Two-Time All-American Miranda Elish Signs With Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – One of college softball's most decorated two-way athletes is coming to Oklahoma State.
Miranda Elish – a two-time NFCA All-American and the 2020 Softball America Shortened Season National Player of the Year who ranks top-10 on Texas' career strikeout, strikeout per innings and ERA lists – has joined head coach Kenny Gajewski and the Cowgirls for her final year of eligibility.
"I couldn't be more blessed with the opportunity I have been given by Coach G and his staff to represent Oklahoma State Softball," Elish said. "From the moment I spoke to Coach G, I knew he was who I wanted to finish my playing career for. The love he has for his program, his girls and this city is evident and contagious; I couldn't help but fall in love the moment I arrived. I am humbled to be welcomed into the great family and culture that those on the team now and in years past have created."
Elish opted out of the 2021 season because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, Elish was among the nation's elite two-way threats. She posted an 11-3 record with a 1.25 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 84.0 innings pitched. As as hitter, she boasted a .370 average with 20 hits – including four homers – and 19 RBI in 54 plate appearances.
As a junior at Texas in 2019, she added a handful of notable accolades to her resume: NFCA third-team All-America honors, Softball America Honorable Mention All-America honors, NFCA first-team All-Central Region and All-Big 12 Conference first-team selections.
Her work from the circle during the 2019 season was highlighted by an 18-10 record with a 1.81 ERA in 37 appearances – including 29 starts, 20 complete games, 11 solo shutouts and 226 strikeouts over a team-high 185.1 innings pitched.
She batted .315 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI and a .928 OPS, while managing 11 multi-hit and eight multi-RBI performances.
"Any time you can add a player of this caliber to a team and a program that's moving forward with a lot of talented players already on the roster, it's an exciting addition," Gajewski said. "There's a lot of work for everyone here to get done in order for her to have the success that she expects, on our end and on her end. That being said, we're excited about this addition but know there's a long road to go."
Elish worked her way back from a terrible injury when she was struck in the face by a throw down to second by Texas catcher Mary Iakopo. It was an accident on a bunt play where Iakopo fielded the ball and quickly gunned to second for a force out and Elish was not aware it was coming. The situation happened in the NCAA Super Regional in Tuscaloosa on May 24, 2019. Elish successfuly came back from that.
Gajewski said he has talked to his current players and pitchers and told them they will have every opportunity to claim the top pitching spot as will Elish.
“I told her don’t come here if you are expecting the top spot to be handed to you,” Gajewski said of Elish. “You will get the same opportunity that Kelly Maxwell and Morgan Day will get.”
Maxwell has been with Oklahoma State the past two seasons and pitched well. Day transferred to Oklahoma State this summer from Illinois State.
More on Miranda Elish:
Pitcher | 5-8 | Senior | Crown Point, Ind. | Crown Point HS | Oregon/Texas
Honors and Awards
2017 Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman
2017 NCAA Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team
2018 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year
2018 First Team All-Pac-12 Conference
2018 NFCA Second Team All-American
2018 Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year
2019 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year
2019 NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (March 26)
2019 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (March 26)
2019 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (April 9)
2019 First Team All-Big 12 Conference
2019 Softball America Honorable Mention All-American
2019 NFCA Third Team All-American
2020 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year
2020 NFCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 11)
2020 Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 11)
2020 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 18)
2020 Softball America Shortened Season National Player of the Year
2020 Softball America Shortened Season First Team All-American
2019 (Junior at Texas)
Earned NFCA third-team All-America, Softball America Honorable Mention All-America, NFCA first team All-Central Region and All-Big 12 First Team selections after going 18-10 with a 1.81 ERA over 37 appearances with 29 starts, 20 complete games, 11 solo shutouts and 226 strikeouts over a team-high 185.1 innings pitched... Was also a double threat at the plate, batting .315 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI and a .928 OPS, while managing 11 multi-hit and eight multi-RBI efforts... Went 7-4 with a 1.56 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 72.0 frames in Big 12 contests... Tossed her second career no-hitter (vs. Iowa State on March 22), four one-hitters and posted at least 10 strikeouts in 10 starts with a high of 14 during a win at No. 15 Arizona State on March 1... Registered pitching wins over NCAA teams Boise State, California, Tulsa, Ole Miss, No. 15 Arizona State, Lipscomb, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Texas Tech (two wins), Texas A&M, Sam Houston State and Houston (two wins)... Fired a remarkable 440 pitches over three days, including 429 over the final two days, while going 4-0 with a 0.47 ERA over five appearances to help Texas climb from the loser's bracket to win the NCAA Austin Regional... Blasted a key solo homer in the fourth inning of an eventual 4-3 win at No. 21 Oklahoma State... Tossed her second career no-hitter and also went 2-for-4 with the game-ending grand slam and five RBI to down Iowa State on March 22 on the way to being named the NFCA National and Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week... Reached base safely in 11 straight games from March 13 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to March 29 at Oklahoma State... Blasted her first career Texas home run as part of a 2-for-3, double, home run, three-RBI effort in a 5-1 victory over Florida Atlantic at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational... Tossed a one-hit shutout in her first Longhorns pitching action to down Boise State.
2018 (Sophomore at Oregon)
A 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second team All-American Elish posted a pitching record of 37-2 overall to go along with a 1.42 ERA, 17 solo shutouts, 29 complete games and 347 strikeouts over 280.2 innings of work while limiting opponents to a miniscule .189 batting average during her two years at Oregon... The 2018 All-Pac-12 first team and NFCA All-Pacific Region first team selection helped lead the Ducks to the Pac-12 regular season title and a berth in the Women's College World Series as a sophomore by posting a 25-2 mark with a 1.20 ERA, 12 shutouts and 249 strikeouts in 175.0 frames... Along the way, Elish tossed Oregon's first ever seven-inning perfect game and struck out a career-high 16 during an April 3 win over Portland State, hit double-digits in strikeouts 11 times during UO's 53-10 campaign in 2018 and registered high-profile wins over a list of teams including LSU, Texas, Florida State, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington and Kentucky.
2017 (Freshman at Oregon)
Elish went undefeated in her rookie campaign at 12-0... In 105.2 innings pitched, she posted a 1.79 ERA, good for third on the team and fifth in the Pac-12... She also saw time at the plate, hitting .276 in 58 at-bats with 10 runs scored, 16 RBI and a homer... Helped the Ducks open the season with 35 straight wins, matching the NCAA record... Ranked sixth in the Pac-12 by averaging 6.5 strikeouts per seven innings... Was part of the Oregon pitching staff that ranked fifth in the NCAA with a 1.41 team ERA... Tossed five shutouts on the season, including a one-hit shutout in a five-inning run-rule win against Wisconsin on May 21 in regionals... Had a season-high nine strikeouts in a five-inning win against Pacific on March 11... Hit her first collegiate home run on March 10 against Hofstra... Drove in three runs in her collegiate debut against Virginia on Feb. 9, going 2-for-3.
High School
Coming out of high school, Elish was listed as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by FloSoftball... A 2016 MaxPreps first team All-American, she was also a three-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year as well as the 2014 MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year (went 24-1, 0.31 ERA, 223 strikeouts, 18 walks, 137 innings as a sophomore)... As a high school senior, Elish registered a 15-2 record with a 0.41 ERA and 196 strikeouts over 103 innings while batting .505 with seven homers and 26 RBI.