Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Hosts Baylor
March 26, 2010 | Cowgirl Softball
March 26, 2010
#15 Oklahoma State Cowgirls
(27-7 overall, 0-0 Big 12)
vs
#25 Baylor Bears
(19-8 overall, 0-0 Big 12)
Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
Saturday, March 27 • 2 pm
Sunday, March 28 • 1 pm
Radio • KSPI 780 AM
Video Feed • www.okstate.com
Softball Game Notes vs. Baylor in PDF Format 
On Tap
Oklahoma State opens Big 12 Conference play this weekend by hosting the No. 25 Baylor Bears in a two-game set. OSU is 27-7 overall and ranked 15th nationally while Baylor is 19-8 overall this season. First pitch on Saturday is slated for 2 p.m. while Sunday's game is set to start at 1 o'clock. Oklahoma State is 24-17 all-time against the Bears, including a 12-5 mark in Stillwater.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State is 27-7 overall this season and ranked No. 15 in the latest NFCA Coaches poll and 16th in the latest USA Softball/ESPN.com top-25 rankings. Five of the losses this season have come against top-25 opponents, including a loss to top-ranked Washington. The Cowgirls' 27-7 record ties for OSU's best mark through 34 games since 1993 when Oklahoma State was 29-5. Three other times during that span, OSU has gone 27-7 (1994, 1998 and 2003).
At the Plate
The Cowgirls are led by junior third baseman Mariah Gearhart who is batting .430 with 35 runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Julie Ward has a .361 batting average and a .742 slugging percentage with seven home runs and 16 doubles. She is second in the Big 12 with 43 RBIs and has three grand slams on the season. Seven different Cowgirls have at least 20 hits this season and nine different players have scored at least 10 runs. Five different Cowgirls have a .400 or better slugging percentage at the plate this season.
In the Circle
Oklahoma State's pitching staff is led by senior Anna Whiddon who is 14-3 overall this season. She has a 1.90 earned run average in nearly 100 innings pitched. She has eight complete games, four shutouts, four saves and is averaging nearly eight strikeout per seven innings. Whiddon threw a one-hit shutout against Bedlam-rival and 11th-ranked Oklahoma in a non-conference game earlier this season. Freshman Kat Espinosa is 10-3 this season with a 1.65 ERA, 16 starts and six complete games this season.
Series History vs Baylor
Oklahoma State is 24-17 all-time against Baylor, but has lost eight of the last 10 games in the series. The Cowgirls are 12-5 all-time against the Bears in Stillwater, including a sweep two years ago of 18th-ranked Baylor. There has not be a split of the regular-season series since 2005 when OSU won 3-0 in eight innings before dropping the second game 6-2 in Waco. Since the Big 12 formed in 1996, OSU holds a slim 14-13 margin in league games only. This will mark the first time that both teams were ranked in the top-25 when they played.
On the Air
Both games this weekend will be broadcast over the airwaves on the Cowgirl Radio Network. Bill Van Ness will be calling the action as they are broadast live on KSPI 780 AM. All radio broadcasts start 15 minutes prior to first pitch with pregame analysis and starting lineups. A complete list of broadcast games can be found in the schedule/results section of these game notes.
Up Next
The Cowgirls will host Missouri State in a non-conference game on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Game Rescheduled
Oklahoma State's game at Missouri State, postponed due to weather on Thursday, has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 8, at 5 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.
