Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Continue Conference Play at Iowa State
April 09, 2015 | Cowgirl Softball
April 9, 2015
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State softball team will begin a four-game road trip on Friday, as the Cowgirls travel to Ames, Iowa, for a three-game set against Iowa State. After dropping three-consecutive contests to Kansas last weekend, OSU will look to right the ship against the Cyclones, who are 0-3 in conference play. All games can be followed live on okstate.com and on Twitter at @CowgirlSB.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, Oklahoma State welcomed 23rd-ranked Kansas for a three-game set at Cowgirl Stadium, where the Cowgirls and Jayhawks battled in three close contests, including two one-run finishes. Perhaps the most exciting matchup came in the series opener, as the teams swapped leads three times in the final two innings before KU eventually pulled out a 7-6 victory.
Saturday's matchup, which finished in a 10-5 win for the Jayhawks, marked the most lopsided final of the weekend, as Sunday's series finale turned into an extra-inning thriller. The Cowgirls sent the game into extras with Tiffany Mikkelson's sacrifice fly in the fifth, but it wouldn't be enough, as Kansas would eventually prevail after scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth.
Over the course of the weekend, senior Shelby Davis went 6-10 (.600), helping her take over the conference lead in batting average with a mark of .455. Since Feb. 14, Davis has hit safely in 27 of 32 contests, and has compiled three separate hitting streaks of five games or longer.
Scouting the Opponent
Team Information
Iowa State Cyclones (19-15, 0-3)
Big 12 Conference
2014 Record: 23-31-1
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/4
Newcomers: 9
Season Leaders
BA - Brittany Gomez - .431
R - Brittany Gomez -- 29
HR - Maddie Reese - 8
Wins - Katie Johnson -- 9
ERA - Katie Johnson - 4.00
On Top of the World
Since the first set of NCAA National Statistics Rankings were released on March 9, Cowgirl senior Shelby Davis has held the nation's No. 1 spot in the stolen bases category. Her current mark of 1.26 stolen bases per game leads the country, and her season total of 43 stolen bases ranks first nationwide.
Through 38 games this season, Davis has stolen more than twice as many bases than any other competitor in the Big 12.
Along with Davis, Shianne Hughes (.42), Tiffany Mikkelson (.42) and Vanessa Shippy (.42) also rank in the top 100 in steals per game. As a team, the Cowgirls average 2.74 swiped bags per contest, a mark that ranks fourth in the nation.
Speed Kills
Before the 2015 season, Davis established herself as 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 ranked third in school history, while also giving her the chance to ascend the list in 2015.
During the Cowgirls' series against Kansas last weekend, Davis added four stolen bags to her 2015 campaign, bringing her season total to 43. She now needs nine 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. 107 Shelby Davis (2012-pres.)
4. 47 Cyndi Smith (1995-96)
5. 41 Ari Morrison (2011-14)
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.
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).
