For the second time in as many days, it appeared that Arizona might be in trouble as Iowa State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning of this Big 12 Tournament semifinal matchup on Friday night.
Just as they did against UCF, however, the Wildcats rallied to take control with a flurry of runs in the middle three frames and came out victorious over the Cyclones, 6-3.
The win moves Arizona on to Saturday’s Championship Game, where they’ll face NiJaree Canady and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Sydney Stewart Makes the Difference
There are several capable playmakers throughout this Arizona lineup, as Devyn Netz, Dakota Kennedy, and Regan Shockey are just a few of the names that have played a vital role in the Wildcats’ success this season. On Friday night, though the most impactful player on the field was Syndey Stewart.
In addition to anchoring an Arizona defense that was errorless on the evening, Stewart was 2-3 at the plate tonight with a single and a three-run blast in the bottom of the fifth that broke a 3-3 tie and eventually lifted Arizona into the final game of the weekend.
Despite back-to-back slow starts, the Wildcats are in position to secure a Big 12 Tournament Championship if they can knock off the Red Raiders, and much of the credit for that opportunity goes to Stewart’s effort on Friday night.
Arizona’s Offense Continues to Pave the Way
Arizona has had the most potent offense in the Big 12 all season long, and in win-or-go-home situations, that can save their season. Over the last two nights, we’ve seen it do just that, as the Wildcats’ offense was able to dig them out of holes against UCF and now Iowa State.
Arizona simply executed better at the plate, especially in high-leverage spots. The Wildcats went 8-for-22 (.364) on the night, while Iowa State managed just 6-for-25 (.240). They came through in the clutch, hitting .429 (3-for-7) with two outs compared to Iowa State’s .143 (1-for-7), and were far more efficient in advancement opportunities—moving runners 9 out of 15 times (.600), while the Cyclones did so just 3 of 11 (.273). That kind of situational dominance proved to be the difference in a game where both teams had chances.
To top it off, Arizona also made the most of their base traffic, scoring six runs on just eight hits—proving that timely execution, not volume, is what wins games this time of year.
Iowa State Awaits Its Fate
Despite the loss, Iowa State has put together a resume worthy of making the 2025 NCAA Tournament. With a 31–22 overall record and a 15–9 mark in Big 12 play, the Cyclones secured a third-place finish in one of the nation’s most competitive conferences. Their performance over the last several weeks has included winning five of their last six Big 12 series, and a 4–2 quarterfinal win over BYU.
While Iowa State’s RPI stood at No. 64 entering the Big 12 Tournament, its strong finish and competitive performances against top-tier opponents demonstrate its capability to contend with the best teams, and today’s showing against Arizona was further proof of that. After a rough start to the season, the Cyclones showed incredible resilience and upward trajectory, and thus, I believe they’re a deserving candidate for one of the 64 spots in the field.
They’ll have to wait until Selection Sunday to see how things play out, but after falling short of a Big 12 title game appearance, they’re squarely on the bubble and could fall either way.
