Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Get Rematch with Texas Tech at Big 12 Championship
May 09, 2007 | Cowgirl Softball
Oklahoma State will open the Big 12 Championships as the No. 9 seed and will take on eighth-seeded Texas Tech on Thursday at 5 p.m. at ASA Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium. The game can be heard live on KGFY 105.5 FM with Bill Van Ness calling the action. Texas Tech won a pair of one run games last weekend over OSU. The Cowgirls rallied but fell short in the first game, while Tech rallied for the victory in the second game. The winner plays regular season champion Baylor on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Oklahoma State feels confident it can come through the bracket having played every Big 12 team except Nebraska within one run. The Cowgirls went 1-7 in one run games during Big 12 play, and they held a seventh inning lead in three of those contests. The championship has a new format as it changed from a double elimination in previous years to a single elimination tournament this year. The Cowgirls will have to win four straight games to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. OSU's last NCAA Tournament berth was in 2005. Last year OSU went 2-2 in the Big 12 Championship and advanced to the semifinals after it defeated top-seeded Texas. They were eliminated by Nebraska in an extra-inning affair. All games in the championship will be broadcast live on either KSPI 780 AM or KGFY 105.5 FM, or you can follow all the action as it happens on OSU's official athletic website, www.okstate.com.
What to Watch For
Scott is one run shy of tying the single season school record in runs scored with 56. Courtney Totte is five RBIs shy of the career RBI record.
Scott Records Steal No. 50
Shanel Scott became the first player in Big 12 history with 50 stolen bases in one season when she stole second base in the first inning on May 5 against Texas Tech. Scott only stole 57 bases in her first three seasons at OSU. Her total leads the nation and she is second with 0.88 steals per game.
Totte Sets Home Run Mark
Courtney Totte set the single season home run mark at OSU with her 14th round tripper of the season against Texas Tech on May 5, a solo shot in the sixth inning. Totte eclipses the record set by Stephanie Nicholson with 13 in 2005. Totte has more than doubled her power production this season as she only had nine career home runs and a career .434 slugging percentage. This season she has 14 home runs and has sluuged at a .771 clip.
Scott Sets Big 12 Mark
Shanel Scott stole three bases against Nebraska over the weekend, with her final steal coming in the first inning of the second game. That last steal set the new Big 12 single season record breaking Sharonda McDonald's mark of 48 set in 2005. Scott has stolen a base in 15 of her last 19 games, including a 10-game streak, the longest of her career.
Totte Ties Home Run Mark
Courtney Totte tied the single season home run mark of 13 with a three-run shot off the scoreboard in the fifth inning against Texas on April 22. Stephanie Nicholson had 13 home runs in the 2005 season. Totte hit two home runs in the series against the Longhorns, her first home runs since clubbing a pair against Iowa State on April 1. Totte currently holds the single season record with 70 RBIs.
Totte, Scott Among Nation's Leaders
Seniors Courtney Totte and Shanel Scott are among the leaders nationally in RBIs and stolen bases, respectively. Totte ranks fourth in total RBIs with 70, and Scott leads the nation in stolen bases with 50. The NCAA, however, ranks players on per game averages and Totte ranks third nationally in RBIs with an average of 1.23, while Scott ranks second in stolen bases at 0.88 steals per game.
Totte Records 200th hit
Courtney Totte continues to pile up career achievements as she became the second Cowgirl this season to record her 200th career hit. Totte's RBI single in the seventh inning against Baylor on April 15 was the magical hit. She has 67 hits this season, a career high with her previous high being 49 in 2005. Totte has not cheated herself either as 32 of her 67 hits have gone for extra bases.
Shanel Scott Steals 100th Base
Shanel Scott walked in the first inning against Baylor on April 15 and she quickly swiped second base, the 100th steal in her four-year career. Scott currently has 50 steals on the season, a single season Big 12 record. She had a streak snapped of having a steal in 10 straight games at Texas A&M on April 18 and has stolen a base in 40 of OSU's 57 games.
Totte Named a Finalist for Player of the Year
The Amateur Softball Association, the governing body of softball in the United States, has announced the 25 finalists for the Collegiate Player of the Year. Senior Courtney Totte was one of seven Big 12 players to be named a finalist. The Lawton, Okla. native is hitting .404 on the season with a school record 14 home runs and 70 RBIs. She has twice had six RBIs in a game to tie the single game record at OSU.
