Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Enters Big 12 Tournament as No. 8 Seed
May 12, 2005 | Cowgirl Softball
A loss to Tech would eliminate the Cowgirls from the tournament but if the Cowgirls defeat the Red Raiders they advance to face the top seed of the tournament, Texas A&M, at 7:30 p.m. Win or lose against A&M, the Cowgirls would play just one game on Thursday, a 1:30 p.m. start if they lose or a 4:30 p.m. televised by Fox Sports if they win. Tournament play continues Friday, and the championship game is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. The title game will be televised by Fox Sports.
This marks the second time the Cowgirls have been in the play-in game in the nine-year history of the Big 12 Tournament. OSU was also the eighth seed in 1999 and defeated Iowa State 1-0 in the play-in game but was eliminated after losing 5-0 to Oklahoma and 4-3 to Kansas.
The Cowgirls swept Texas Tech during the regular season, winning the first game 8-0 and rallying from seven runs down for a 9-8 win in game two.
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The 10th annual Big 12 Tournament will be held May 11-14 at Don Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Oklahoma City All Sports Association at (405) 236-5000 or by downloading the ticket application on the Big 12 web site, www.big12sports.com. All-session general admission tickets are $50. Single session tickets for games 1-10 (Wed-Thu.) are $8 for adults and $5 for senior citizen and children 12 and under. Tickets for sessions 11-17 (Fri.-Sat.) are $10 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and children 12 and under.
HEAD COACH MARGARET REBENAR
Margaret Rebenar is in her 26th season season as a softball coach at Oklahoma State and fourth as a head coach. Rebenar joined the Cowgirl softball program in 1980 after serving as a pitching coach at UCLA for one season.
After filling the assistant coach role for 22 seasons, Rebenar was named the head coach in 2001. Rebenar led the 2003 Cowgirls to a second-place finish in the Big 12 regular season race and their first NCAA Regional appearance in five years.
Under her guidance, 23 players have earned All-American status 29 times, including Olympians Michele Smith, Melanie Roche and Lauren Bay.
Rebenar brings a 127-86 record as a head coach into the Big 12 Tournament. Hitting the century mark was an exciting game for Rebenar as the Cowgirls staged a come-from-behind victory at UNLV, scoring four runs in the seventh to earn a 4-1 win.
ODDS AND ENDS
*The Cowgirls 2-1 win against No. 3 UCLA on Feb. 26, 2005 was the highest ranked opponent the Cowgirls have beaten since defeating second-ranked Arizona 1-0 on Feb. 21, 2003.
*OSU is 5-1 in extra innings and has outscored its opponents 9-3 in those frames. Three of those wins have come in conference play (Missouri, Baylor, Kansas). The first loss in extras came against Oklahoma on April 27, a 3-2 setback after the Sooners scored one in the ninth.
*For the second straight year the Cowgirls first conference game with Missouri went into extras. The Tigers won 3-2 (14) last year but the Cowgirls emerged victorious the second time around (6-5).
*Oklahoma State has been dominant in the first inning, outscoring their opponents 39-11.
*The Cowgirls are 22-3 when leading after four innings.
*Sophomore Courtney Totte is no stranger to clutch hits, currently second on the team 12 two-out RBI. Totte's most recent was a solo home run in a 8-0 win against Texas Tech. Tara Jeffery leads all hitters with 14, including the game-winners in game two against Tech and Nebraska.
* Courtney Totte leads the team with eight game-winning hits. Tara Jeffery is second with seven followed by Megan Carey with five.
* Shanel Scott is the only Cowgirl that has been in the same spot of the hitting lineup all year, getting the Cowgirls started in all 52 games. Stephanie Nicholson has been the No. 2 hitter in all 49 games that she has played in.
* Shanel Scott ranks seventh in the conference stats with a .400 batting average. The sophomore is well above her final average of .337 last spring.
*Freshman Marjorie Johnson has the sixth-best ERA in the league, entering the tournament at 1.35.
A TOUGH SCHEDULE TO TACKLE
According to Warren Nolan's analysis, the Cowgirls have the 12th toughest schedule in the country and the third most rigorous of all Big 12 teams, passed only by Iowa State (7th) and Texas (8th). The Cowgirls played 16 games against ranked opponents this spring and are 5-11 in those outings. The conference was strong and featured more depth than ever before, with six teams ranked in the top 25. OSU finished eighth in the standings but posted the best record in conference play of any team earning the eighth seed in the tournament. Teams in this slot average 4.4 wins in league play but the Cowgirls posted seven this springs. The next closest was Iowa State with six in 2002. OSU was the eighth seed in 1999 and entered with a 4-8 record.
NCAA SELECTION SHOW
The NCAA will announce the 64-team field live on ESPNews at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15. Twenty-eight automatic bids are extended to conference champions and the remaining 36 are at-large selections. ESPNews is available on DirecTV channel 207 and Dish Network channel 142. An audio signal is also available on XM or SIRIUS Radio. Following the show, a complete bracket will be available at www.NCAAsports.com.
ON THE BUBBLE
According the most recent RPI report released by the NFCA on May 4, the Cowgirls are ranked 32nd are are considered a team in danger of being on the outside looking in come tournament time. The Big 12 has the second highest RPI rating behind the PAC 10. Six Big 12 teams are ranked ahead of the Cowgirls and Kansas is closing in, moving up to the 39th spot after winning 10 of their last 11 games.
NOT QUITE ENOUGH
The Cowgirls have had a lot of close calls this spring and own a 12-8 record in one-run games. Six of those losses have come in conference play, including three to a pair of top 10 teams during the final week of the regular season. Despite just missing out on several key wins, OSU posted its third 30-win season in six years this spring with 32 victories entering the conference tournament. The 2000 squad won 33 games and the 2003 squad made it to the semifinals of regional play, winning 39 games.
TIMELY HITS
The Cowgirls scored a run in the first and fourth innings during the second game at Nebraska and both times it took just one hit to plate the run. After Courtney Totte reached on a walk in the first inning, Tara Jeffery sent her home with a double to left field. In the fourth it was a similar situation, Jeffery took first after being hit by a pitch and stole second to get in scoring position. Dominique Van Nortwick followed with the timely hit, sending Jeffery home with the lone hit of the frame, a single down the right field line. Clutch hits have become routine for the Cowgirls in conference play as they are hitting .409 with the bases loaded and .417 with a runner on third and less than two outs.
BRING'EM HOME
All-Big 12 performer Courtney Totte drove in 20 runs during her freshman campaign but has nearly doubled that mark, plating a team-high 40, which is good enough for sixth on the season charts. Senior Stephanie Nicholson bested her single-season high as well, knocking in 37 this spring after pushing 27 home in 2004. As a team the Cowgirls have 193 RBI, easily surpassing last year's 142. The all-time record at OSU is 261 in 1996.
TWO BAGGING IT ALL THE WAY
Stephanie Nicholson is making her mark on the record books when it comes to doubles at Oklahoma State. The senior set a single game record at OSU and tied the NCAA mark after exploding for three in game two against Texas Tech on April 19. She now as 19 on the season, good enough for second on the season charts behind Jamie Foutch's record of 22 that has held since 1997. For her career, the Arizona native is currently third on the carts with 33. She will not pass Foutch's career mark of 56 but No. 2 is still within reach as Ryan Realmuto holds that spot with 40.
MARGE SAYS SIT DOWN
Freshman Marjorie Johnson is proving she is a force to be reckoned with. The Tulsa, Okla., native is averaging 10.1 Ks per game and has fanned 10 or more batters in 11 appearances this season, with four of those coming in Big 12 play. The righty struck out a season-high 16 batters and allowed just two hits in a 3-0 shutout against Hawaii. The single-game record at Oklahoma State is 17, held by Lauren Bay and Michele Smith. After sitting out for three weeks, Johnson returned to the field on March 17 against Wichita State and picked up a save the following day against North Texas.
A LITTLE HELP NEEDED
Oklahoma State's defense has not been a pitcher's best friend this season, committing 60 errors in 52 games. Statistically speaking, 25 percent of OSU's runs allowed this season have been unearned. The Cowgirls have had 18 errorless games, including a perfect series at Nebraska, but have committed two or more in 15 outings. OSU ranks eighth in the conference with a .958 fielding percentage.
STREAKY IN A GOOD WAY
Sophomore Shanel Scott led the Cowgirls with a .337 batting average and a 14-game hitting streak during her freshman campaign and the leadoff hitter is up to the same tricks this season. Scott jumpstarts the Cowgirls offense, hitting at a .400 clip and has collected at least one hit in all but 11 games this season. Earlier this season Scott set a new season record at OSU with a 17-game hitting streak that spanned nearly a month, starting on February 26 against BYU and ending against Missouri on March 25. The speedster makes her living on small ball, sending just five of her team-leading 67 hits for extra bases. Included in that total was the first home run of her career against UMKC on March 8.
BRING ON THE SPEED
Oklahoma State set a new record for stolen bases last season, swiping 79. Shanel Scott led the Cowgirls with 23, good enough for second on the individual charts. The Cowgirls stole 55 during the regular, averaging 1.1 per game. Scott is making a run at her mark previous high, swiping 20 during the regulars season but did not have a steal in the final eight games. The record is 28 held by Cyndi Smith.
LONG BALL ATTACK
After hitting just 10 home runs through the first 21 games the Cowgirls have turned up the power during the final 31 games, sending 26 yard. The Cowgirls have hit two or more in eight contests including a new single-game record five against UMKC on March 8. The Cowgirls are 17-3 when hitting a home run. The losses came against Tulsa on February 5, Texas A&M on April 13 and Texas on April 30. Stephanie Nicholson leads the individual race this spring with 10, currently second on the season charts. She has already surpassed her output during her first two seasons at OSU, after hitting five her sophomore season and four last spring. The senior is nearing the single season mark of 12 held by Jade Lindly.
STEPPING UP
Marjorie Johnson compiled an impressive streak earlier this season. The freshman tossed 31.1 shutout innings before allowing two runs to score against Oklahoma on April 6. Following the loss she bounced back and earned pitcher of the week honors for the third time after throwing the first no-hitter of her career against Nebraska picking up two wins against Texas Tech. The freshman recorded 35 strikeouts on the week and fanned 11 or more in each of her three complete games. Notably, she struck out all five batters she faced in the second inning against Texas Tech to set setting a new OSU, Big 12 and NCAA record for strikeouts in an inning.
FOUR SNAG HONORS IN FLORIDA COWGIRLS EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS PITCHING ON TARGET JOHNSON EARNS THIRD BIG 12 PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONOR OSU PICKED SEVENTH BY BIG 12 COACHES ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL COWGIRL SOFTBALL ON THE AIR
Stephanie Nicholson and Shanel Scott were named to the Tulsa Invitational all-tournament team. Nicholson knocked in a team-high eight RBI and hit .471 over five games including three doubles, one triple and one home run. Scott went 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts and hit .467 at the plate. The Cowgirls finished 3-2 at the event, defeating Wisconsin, 4-1, Wichita State, 3-2, and Louisiana-Monroe, 8-0.
The pitching tandem of sophomore Jessica Hoppock and freshman Marjorie Johnson showed just how good they can be on the first day of the Pepsi Arizona Classic. In the first game of the day, Hoppock struck out 12 New Mexico State batters. Johnson followed that performance by fanning 11 in the Kansas contest. The duo averaged 10.7 Ks per game at the tournament.
For the third time this season Marjorie Johnson was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week. Johnson was 3-1 last week and tossed a no-hitter against Nebraska on Sunday. She also tossed a shutout against Texas Tech and led the Cowgirls to an easy 8-0 win. The second game against Tech saw Johnson enter in relief to toss to the final 2.1 innings to give OSU the win. The freshman's first honor was awarded for games the week of Feb. 8-14. Johnson was 3-0 at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, leading the Cowgirls to wins against Hawaii, 13th-ranked Oregon and tournament host, UNLV. The Tulsa, Okla., native struck out a season-high 16 batters and allowed two hits in the win against Hawaii. She averaged 13 Ks per game at the tournament. Johnson earned POW accolades for the second time this season for the week of March 28-April 3. The freshman went 2-0, throwing complete game shutouts in both outings. She led the Cowgirls to a 7-0 shutout against in-state rival Tulsa and followed up by tossing a one-hitter against 10th-ranked Baylor to lead the Cowgirls to a 3-0 win in eight innings.
Oklahoma State received 32 points and was tabbed to finish seventh in the Big 12 race, according to the preseason coaches' poll. Texas was picked to win the league title with 77 points, including six first-place votes. The Sooners came in second with 75 total points and four first-place selections. Texas A&M (61), Baylor (58), Nebraska (48) and Missouri (43) round out the top six. Oklahoma State was picked seventh followed by Kansas, Texas Tech and Iowa State to round out the poll.
Oklahoma State signed two high school seniors to national letters of intent for the 2005-06 season. A native of Durant, Okla., Katie Phillips was a three-time all-area honoree and an all-state and all-region selection her senior season. She also led her high school team in batting average during her sophomore, junior and senior campaigns. Shallon Watson, a product of Missouri City, Texas, was an all-state and all-district selection in 2004. She also helped Elkins High School to it first-ever state title last spring and earned all-tournament honors in the outfield.
Oklahoma State's home conference games, as well as the OU game in Norman, the Border War in Fayetteville, Ark., and all post-season contests will be broadcast live on Stillwater Radio. Bill VanNess will provide the play-by-play for the seventh consecutive season. Any game starting prior to 5 p.m. will air on KSPI 780 AM. Any game starting at 5 p.m. or later will be broadcast on KGFY 105.5 FM.
