Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Changes Weekend Schedule, Heads to Houston
February 25, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
Feb. 25, 2015
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State softball team will travel to Houston, Texas, on Friday to take on IPFW and North Texas in four games over two days. The Cowgirls had originally planned to open their home schedule this weekend, but were forced to relocate due to inclement weather. All games will be played at the Scrap Yard Sports Complex, and live stats for this weekend's games can be found at okstate.com.
Weekend Schedule
Feb. 27 - OSU vs. IPFW - 4:00 p.m. CT
Feb. 27 - OSU vs. North Texas - 6:15 p.m. CT
Feb. 28 - OSU vs. IPFW - 10:30 a.m. CT
Feb. 28 - OSU vs. North Texas - 12:15 p.m. CT
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Cowgirls participated in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, a 35-team tournament held in Palm Springs, Calif., where several of the nation's top teams battled for four days. Oklahoma State went 1-4 at the competition, but several bright spots were seen from the young Cowgirls.
In Friday's opener, Meagan Lively led the Cowgirls to a 2-0 victory over Long Beach State, as the sophomore tossed a one-hit shutout in the most dominating performance of her career. The righty took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and scattered seven strikeouts in a full game's work. Offensively, freshman Vanessa Shippy was the difference, as her two-run double in the third provided all the scoring the Cowgirls would need.
In perhaps the toughest challenge of the weekend, the Cowgirls took on eighth-ranked Florida State, but fell to the ACC foe, 4-1. Oklahoma State loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and had a chance to take the lead, but was held down by FSU's strong pitching arsenal.
The following two matchups saw OSU fall to Stanford, 4-0, and Fresno State, 16-4, but the Cowgirls finished the weekend by battling back-and-forth with Cal State-Fullerton in one of the most exciting games of the tournament. Danielle Riddle's two-out single tied the game in the sixth, but Oklahoma State was eventually defeated by the Titans, 6-5, after Missy Taukeiaho scored from second on a wild pitch in the bottom of the final frame.
Speed Kills
Cowgirl senior Shelby Davis has been an invaluable asset on the basepaths throughout the first three years of her career. After swiping 23 bags in her first two seasons, Davis stole 41 bases in 2014, a season-total that stands at No. 2 on OSU's all-time list. Going into 2014, her 64 career stolen bases ranks third in school history, while also giving her the chance to ascend the list in 2015.
During the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic last weekend, Davis stole a perfect five bases in five attempts. She now needs 40 stolen bases this season to become the all-time leader at OSU, as outlined in the following list:
All-Time Career Stolen Bases
1. 115 Mariah Gearhart (2008-11)
2. 108 Shanel Scott (2004-07)
3. 76 Shelby Davis (2012-pres.)
4. 47 Cyndi Smith (1995-96)
5. 41 Ari Morrison (2011-14)
The Big 12's Best
Despite being positioned in one of the most challenging conferences in the country, several Oklahoma State individuals have placed their names toward the top of the Big 12's statistical leaders list. The following list outlines how different individual Cowgirls have fared against the conference's best:
Name Category (mark) Big 12 Standing
Shelby Davis Batting Average (.414) 7th
Stolen Bases (12)1st
Vanessa Shippy Doubles (4) T5th
Stolen Bases (7)T5th
Shianne Hughes Triples (2) T3rd
Tiffany Mikkelson Stolen Bases (5)T8th
Meagan Lively Shutouts (1) T6th
Whitney Whitehorn Complete Games (3) T4th
Youth of the Nation
With four seniors and two additional letter-winners gone from last season's squad, the five members of the Cowgirls' 2015 freshman class came to Stillwater knowing that they could make an instant impact. That group was in full force in the team's season-opening series at Arizona, as at least three freshmen started in each of the team's three games. The following list is a detailed look at the breakdown of freshmen starters from the opening weekend:
Feb. 6 Vanessa Shippy (2B), Maddie Holcomb (CF), Jessi Haffner (1B), Mallory Collins (LF)
Feb. 7 Vanessa Shippy (2B), Maddie Holcomb (CF), Mallory Collins (LF)
Feb. 8 Vanessa Shippy (2B), Maddie Holcomb (CF), Jessi Haffner (1B), Mallory Collins (LF), Randee O'Donnell (SS)
Instant Impact
Four Cowgirl freshmen made their collegiate debuts in the team's season opener against Arizona, including Vanessa Shippy, Maddi Holcomb and Jessi Haffner. Shippy, a native of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, recorded her first-career hit with a third-inning double, while Holcomb knocked in her first-career RBI on a groundout in the fifth, which scored pinch runner Randee O'Donnell, also a freshman.
The highlight of the night, however, came in the top of the second, when freshman leftfielder Mallory Collins stepped to the plate for the first time in a Cowgirl uniform. Five pitches later, Collins sent a 2-2 pitch from Arizona starter Nancy Bowling over the leftfield fence, giving her a home run in her first collegiate at-bat. The Sand Springs, Okla., native went on to record base-hits in each of the next two games, putting her total bases tally at six after the opening weekend.
Inside the 2015 Schedule
The 2015 schedule is highlighted by 26 games against teams that made last year's NCAA Tournament. The slate also boasts 37 matchups against teams that finished in the top-100 of the final 2014 RPI rankings. The following is a look at each of last season's NCAA Tournament teams featured on the 2015 Cowgirl softball schedule:
Team Postseason Final 2014 Record
Arizona Super Regionals44-16
Lipscomb Regionals 41-15
South Alabama Regionals42-14
Long Beach St. Regionals39-19
Florida St. WCWS (8th) 55-9
Hofstra Regionals34-15
Utah Valley Regionals 18-42
BYU Regionals34-23
Tulsa Regionals53-9
Baylor WCWS (4th) 49-16
Kansas Regionals 34-23
Texas Regionals 35-23
Oklahoma WCWS (5th) 51-13
Channel Surfing
On Saturday, May 9, Oklahoma State will be featured in the national spotlight, as the Cowgirls' matchup against Oklahoma will televised live on ESPN2. The Bedlam battle, set to begin at 2 p.m. CT, will be hosted by the Sooners, and will be available for fans to watch on the following cable providers: Suddenlink (31/231 HD), AT&T U-Verse (606/1606 HD), DirecTV (206/) and Dish Network (141).
Preseason Recognition
The Cowgirls were selected to finish fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, which was released on Jan. 21. The selection is the highest for the Oklahoma State in the history of the conference poll, which was introduced prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Team (first-place votes) Votes
1. Oklahoma (6) 36
2. Baylor (1) 30
3. Texas 27
4. Oklahoma State 19
5. Kansas 17
6. Iowa State 9
6. Texas Tech 9
