Oklahoma State University Athletics
LeBeouf, Pennington Named 2019 Team Captains
November 13, 2018 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – Senior Elise LeBeouf and sophomore Sydney Pennington will serve as the Oklahoma State softball team captains for the 2019 season, head coach Kenny Gajewski announced Tuesday afternoon. It is the first time Gajewski has named official team captains during his tenure in Stillwater.
"This team is like a wolf pack, and the very best leaders can coach or lead in any situation or in any pack," Gajewski said in a meeting with the team Tuesday. "It just kind of hit me this past weekend that I feel like we have two of those people that stand out, and I felt like it was time to let you know that our coaching staff sees those things. Being a leader is lonely and difficult, but I feel like we've named two people that will stand in front of or behind everyone on our team and push them or pull them.
"It doesn't mean they're the only two, but they're the two that we as a staff felt best embodied that. I'm excited about this new chapter in our program and what this means. It's a big deal to us."
LeBeouf is in her second year with the Cowgirls after transferring to OSU from Houston last season. She appeared in 18 games, primarily as a pinch hitter, and notched four hits to go along with six walks. Her best showing was a 1-for-2 outing against Maine on March 2 that saw the Crowley, Louisiana, native notch an RBI double and score a run.
The outfielder, despite her somewhat-limited time in Stillwater, has quickly become one of the team's prominent personalities, with her humor, drive and desire to push others cited by Gajewski as some of the primary reasons for her captaincy.
"What she does each day here is lead. She leads with her action, her humor and her softball skill," Gajewski said of LeBeouf. "I don't think that, at times, we recognize her for that enough. It means a lot to our staff and our team. I think it's completely fair that she's one of the two and it doesn't mean she needs to change who she is. We want her to continue to be who she has been.
"I look at her and she has those qualities of being a leader that continues to push those that might be lacking. She's going to keep pushing people forward no matter what her role is, no matter what her teammates' role is."
The Cowgirls' second captain, Sydney Pennington, was one of five Cowgirls to start all 61 of the team's games last season, but was the only one to do so at multiple positions. She started the year as OSU's designated player, then converted to left field after Rylee Bayless was lost due to injury before ultimately supplanting her competition and locking down her role as the starting shortstop.
Despite shifting positions multiple times and a wealth of outside pressure, Pennington posted a .300 batting average, notched 60 hits, drove in 43 runs and smoked seven home runs. Her home-run output was just two shy of tying Julie Ward's OSU freshman record, and her 43 RBI rank as the third-most recorded by a freshman in school history.
The sophomore's selflessness, and her willingness to keep others in check, were some of the key factors in Gajewski's decision to tab Pennington as a captain this year.
"I love the competition Sydney brings at shortstop, at third base and everywhere else," Gajewski said. "I also look at the way she handled an incredibly difficult situation last year, and I commend her for that and the way she has embraced her competition with Kiley (Naomi) and the rest of her teammates. This year, we've seen her speak up more and more, and that's a hard thing to do when you're young.
"It's lonely being a leader of anything that you want to lead. And it's very hard to lead, whether it's your family, your teammates or anything else. It's something earned, and it's something well-earned and I'm very appreciative of what she and Elise do for us, and what all of our kids do for us."
LeBeouf, Pennington and the rest of the Oklahoma State softball squad will open the 2019 season on Feb. 8. The full schedule will be released at a later date pending completion and compliance approval.
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Oklahoma State is proud to celebrate more than 40 years of rich softball tradition and its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium this year. To renew or purchase your season tickets for the 2019 campaign, visit okstate.com/tickets or call the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU.
"This team is like a wolf pack, and the very best leaders can coach or lead in any situation or in any pack," Gajewski said in a meeting with the team Tuesday. "It just kind of hit me this past weekend that I feel like we have two of those people that stand out, and I felt like it was time to let you know that our coaching staff sees those things. Being a leader is lonely and difficult, but I feel like we've named two people that will stand in front of or behind everyone on our team and push them or pull them.
"It doesn't mean they're the only two, but they're the two that we as a staff felt best embodied that. I'm excited about this new chapter in our program and what this means. It's a big deal to us."
LeBeouf is in her second year with the Cowgirls after transferring to OSU from Houston last season. She appeared in 18 games, primarily as a pinch hitter, and notched four hits to go along with six walks. Her best showing was a 1-for-2 outing against Maine on March 2 that saw the Crowley, Louisiana, native notch an RBI double and score a run.
The outfielder, despite her somewhat-limited time in Stillwater, has quickly become one of the team's prominent personalities, with her humor, drive and desire to push others cited by Gajewski as some of the primary reasons for her captaincy.
"What she does each day here is lead. She leads with her action, her humor and her softball skill," Gajewski said of LeBeouf. "I don't think that, at times, we recognize her for that enough. It means a lot to our staff and our team. I think it's completely fair that she's one of the two and it doesn't mean she needs to change who she is. We want her to continue to be who she has been.
"I look at her and she has those qualities of being a leader that continues to push those that might be lacking. She's going to keep pushing people forward no matter what her role is, no matter what her teammates' role is."
The Cowgirls' second captain, Sydney Pennington, was one of five Cowgirls to start all 61 of the team's games last season, but was the only one to do so at multiple positions. She started the year as OSU's designated player, then converted to left field after Rylee Bayless was lost due to injury before ultimately supplanting her competition and locking down her role as the starting shortstop.
Despite shifting positions multiple times and a wealth of outside pressure, Pennington posted a .300 batting average, notched 60 hits, drove in 43 runs and smoked seven home runs. Her home-run output was just two shy of tying Julie Ward's OSU freshman record, and her 43 RBI rank as the third-most recorded by a freshman in school history.
The sophomore's selflessness, and her willingness to keep others in check, were some of the key factors in Gajewski's decision to tab Pennington as a captain this year.
"I love the competition Sydney brings at shortstop, at third base and everywhere else," Gajewski said. "I also look at the way she handled an incredibly difficult situation last year, and I commend her for that and the way she has embraced her competition with Kiley (Naomi) and the rest of her teammates. This year, we've seen her speak up more and more, and that's a hard thing to do when you're young.
"It's lonely being a leader of anything that you want to lead. And it's very hard to lead, whether it's your family, your teammates or anything else. It's something earned, and it's something well-earned and I'm very appreciative of what she and Elise do for us, and what all of our kids do for us."
LeBeouf, Pennington and the rest of the Oklahoma State softball squad will open the 2019 season on Feb. 8. The full schedule will be released at a later date pending completion and compliance approval.
----
Oklahoma State is proud to celebrate more than 40 years of rich softball tradition and its 20th season of play at Cowgirl Stadium this year. To renew or purchase your season tickets for the 2019 campaign, visit okstate.com/tickets or call the OSU ticket office at 877-ALL-4-OSU.
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