Oklahoma State University Athletics
Softball Prepares For Nebraska
April 14, 2000 | Cowgirl Softball
April 14, 2000
Nebraska (31-16, 6-0) at #22 Oklahoma State (31-15, 6-5)
Saturday - April 15, 2000 -3 p.m.
Cowgirl Stadium - Stillwater, Okla.
Radio - Stillwater Radio (KSPI 780 AM)
COWGIRLS HOST HUSKERS - Oklahoma State's 22nd-ranked softball will host the Nebraska Huskers this weekend in two single-Big 12 Conference games. The first game is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m., while the second is set for noon on Sunday. Prior to Saturday's contest, the OSU Athletic Department will hold Grand Opening Ceremonies for the new softball stadium. Those festivities are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
COMING UP - Following this weekend, the Cowgirls will travel to Norman, Okla., on Wednesday, April 19, for a 6:30 p.m. game with the sixth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The following Saturday, April 22, Oklahoma State will travel to Austin, Texas, to face the Texas Longhorns in doubleheader action. The first game is scheduled to start at noon.
OSU Probable Starting Lineup
## Name Pos BAvg Miscellaneous Stats11 Shelly Graham CF .321 42 hits, 27 runs, 2 3B, 12-15 SB
14 Jenny Kipp 3B .371 43 hits, 24 runs, 17 RBI, 12-12 SB
20 Amanda Hayes LF .297 41 hits, 19 runs, 20 RBI, 9 2B, 1 HR
9 Kirsty Jennings DP .389 49 hits, 42 RBI, 13 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR
7 Christina Shaddox 1B .233 22 hits, 11 runs, 16 RBI, 4 2B, 4 HR
33 Ryan Realmuto C .255 26 hits, 15 runs, 14 RBI, 6 2B, 1 HR
16 Paula Garman RF .224 22 hits, 23 runs, 18 RBI, 2 2B, 3 HR
27 Lezli Leathers 2B .287 25 hits, 22 runs, 15 RBI, 7 2B, 3 HR
22 Casey O'Neill SS .311 37 hits, 17 runs, 13 RBI, 3 2B
OSU Pitchers
## Name Record ERA Miscellaneous Stats
35 Lauren Bay, LHP 13-9 1.82 146 IP, 161 K, 4 SHO, 3 SV
45 Karla Rivera, RHP 11-4 2.53 113.1 IP, 76 K, 3 SHO, 1 SV
LAST TIME OUT - OSU swept a pair of games from Wichita State , defeating the Shockers, 5-2, in game one before winning game two, 6-5. The pair of victories increase OSU?s all-time record vs. WSU to 58-1, including a 57-game winning streak vs. the Shockers. OSU scored all five runs of the first game in the first inning on six hits, including a leadoff triple by Shelly Graham. Lauren Bay started the game and threw five innings, picking up her 13th win of the season. Kipp went 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Shaddox went 2-for-3. In game two, Kirsty Jennings led off with a solo homerun just left of the scoreboard. Two more scored on a double off the bat of catcher Liz Silva. OSU took a 5-4 lead in the fifth when both Graham and Leathers scored on a two-out double by Kipp. WSU tied the game a half-inning later, but Jennings stepped up to the plate to lead off the sixth and hit a towering dinger, her sixth of the season, giving the Cowgirls a 6-5 lead and the eventual win.
COWGIRLS ON THE AIR - After this weekend, three of Oklahoma State's remaining games this season are scheduled to be broadcast by Stillwater Radio. Bill Van Ness will provide the play-by-play. The Nebraska games this weekend will be aired on KSPI 780 AM. The Oklahoma game on Wednesday, April 22, will be on KGFY 105.5 FM, and the two games vs. Texas A&M will be aired on 780 AM. Any postseason play will also be aired on the Stillwater Radio Network.
COWGIRLS IN THE NATIONAL POLL - Oklahoma State dropped to 22nd in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll. The Cowgirls reached No. 17 five weeks ago, their highest ranking since a No. 15 ranking in the 1999 preseason poll. Here is a look at where OSU has been ranked during the course of the season ...
Date Pre F23 M1 M8 M15 M22 M29 A5 A12
Rank NR 25 21 17 18 18 20 20 22
FISCHER REACHES 800TH VICTORY - With a 6-2 win over Drake on Feb. 20, Head Coach Sandy Fischer became just the fifth softball coach in NCAA history to reach the 800-victory plateau. She is currently 822-327-3 (.715) in her 22nd season at Oklahoma State. She is just the third active coach to reach that milestone, as Fresno State's Margie Wright and Bill Galloway of Louisiana Tech did so two seasons ago. Fischer's all-time NFCA record, which includes games played during the falls of 1979-81, is 870-343-3 (.717). Also, the game vs. Virginia Tech in the Speedline Invitational was Fischer's 1,200th career game at OSU. She is just the second coach in OSU history to coach in at least 1,200 contests, following baseball's Gary Ward, who coached in 1,265 games.
LEFTSIDE OF INFIELD DOING WELL AT THE PLATE - The Oklahoma State duo of Jenny Kipp and Casey O'Neill, both sophomores and the starters on the left side of the infield, have been doing well at the plate. Kipp is batting .371 while O'Neill is batting .311. They have combined for 80 hits, 41 runs, 12 doubles and 39 RBIs. Both signed in 1997 with Oklahoma State, Kipp from Arizona and O'Neill from San Diego, Calif.
FRESHMAN HURLERS TAKING CHARGE - With the loss of senior pitcher Sarah Knife Chief to shoulder surgery, two star freshmen have taken over the pitching duties for Oklahoma State. Karla Rivera, from Whittier, Calif., has a record of 11-4 and a 2.53 earned run average. Lauren Bay, from Trail, British Columbia, is 13-9 this season with a 1.82 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 146 innings, or 7.72 Ks per game.
SUBS SHOWING OFF - In 92 plate appearances this season as pinch hitters, the Oklahoma State bench is batting .320, has scored 35 runs and has 19 RBIs. The bench crew is led by sophomore Courtney Pinion, who is batting .600 in pinch-hit situations, going 6-for-10 She also has four RBIs and a .700 slugging percentage. Against Iowa State, senior Christina Shaddox hit a leadoff, first-pitch home run over the leftfield fence as a pinch hitter, the third dinger by a pinch hitter this season. On the mound, freshman Lauren Bay is 3-1 with three saves as a reliever, and has a 0.82 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 34-1/3 innings, while giving up a .172 batting average to opponent hitters. The bullpen is a combined 6-1 with 70 strikeouts in 62.2 innings, six saves and a 1.34 ERA.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES & STATISTICS - Here is a look at some miscellaneous notes and statistics concerning the Cowgirl softball program ...
- The 21 runs scored in the game vs. Baylor are the most ever in a single game in OSU softball history. The previous record was 20, set by the 1988 squad vs. Southwest Texas and tied earlier this season vs. Panhandle State.
- The four home runs vs. Baylor in the 21-11 win tied for the most ever in a single game. It ties the 1988 team that hit four dingers vs. McNeese State on March 5, 1988.
- Shelly Graham and Lezli Leathers each scored four runs in the 21-11 win over Baylor, tying the mark set by Michelle Womacks vs. Southwest Texas in 1988 and tied twice since.
- Christina Shaddox hit a pinch-hit home run to win the second game vs. Iowa State. It was her fourth dinger of the season, the most by a Cowgirl so far this year. OSU has nine players that have hit at least one home run this season.
- Sophomore Jenny Kipp tied one record and set another in the Cowgirls' 3-2 win over Iowa State. She tied the school record for stolen bases in a game, three, set by Amanda Hayes last season. She also broke the previous school record for consecutive successful stolen bases, which was 11, set by Mary Hammen in 1988. Kipp now has 12 consecutive SBs.
- The Cowgirls are batting .336 vs. left-handed pitchers, .291 vs. right-handed pitchers.
- OSU is batting just .267 with the bases empty, but .323 with runners on base, including a .430 average by Kirsty Jennings in 79 at-bats.
- The Cowgirls are batting .404 with the bases loaded, led by Kirsty Jennings .600 average.
- Oklahoma State has 72 two-out RBIs, led by Kirsty Jennings' 10. Shelly Graham has nine, while Amanda Hayes has eight.
- The Cowgirls have been successful 57.3 percent of the time of scoring a runner when on third base with less than two outs.
- Cowgirls leading off an inning are batting .405, including six regulars that are batting at least .400 - Jenny Kipp (.545), Lezli Leathers (.455), Ryan Realmuto (.421), Shelly Graham (.420), Christina Shaddox (.417)and Amanda Hayes (.404).
- Freshman LHP Lauren Bay has forced 195 groundouts and just 66 flyouts, a ratio of nearly 3-to-1.
- Sophomore Jenny Kipp leads the team in both sacrifice bunts (14) and sacrifice flies (2).
- Lauren Bay has three saves this season, and needs just one more to tie the school single-season record of four, set by Lori Whitehouse in 1986.
- Of Bay's 151 strikeouts, 43 have been called strikeouts.
- With 23 home runs this season, the Cowgirls have nearly quadrupled their home-run total of last season, six.
BIG 12 RANKINGS - Oklahoma State ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in batting this season, with a .297 average. Oklahoma ranks first with a .334 average. The Cowgirl pitching staff ranks seventh in the league in earned run average with a 2.23 ERA. Missouri leads the league with a 1.49 ERA. Individually, Kirsty Jennings ranks sixth in the league with a .389 batting average, while Jenny Kipp ranks eighth and Shelly Graham 19th. On the mound, Lauren Bay's 1.82 ERA is currently the eighth-best in the conference. Jennings leads the Big 12 in doubles with 13, and Amanda Hayes is eighth with nine. Jennings is third in the league in RBIs with 42, and third in total bases with 82. Lezli Leathers is fourth in walks with 20. Bay ranks in the top 10 four categories, including wins (sixth with 13), innings pitched (fifth with 146), saves (first with three) and strikeouts (3rd with 161).
SERIES WITH NEBRASKA - Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Nebraska 38-26, including an 11-0 record in Stillwater. Nebraska won the last meeting between the two schools, a 3-2 decision in Lincoln in the second game of a doubleheader last year. OSU took 2-of-3 games in 1999. The Huskers won 10 straight from 1984 until 1986, while the Cowgirls' longest win streak of the series is eight, from 1993 to 1994. OSU and NU have played five extra-inning games, including two 18-inning contests, one in 1984 and the other in the Big 12 Tournament in 1997. Here is a look at the all-time series ...
1978 W 7-5 Sooner Invitational, Norman, Okla.
1978 W 6-4 Big Eight Tournament, Norman, Okla.
1979 W 3-0 Big Eight Tournament, Fort Dodge, Kan.
1980 W 12-0
F1981 W 2-1 Oklahoma Tournament, Norman, Okla.
1981 W 10-0 Big Eight Tournament, Stillwater, Okla.
1983 L 2-3 NMSU Tournament, Las Cruces, N.M.
1983 W 2-1 Big Eight Tournament, Norman, Okla.
1984 L 0-2 Big Eight Tournament, Bartlesville, Okla.
1984 L 1-4 Big Eight Tournament, Bartlesville, Okla.
1984 L 2-3 (18) NCAA Midwest Regional, Lincoln, Neb.
1984 L 1-2 (14) NCAA Midwest Regional, Lincoln, Neb.
1985 L 0-3 Lincoln, Neb.
1985 L 0-1 Lincoln, Neb.
1986 L 1-2 Hall of Fame Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1986 L 1-2 Houston Tournament, Houston, Texas
1986 L 3-4 Columbia, Mo.
1986 L 1-3 Columbia, Mo.
1987 W 1-0 Stillwater, Okla.
1987 W 2-0 Stillwater, Okla.
1987 L 0-4 Big Eight Tournament, St. Joseph, Mo.
1988 W 6-0 Norman, Okla.
1988 W 1-0 Norman, Okla.
1988 L 0-2 Big Eight Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1988 W 3-2 Big Eight Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1988 L 0-2 Big Eight Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1989 W 1-0 Pony Tournament, Fullerton, Calif.
1989 L 1-6 Lawrence, Kan.
1989 W 5-0 Lawrence, Kan.
1989 W 1-0 Big Eight Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1990 L 0-1 UTA Tournament, Arlington, Texas
1990 W 6-2 Pony Tournament, Fullerton, Calif.
1990 L 1-3 Lincoln, Neb.
1990 L 1-3 Lincoln, Neb.
1990 W 4-2 Big Eight Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1991 W 5-0 OKC, Okla.
1991 W 3-1 Stillwater, Okla.
1992 W 8-0 Cowgirl Classic II, OKC, Okla.
1992 L 2-5 Cowgirl Classic II, OKC, Okla.
1993 W 8-1 Lincoln, Neb.
1993 W 6-1 Lincoln, Neb.
1993 W 3-1 Lincoln, Neb.
1993 W 4-0 Lincoln, Neb.
1994 W 11-1 Stillwater, Okla.
1994 W 11-0 Stillwater, Okla.
1994 W 7-3 Stillwater, Okla.
1994 W 13-2 Stillwater, Okla.
1995 L 2-4 Lincoln, Neb.
1995 W 7-6 Lincoln, Neb.
1995 W 6-4 Lincoln, Neb.
1995 L 1-11 Lincoln, Neb.
1996 W 11-2 Stillwater, Okla.
1996 W 9-6 Stillwater, Okla.
1996 L 2-4 Lincoln, Neb.
1996 W 5-4 (8) Lincoln, Neb.
1996 L 0-1 Big 12 Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1997 W 2-1 (11) OSU Spring Classic, Stillwater, Okla.
1997 L 3-9 Lincoln, Neb.
1997 W 4-1 Lincoln, Neb.
1997 W 11-7 (18) Big 12 Tournament, OKC, Okla.
1998 L 0-1 Big 12 Championship, OKC, Okla.
1999 W 3-2 Capitol Classic, Sacramento, Calif.
1999 W 6-5 Lincoln, Neb.
1999 L 2-3 Lincoln, Neb.
