Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Face Sooners in Bedlam III
April 27, 2010 | Cowgirl Softball
April 27, 2010
#11 Oklahoma State Cowgirls
(41-10 overall, 10-3 Big 12)
at
#12 Oklahoma Sooners
(36-10 overall, 10-3 Big 12)
OU Softball Complex • Norman, Okla.
Wednesday, April 28 • 7 p.m.
Radio • KGFY 105.5 FM
Television • Cox Channel 3 (OKC/Tulsa)
Game Notes vs. Oklahoma in PDF Format 
On Tap
Oklahoma State wraps up a five-game road swing in the schedule as the Cowgirls travel to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. First pitch is slated for 7:08 p.m. and the game will be televised locally by Cox Sports. OSU has won the two previous meetings this season against OU.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State is 41-10 overall this season and 10-3 in Big 12 play. The Cowgirls and Sooners are tied for second place in the Big 12 Conference. OSU is ranked No. 11 in the latest NFCA Coaches poll. Three losses this season have come against the top-two teams in the country (Washington and Michigan). The Cowgirls' 41-10 record is the best mark through 51 games since 1994 when Oklahoma State was also 41-10. OSU is just one of four teams with 40 or more wins entering the next-to-last week of the regular season.
At the Plate
The Cowgirls are led by junior third baseman Mariah Gearhart who is batting .386 with 45 runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Julie Ward has a .346 batting average and a .691 slugging percentage with nine home runs and 20 doubles. She is second in the Big 12 with 49 RBIs and has three grand slams on the season. Five different Cowgirls have at least 40 hits this season and six different players have scored at least 20 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 20-5 overall this season. She has a 2.15 earned run average in 159.1 innings pitched. She has 14 complete games, five shutouts, six saves and is averaging more than 7.6 strikeouts per seven innings. Freshman Kat Espinosa is 18-4 this season with a 1.29 earned run average, 24 starts, 12 complete games and six shutouts this season. This marks the first time since 1994 that two different Cowgirl hurlers have each recorded 15 or more victories. Kim Ward and Amy Day each had 20 wins that season.
On Radio
Wednesday night's game will be broadcast live over the radio waves on KGFY-105.5 FM in Stillwater. Bill Van Ness will handle the play-by-play duties. All remaining games will be aired by Stillwater Radio, either on KGFY or KSPI-780 AM. The games this weekend will be on the AM station.
On Television
Wednesday's game will be televised by Sooner Sports Properties in conjunction with Cox Cable in Oklahoma City (channel 3) and Tulsa (channel 3). Toby Rowland will handle the play-by-play duties while Norrelle Dickson handles analysis.
Series History vs Oklahoma
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma by a 70-66 margin. The Sooners led the series 16-13 entering the 1981 season, but the Cowgirls are 57-50 since OSU moved records for women's sports over to Gallagher-Iba Arena that year. OU is 28-16 against OSU in Norman, and the Cowgirls haven't won in Norman since the NCAA Regionals in 1997. This year marks the first time since 2003 that both teams are ranked when playing each other. It is the 26th game overall in the series when both teams are ranked since 1995. The Cowgirls are 35-24 in shutouts, and OU is 5-2 in extra-inning contests.
Second to 40 Victories
As of Monday, just four teams had reached the 40-win plateau this season, and Oklahoma State is second nationally with 41 victories. The Cowgirls are just two wins behind the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who are 43-8 overall this season. Another five schools entered the week with 39 wins. Oklahoma State was the second-fastest team to 40 wins, and was the third team to 30 victories this season, following Florida State and Arizona State.
This season marks the 10th time in school history that OSU's softball team has won 40 or more games in a single season. The school record for victories in a season is 51, set by the 1988 squad. In 1993, the Cowgirls won 50 games. OSU's 41 wins this season are the seventh-most in a season in school history.
Record in Jeopardy
Sophomore Julie Ward has hit 20 doubles this season, leading the team, the Big 12 Conference and NCAA Division I. She is just two shy of the school and Big 12 record of 22, set by Jaime Foutch in 1997. Ward's total this year is the second most in school history and is tied for the sixth-most in league history. One more will tie her with four other players — Jana James of Texas A&M, Texas Tech's Kim Martinez, Sara Holland of Kansas and Oklahoma's Jessica Leslie — for the second-most in Big 12 Conference history.
Up Next
Oklahoma State will host Nebraska (27-22 overall, 6-8 Big 12) on Saturday and Sunday, May 1 & 2, at 2 p.m. and noon, respectively. The Cowgirls will close out the regular season at home on May 8-9 as OSU hosts Texas A&M (36-13, 7-6).
