Cowgirls Prepare for Path They Earned in NCAA Softball
STILLWATER – The picture is getting clearer for the Cowgirls as they hit the midweek point and lock in for the start of the Stillwater Regional on Friday in the NCAA Division I Softball Championships. Sitting at number five in the tournament and assured of hosting the super-regional if they advance, the Cowgirls are in a good spot.
“Most important game of the whole season Friday against Campbell,” head coach Kenny Gajewski said. “Like I told our team, I can’t wait for Friday at one.”
When Gajewski says he can’t wait, he really means it. He’s like a kid on Christmas Eve that won’t sleep a wink waiting for Santa to come down his chimney. The present for Gajewski this season is the way his team has played. Solid in the circle with Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Carrie Eberle and another very effective starter in Kelly Maxwell. The Cowgirls allow 2.33 earned runs a game and opponents are hitting just .200 against Cowgirls pitching.
On the other side with home run hitters like Alysen Febrey (16), Hayley Busby (17), Kiley Naomi (11), and Sydney Pennington (10) combined with hitters like Chelsea Alexander (.414), Chyenne Factor (.348), and Karli Petty (.303). The offense is good. Febrey hits .400, Busby hits .377, and Naomi has a .340 average.
“This team is the most talented one we’ve had up to this point,” Gajewski added. “Even more important, this team is really starting to be a team. The perception outside is that we’re the number five team in the country and we’ve got to go and play like it. It doesn’t matter who is on the other side. It is a standard that we have created and as long as we play to our standard then we’ll be okay.”
The Cowgirls have wins this season over top-ranked and top-seed Oklahoma, sixth-seed Arkansas, seventh-seed LSU, 12-seed Texas as well as other tournament teams Liberty, Baylor, Iowa State, ULL, McNeese State, and Wichita State.
Obviously, it would appear the Cowgirls standard tops the teams heading to Stillwater. Those teams should arrive late Wednesday or early Thursday. Second seed Mississippi State is 33-23 and they play Boston University the three seed. That is not a misprint. The Terriers are 36-2 with the only losses to Providence and Army, teams they also beat multiple times.
Oklahoma State opens with Campbell, the Camels from Buies Creek, North Carolina. The Camels did beat Lamar handily 9-1 and they lost twice to Texas A&M 1-0 and 3-0. Texas A&M is the three-seed in the Norman Regional with Oklahoma.
“We’re not a crazy film team,” he explained. “We know a little bit about Mississippi State. They are in the SEC and Jeff (Cottrill) watches them a lot. His daughter is playing in the SEC, so he sees them. I’ll put Vanessa (Shippy) and Maddie Sue (Montgomery on the other team (Boston University) and then we’ll sit down first and plan for Campbell. We show our players video and if they want to see more then we’ll get it. We just don’t do as much video.”
I’m not surprised. I also think this team looked a little tight in the Big 12 Tournament. Relax a little this week, get refreshed and get ready. The Cowgirls have lots to do, but don’t have to go far to do it.
“I just keep telling them that you have to play to your standard and if you’ll do that, we’ll be fine,” he emphasized.