Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Hosts Mizuno Classic
March 05, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
March 5, 2015
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State softball team will host the Mizuno Classic, a four-team tournament consisting of Evansville, UConn, UMKC and the Cowgirls, this weekend, with ten games set to be played in Stillwater. The action begins Friday at 11 a.m., when UMKC faces off with Evansville. All games can followed through live stats on okstate.com.
Game Notes
Weekend Schedule
March 6 - OSU vs. Evansville - 4:30 p.m. CT
March 6 - OSU vs. Connecticut - 7 p.m. CT
March 7 - OSU vs. UMKC - 1:30 p.m. CT
March 7 - OSU vs. TBD - 4:30/7:00 p.m. CT
March 8 - OSU vs. TBD - 9:00/11:00 a.m. CT
Tournament Basics
Competition is set to begin Friday at 11 a.m. when UMKC takes on Evansville, followed by UMKC and UConn at 1:30 p.m. The Cowgirls open play at 4:30 p.m. on Friday when they take on Evansville, followed by a game against UConn at 7:00 p.m. The action continues Saturday with Evansville playing UConn at 11 a.m., followed by Oklahoma State vs. UMKC at 1:30 p.m. From there, the four teams will be seeded with the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed at 4:30 p.m. Saturday with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed at 7 p.m.
The losers of games 7 and 8 play each other in the consolation game at 9 a.m. Sunday. The Mizuno Classic Championship Game, between the winners of games 7 and 8, is set for 11 a.m. Sunday
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
During the Cowgirls' trip to Houston last weekend, Davis stole two bases in three attempts. She now needs 38 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. 78 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 (.425) 5th
Stolen Bases (14) 1st
Vanessa Shippy Stolen Bases (9) T5th
Shianne Hughes Triples (2) T5th
Tiffany Mikkelson Stolen Bases (8) T6th
Meagan Lively Shutouts (2) T3rd
Brandi Needham Innings Pitched (37.1) 7th
Complete Games (4) T3rd
Whitney Whitehorn Complete Games (4) T3rd
On Base Early
This season's Oklahoma State squad has made a habit of putting leadoff batters on base. Through 16 games, the Cowgirls have reached base on 50 of 106 (47.2 percent) at-bats leading off an inning. Vanessa Shippy (9-12), Mallory Collins (6-8), Randee O'Donnell (9-14) and Shelby Davis (11-24) have been vital contributors to that category, and have played a large part in helping the Cowgirls put pressure on their opponents early on.
Home Run Tracker
In 2014, the Oklahoma State softball squad hit 25 home runs, marking the eighth-highest total in school history. That number was one of several that stood out for the Cowgirls, who had one of their best offensive seasons, statistically, in school history. With the help of first-year assistant coach Mark Ryal, this season's squad will look to improve on that number and increase the team's overall power at the plate. Through 16 games, OSU's home runs are outlined in the following list:
Date Player(Season Total) Opponent Team Total
2/06 Mallory Collins (1) Arizona 1
2/13 Mallory Collins (2) Lipscomb 2
2/13 Danielle Riddle (1) Lipscomb 3
2/13 Danielle Riddle (2) South Alabama 4
2/13 Vanessa Shippy (1) South Alabama 5
2/14 Mallory Collins (3) Butler 6
2/27 Vanessa Shippy (2) IPFW 7
2/28 Tiffany Mikkelson (1) North Texas 8
2/28 Tiffany Mikkelson (2) North Texas 9
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 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).
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
