely: 0-1
Houston Streak: L1

FIRST PITCH

Houston joined the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2023. The 2024 season marks Houston's inaugural softball season in the conference. The Cougars won their first Big 12 game in style, sealing the team's highest ranked win in program history with a 12-10 win over No. 2 Texas on March 8. The victory also continued Head Coach Kristin Vesely's streak of seasons with a win over a ranked opponent.
Houston's 94 runs tied the program record for most runs through the first 11 games, originally set in 2014.
The team posted its best 11 game start (10-1) since 2008 when the program went 11-0. At 15-5, the team earned its best 20 game start since 2020 (16-4).
Bree Cantu's 30 RBIs so far this season rank 14th in the country and third in the Big 12.
The Cougars rank sixth in scoring (7.79), 11th nationally in walks drawn (97), 13th in on-base percentage (.433), 22nd in slugging percentage (.530) and 22nd in batting average (.332).
Shelby Smith ranks 15th in the country with nine wins while Kennedy Thomas sits at 2nd in 'toughest to strike out' , 25th with 34 hits and 23rd in on-base percentage (.548).
Houston played the longest game in program history in both innings and duration on Feb. 28 against McNeese. At 13 innings and four hours and 13 minutes, the game bested the previous marks of 12 innings vs. DePaul on March 22, 2005 and three hours and 57 minutes at Wichita State on April 14, 2023.
While Houston boasts a new-look roster in 2024, the team does return a lot of experience. The team features 16 newcomers and just eight returners, however, six of the returners were starters on last year's team.
Turiya Coleman was voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 team by the league's coaches. She becomes Softball's first Big 12 honoree with the recognition.
Houston added two new assistant coaches over the offseason: Nadia Taylor and Hope Trautwein. Taylor joins the Cougars after a year at Michigan State while Trautwein served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma last season. Both currently play professional softball, as Taylor plays for Athletes Unlimited and Trautwein plays in the WPF.

BUY TICKETS
Tickets for the 2024 Softball season are available now. This year's home slate features 30 games, including five Big 12 Conference series.

Season tickets cost $120, or just $4 per game, and include all neutral site games at Cougar Softball Stadium. Click here to ensure you don't miss any of the action during the Cougars' inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference in the same great seats!

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Softball by supporting LinkingCoogs – UH's very own NIL collective – and by joining the Diamond Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Softball for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarSB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at Houston Softball. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarSB.

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