Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Prepares for Big 12 Championship
May 08, 2008 | Cowgirl Softball
The Cowgirls have improved dramatically over last season, evidenced by the five-game improvement in their overall record from a year ago. OSU also went from 3-15 in league play last season to a 9-9 conference record this year, the biggest leap by any team in 2008 and the seventh-best improvement in the 13-year history of the Big 12 Conference.
Oklahoma State is led at the plate by senior Kim Kaye. The leftfielder from San Diego, Calif., has tied the school record for home runs in a season (14) and a career (27). She also leads the team with 37 runs batted in, 21 walks and a .626 slugging percentage.
A pair of infield freshman lead the offensive attack. Second baseman Alysia Hamilton, a Moore, Okla., product, leads the team with her .347 batting average and also leads the squad in runs scored with 33. Mariah Gearhart, the starting shortstop, has the most hits this season with 53, and her .435 on-base percentage also leads the team. She has also been successful on 24-of-27 stolen base attempts, leading the squad.
Three other Cowgirls are batting .300 or better and have helped in leading OSU to one of it's most productive seasons offensively in school history. Junior centerfielder Breana Casaus is batting .313 and has 10 stolen bases this season. Sophomore designated player Megan Castle is batting .312 and is among the statistical leaders in RBIs with 25. Sophomore left fielder Katelyn Bright is batting .301 and leads the squad with 11 doubles.
As a team, Oklahoma State is batting .292, the fourth-best average in school history. The Cowgirls' 7.92 hits and 4.02 RBIs per game both rank third in the OSU record books. One of the top defensive teams in school history as well, this year's squad currently sports a .966 fielding percentage, the second-highest in school history.
In the circle, OSU has a trio of pitchers that are all sharing time on the field. Sophomore Anna Whiddon has accumulated a 10-9 record with a 1.99 earned run average in 31 appearances. Freshman left-hander Sarah Odom is 8-5 with a 3.05 ERA in 27 games played, while fellow freshman Amanda Crabtree is currently 8-10 with a 3.48 ERA and has 104 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.
The winner of Saturday's game will play either Texas A&M, Baylor or Iowa State in the semifinals at 7 p.m. The championship game will take place at noon on Sunday.
