Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Open Three Game-Set Against UAPB
March 12, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
March 12, 2015
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State softball team will welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a three-game series this weekend, set to begin on Saturday, March 14, at 5 p.m. CT. The Cowgirls will then round out a doubleheader with the Golden Lions at 7 p.m., before closing out the series with a 12 p.m. matchup on Sunday. Each game will be played at Cowgirl Stadium, and can be followed live on okstate.com or on Twitter at @CowgirlSB.
Last Time Out
The Oklahoma State softball team nearly overcame a nine-run deficit against Wichita State on Wednesday, but was eventually defeated, 11-8, in a high-scoring thriller at Cowgirl Stadium.
Both squads combined for 19 runs and 26 hits, but the final score didn't reflect the first four innings, which were marked by a pitching duel between Oklahoma State's Brandi Needham and WSU's Katie Malone. Needham showed signs of dominance through the first half of the contest, including a five-pitch inning in the third that ended with the Cowgirl starter striking out Layne Greenlee on three-straight pitches.
The Cowgirls (9-13) breezed through the first two outs of the fifth, but a two-out error on a high chopper to short turned out to be a huge momentum shift for the Shockers. After the blunder, nine-consecutive WSU batters reached base, as the visiting side used six hits and three walks to push across nine two-out runs.
The Shockers tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but Holcomb's leadoff single in the bottom of the frame kept the Cowgirls' rally alive. After a double from Darcy Taylor, Gessenia DeLaCruz stepped to the plate and launched a two-run double into left center, bringing home both Taylor and Holcomb. The senior's big hit put the Cowgirls within three, but WSU eventually sealed the victory by forcing consecutive fly outs from Cavin and Davis.
Scouting the Opponent
Season Leaders
BA - Jasmine Hardwick - .303
Hits - Jasmine Hardwick - 10
HR - Jasmine Hardwick - 3
Wins - N/A
ERA - Makayla Hunter - 8.24
Team Information
Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions (0-16, 0-0)
Southwestern Athletic Conference
2014 Record: 7-27
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/6
Newcomers: 4
Series History
Series History: OSU leads, 3-0
In Pine Bluff: N/A
In Stillwater: OSU leads, 3-0
Neutral: N/A
Last Meeting: 3/01/14 - OSU 10, UAPB 0 (5)
Speed Kills
Cowgirl senior Shelby Davis has been an invaluable asset on the base paths 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.
Against Wichita State on Wednesday, Davis was 1-2 on stolen base attempts, pushing her season total to 22. She now needs 29 more 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. 86 Shelby Davis (2012-pres.)
4. 47 Cyndi Smith (1995-96)
5. 41 Ari Morrison (2011-14)
Switching Up the Sched
Head coach Rich Wieligman has recently added two additional home matchups to the Oklahoma State schedule, pushing the Cowgirls' game count on the year to 56. On March 17, OSU will turn its evening matchup against Iowa into a doubleheader, opening with a 4 p.m. battle with Central Arkansas at Cowgirl Stadium. The Cowgirls' game against Iowa has been pushed back to a 6:30 p.m. start.
On April 29, Stillwater will welcome North Texas for a twin-bill after originally scheduling a single game against the Mean Green. That doubleheader will begin at 4 p.m., and will conclude with a matchup at 6 p.m., both set to be played at Cowgirl Stadium.
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 (stats are updated through March 10):
Name Category (mark) Big 12 Standing
Shelby Davis Batting Average (.424) 7th
Stolen Bases (21) 1st
Vanessa Shippy Doubles (6) T4th
Stolen Bases (12) 4th
Shianne Hughes Triples (2) 5th
Tiffany Mikkelson Stolen Bases (10) 5th
Slugging Percentage (.683) 6th
Doubles (5) 6th
Meagan Lively Shutouts (2) T5th
Brandi Needham Complete Games (5) T4th
Innings Pitched (51.1) 7th
Wins (5) T7th
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 Regionals 44-16
Lipscomb Regionals 41-15
South Alabama Regionals 42-14
Long Beach St. Regionals 39-19
Florida St. WCWS (8th) 55-9
Hofstra Regionals 34-15
Utah Valley Regionals 18-42
BYU Regionals 34-23
Tulsa Regionals 53-9
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).
