Cyclones Stun No. 5 Kansas 6-4 in Big 12 Baseball Quarters

AMES, Iowa (Day.News) — Iowa State freshman pitcher **Ethan Ross** etched his name in Cyclones lore with a complete game, allowing just four runs on six hits in a 6-4 victory over No. 5 Kansas in the Big 12 baseball tournament quarterfinals on May 1, 2026. Ross, a 19-year-old right-hander from Des Moines, struck out seven Jayhawks and walked two over nine innings, improving his season record to 8-3 with a 3.12 ERA. The win, first reported by the Iowa State Daily, advances ISU (37-19) to Friday's semifinals against the winner of Oklahoma-TCU at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

Cyclones bats provided ample support, pounding out 12 hits including three home runs. Junior **Jack Holstein** led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in the third inning that chased Kansas starter **Brady McCollum**. **Cade Horton** and **Rajani Perera** added solo shots, while **Oyster Schisler** drove in two with a double. Kansas (42-15) rallied late with a three-run seventh, but Ross stranded the tying run at third to seal the upset.

This marks ISU's first Big 12 tournament semifinal appearance since 2014, a breakthrough for coach **Marty Smith** in his fourth season. The Cyclones entered as the No. 4 seed after a 39-18 regular season, topping the Big 12 West with a 17-13 mark. Ames' Dugout Club faithful packed bars like The Keg for watch parties, chanting 'Sweet Caroline' after the final out. Semifinal play continues at 4 p.m. CDT Friday on ESPN+.