Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Host Sooners in Bedlam Action
April 06, 2010 | Cowgirl Softball
April 6, 2010
#10 Oklahoma State Cowgirls
(32-7 overall, 4-0 Big 12)
vs
#11 Oklahoma Sooners
(29-8 overall, 3-1 Big 12)
Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
Wednesday, April 7 • 7 p.m.
Television • Cowgirl Sports Network
Oklahoma City — Cox Channel 3
Tulsa — Cox Channel 3
Radio • KGFY 105.5 FM Stillwater
Game Notes vs. Oklahoma in PDF Format 
On Tap
It's Bedlam 2010 as the Oklahoma State Cowgirls host the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday, April 7, in the first conference game of the season between the two schools. OSU and OU played a non-conference game earlier this season with the Cowgirls picking up the 1-0 win.
On Television
Wednesday's Bedlam matchup on the softball diamond will be televised statewide on the Cowgirl Sports Network, a division of Learfield Sports. Brenda VanLengen will handle the play-by-play duties while former Cowgirl pitcher Nancy Teehee will provide expert analysis. The game will be aired on Cox Cable in Oklahoma City (channel 3) and Tulsa (channel 3). It will also be on PTCI in Guymon, KOMI in Woodward, Metro Sports in Kansas City, and on Fox College Sports.
On Radio
Wednesday night's game with Oklahoma will be broadcast over the radio airwaves on KGFY 105.5 FM in Stillwater. Bill Van Ness will handle the play-by-play duties. This weekend's pair of games will also be broadcast on KSPI 780 AM in Stillwater.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State is 32-7 overall this season and ranked No. 10 in the latest Ultimate College Softball poll, 11th in the USA Softball/ESPN.com top-25 rankings, and 12th in the NFCA Coaches poll. Five of the losses this season have come against top-25 opponents, including a loss to top-ranked Washington. The Cowgirls' 32-7 record is the best mark through 39 games since 1994 when Oklahoma State started the season 35-7. OSU is currently on a nine-game winning streak and has won 26 of its last 29.
At the Plate
The Cowgirls are led by junior third baseman Mariah Gearhart who is batting .417 with 38 runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Julie Ward has a .369 batting average and a .721 slugging percentage with seven home runs and 18 doubles. She is second in the Big 12 with 46 RBIs and has three grand slams on the season. Eight 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 17-3 overall this season. She has a 1.97 earned run average in 120 innings pitched. She has 11 complete games, four shutouts, four saves and is averaging more than 7.5 strikeouts 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 12-3 this season with a 1.43 ERA, 18 starts and eight complete games this season.
Garcia Big 12 Player of the Week
Shortstop Chelsea Garcia has been named the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Week for the period ending April 4, it was announced Tuesday afternoon. The Cowgirl sophomore batted .500 (4-for-8) with two home runs and a triple last week in three victories. She scored the go-ahead run with a solo homer against Missouri State in a 3-2 victory on Tuesday. She hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning on Friday afternoon at No. 4 Missouri, tying the game at 3-3 before a rain delay suspended the game until Saturday. She hit a triple in OSU's 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon, providing OSU with a two-game sweep.
Series History vs Oklahoma
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Oklahoma by a 69-66 margin. The Sooners led the series 16-13 entering the 1981 season, but the Cowgirls are 56-50 since OSU moved records for women's sports over to Gallagher-Iba Arena that year. Oklahoma State is 32-23 in Stillwater, although OU has won the last six games in Cowgirl Stadium. This year marks the first time since 2003 that both teams are ranked when playing each other. It is the 25th game overall in the series when both teams are ranked since 1995.
Last Time vs. Oklahoma
Cowgirl hurler Anna Whiddon threw a one-hit shutout and Oklahoma State ended a 15-game skid against bedlam-rival Oklahoma. The Cowgirl righty allowed just four base runners, giving up the lone base hit along with two walks and a hit batter. She also struck out four Sooner hitters. OSU scored its lone run in the top of the fourth inning. Julie Ward led off with a double to left field and went to third on a wild pitch by OU freshman pitcher Keilani Ricketts, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Tamara Brown. OSU had six other baserunners with three hits, two hit batsmen and a walk. Ricketts struck out eight Cowgirls. The game was a non-conference contest played as part of The Preview Featuring Bedlam at ASA/Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
National Polls
Oklahoma State is ranked No. 12 in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll, the highest ranking for the Cowgirls in that poll since the end of the regular season in 1998 when OSU was ranked 11th. The NFCA Coaches Poll is the oldest poll in collegiate softball, and started providing rankings prior to the 1995 season. Prior to 1995, the only collegiate softball poll was one released by the NCAA, and there are no reliable records on-line of those polls prior to 1995. Oklahoma State was ranked No. 1 throughout much of the 1989 season in the NCAA poll.
Three of OSU's losses this season have come to the top-two teams in the polls — Washington and Michigan. The Cowgirls swept Missouri last weekend, which dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. Oklahoma State has a 7-5 mark against teams currently ranked in the NFCA top-25 poll.
30 Wins
Entering the ninth week of the season, just seven teams have reached the 30-win plateau, and Oklahoma State is one of them. Florida State leads the country with 33 victories while the Cowgirls and Georgia Tech are tied for second with 32 wins. Two other Big 12 schools — Texas (31) and Texas A&M (30) — have also reached the 30-win mark.
OUCH!!!
Leadoff hitter Mariah Gearhart has no problem taking one for the team and has a knack for getting on base. After tying the school record for hit-by-pitches as a freshman with 16, she eclipsed that mark as a sophomore with 22, doubling the previous school career record with 38 through two seasons. This year, she has already been beaned 20 times. With 58 career hit by pitches, Gearhart ranks third in NCAA history in that category, just 10 shy of establishing a new NCAA record.
Whiddon One of Top Pitchers
Senior hurler Anna Whiddon ranks among some of the best pitchers in Oklahoma State history. Her career record is 58-36, giving her the seventh-most victories in school history. Her 132 career appearances rank third in school history. Her 11 career saves are the most by a Cowgirl in OSU history. She ranks fourth in school history for career starts with 96, just one shy of tying Olympian Michele Smith for third place. Whiddon's 603-2/3 innings pitched ranks sixth in school history. With 11 strikeouts against Missouri State last week, she became just the sixth player in school history to record 500 career Ks; she currently has 508.
Record in Jeopardy
Sophomore Julie Ward has hit 18 doubles this season, leading the team and the Big 12 Conference. She is just four shy of the school and Big 12 record of 22, hit by Jaime Foutch in 1997. Her total this year ranks third in school history and is tied for the 11th-most in league history. One more will tie her with former Cowgirl Stephanie Nicholson, along with three other former Big 12 players for seventh in conference history.
Up Next
OSU will travel to Springfield, Mo., on Thursday to play a makeup game with the Missouri State Bears. MSU is 11-18 this season, including a 3-2 loss at Stillwater. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
