Watch: Kenny Gajewski Discusses Upcoming 2023 Season
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski met with the media on Friday morning ahead of the start of the 2023 season for Cowgirl Softball.
The Cowgirls start their 2023 campaign off with a four-game stand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, against Oregon on Feb. 10, North Carolina on the 11th, Maryland on the 12th and Ole Miss on the 12th.
Pokes Report will have multiple stories coming out in the next few days on the 59-minute press conference from coach Gajewski, but here’s him talking about what the starting lineup will look like to start the season.
“At first base, we’re gonna go with Micaela Wark, she’s a transfer from Kansas,” Gajewski said. “We have two transfers from Kansas who are fighting to get out; I would say that she’s probably a notch ahead right now of Morgyn Wynne. Micaela’s got four years left. She’s a power hitting first baseman, righthanded hitter. Rachel Becker, transfer from Purdue, will play second base. She’s a preseason all-everything; she’s an All-American from last year. She’s hit well over .400 the last two years, that’s not easy. She’ll lead off at this point.
Kiley [Naomi] will be back at short. Kiley looks as good to me as she's ever looked here. You know, we've been through a lot. And she's just come back. She's more coachable this year than she's ever been. It's not like she's been a bad person to ever coach but like, her coachability this year has been crazy. We have a luxury we have two kids and Rachel [Becker] and her both that can both play short. Right now at third base, Megan Bloodworth, the transfer from Alabama. She has three years left. She's a really good defender. She's got some things going in her bat, too, that I think will be exciting. She had a great first year at Alabama playing in the SEC, played mostly second base, I think. But we've had her third from day one.
“Taylor Tuck will get the catching role to start. Audrey [Schneidmiller] will get plenty of time because we're going to need to keep Taylor healthy. Taylor's had a great fall. She has been healthy, hasn't missed anything, which is a first. So, we'll keep her healthy. And then in our outfield, we're going to start out with Tallen Edwards, the freshman from Oklahoma City. She's had she's had way more good days than tough days. And so it's just like I told Kiley [Naomi], and I'll keep reminding some of these older kids, ‘hey, you got to pull her along.’ You know, I mean, she's just like any young kid, like she should still be in high school as far as her age goes, but she's gonna start I mean, she's earned it. She’s probably had some of the best numbers in the fall. So, she'll play there she can play anywhere. She's probably our number three catcher to be honest. She can play in our infield if we had to.
“[Chyenne] factor, Steady Eddie, she'll be manning the centerfield area again, just continues to do things and makes it look real easy. I think she's gonna have a big year, to be honest, I do, I just feel like she's just so matured and feeling good about herself and about our team. Then Katelynn Carwile will round it out in right field. You know, having another good fall and getting better in that outfield and you know, finally used to a role of just being a position player only. So, super excited about her. Our lineups got a chance to have some real firepower, do some things that that we haven't done in the past. So, Lexi Kilfoyl will be the [designated player] to start with at this point. So, I would say that you've got to three people in that group, or four, that you think of like Lexi, you would think Micaela Wark could be one of those, Claire Timm, or Morgyn Wynne. So, we have some really good pieces here that I really like, and so it shapes up so be an exciting team.”