Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Set to Face Wichita State
March 08, 2006 | Cowgirl Softball
Oklahoma State's softball team will host Wichita State on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Cowgirl Softball Complex. The Cowgirls have won six of their last eight games and are 8-11 on the year, after starting the season 2-9. The pitching has come around with a team ERA now under four at 3.92. OSU's pitching staff has compiled an ERA of 2.17 over the last eight games, led by Jessica Hoppock who has gone 2-1 with an ERA of 1.06. The Cowgirl offense has also picked up during that stretch as well. OSU is hitting .284 as a team with seven home runs. Lacy Darity returned from an injury to hit .429, including a game winning home run against Virginia. Wichita State comes into the contest with a 12-7 record. The Shockers are coming off a 2-2 showing at the Hillenbrand Invitational. The Shockers are led by Britnee Barnett. Barnett has been a catalyst both on the mound and at the plate. She is hitting .310 with two home runs and nine RBIs, while going 5-3 in the circle with a 2.29 ERA.
Tweed Shines at Buzz Classic
Oklahoma State senior infielder Ashleigh Tweed continues to make the most of her playing time. Tweed has started in all but one game for the Cowgirls and leads the team in hitting with a .311 average. Tweed tore up the field at the Buzz Classic hitting .389 (7-18) with two home runs and six RBIs. Her two home runs are a new career high and with nine RBIs she is approaching a career high in the category as well.
Kitchens Powers Oklahoma State Past South Dakota State
Lauren Kitchens is not known for her power, but she was the most feared hitter in the Cowgirl last Friday against South Dakota State. Kitchens went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs to lead the Cowgirls past South Dakota State. OSU needed every one of her RBIs as it took 10 innings before the Cowgirls finally knocked off the Jacks. Kitchens is currently second on the team with a .300 average.
Kitchens Shreds Bears
Junior outfielder Lauren Kitchens shredded Missouri State to the tune of a .667 average. Kitchens went 4-for-6 in the double header with a double and a triple. She raised her batting average from .263 to .360, which leads the team.
Scott Sets Steals Mark
Junior outfielder Shanel Scott came into the season needing just three stolen bases to pass former Cowgirl great Cyndi Smith for the all-time lead. It did not take Scott long to get the mark, Scott stole three bases at the Campbell/Cartier Classic to open the season. She got her first steal in the season opener against Cal Poly. She was kept off the bases until the final game of the tournament when she stole two bases against UC-Santa Barbara. Scott is currently hitting .338 on the season and is 5-5 on stolen base attempts.
Scott, Totte moving up Career Ranks
Shanel Scott and Courtney Totte came into their junior seasons already ranking among OSU's best players all-time. Scott has already set the stolen base mark and she is moving up several other charts as well. Totte will rank as one of OSU's best run producers in school history before her career is through. This is how the current Cowgirls rank all-time.
Tweed Swinging Hot Stick
Ashleigh Tweed entered her senior campaign as a .231 career hitter. After starting the season 1-for-8, Tweed has been on a tear hitting safely in eight of her last 10 games. She is 11-for-35 over the last 10 games for a .314 average. Tweed is fourth on the team in hitting with a .279 average.
Cowgirls Slow Out of the Gates
The Cowgirls 3-10 start is the worst 13-game start in school history. The Cowgirls have played well at times with opportunities to knock off ranked opponents California, Oregon and Oregon State. OSU will have several chances down the line to beat highly ranked foes. Poor defense has been one of the main culprits for OSU's slow start. The Cowgirls have committed 26 errors in 13 games, which have led to 21 unearned runs. The Cowgirls still have a long season and with an offense that is hitting .251 as a team and averaging four runs a game, they will have a chance to get back on the right track.
Rebenar Honored at NFCA Banquet
Head Coach Margaret Rebenar was recently honored at the NFCA Banquet in Orlando, Fla. Rebenar was honored for winning her 500th NFCA sanctioned game over the last year. Rebenar's career career record at Oklahoma State is 138-101. She is also credited with 400 victories as the associate head coach under former OSU skipper Sandy Fischer. Rebenar has led the Cowgirls to two NCAA regional appearances, including a runner-up showing last season.
Former Cowgirl Smith inducted into Hall of Fame
Former Oklahoma State pitcher Michele Smith will be inducted into the Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame. Smith was a two-time All-American at OSU with a career ERA of 0.75. She still holds the school record with 82 career wins. At the plate Smith hit a career .343 with 15 home runs and 87 RBIs. Smith went on to be a part of the first two U.S. Olympic teams in softball that both won gold medals. Smith went 2-2 with a 0.50 ERA in 41.2 Olympic innings to lead Team USA to the top of the medal platform. Smith went on to be the second overall pick in the inaugural draft of the Women's Pro Softball League in 1996. She has since retired from competition shortly after the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.has struggled in the early going as well limping while Creighton will open up the season in the tournament.
