The Iowa State softball team opens the Big-12 Tournament in Oklahoma City on Friday against Baylor. The Cyclones finished the league race with a record of 4-14 but acting coach Gary Hines says at 28-28 overall, the team has made progress this season.
Hines says offensively they’re quite a bit better than they have been in the past, as they have broken some records that have been around awhile. Hines says the conference has a number of outstanding teams like it does every year. He says he believes it’s the number two conference in the country behind the Pac 10.
The Cyclones split a doubleheader with Baylor early in the season, which was the first weekend of conference play. Hines says they lost the first game, but came back strong in the next game, and that should give them confidence.
Hines says the Cyclones are a much better team than the first time they played Baylor. Defensively he says they’re playing well and have learned how to adjust to quality pitching.