Game Notes: Cowgirls Opening Big 12 Play in Stillwater

Friday, March 23

Stillwater, OK

6 P.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

Iowa State

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Photo by: OSU Athletics

March 22, 2018 | Cowgirl Softball

PDF Notes - Iowa State

STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State softball squad opens Big 12 play this weekend, as the Cowgirls welcome Iowa State to Stillwater for a three-game series. OSU is coming off a tough 2-0 loss to Tulsa in midweek action that saw the Cowgirls' 12-game winning streak halted. This weekend's contests will mark OSU's second home weekend of the year, after the Cowgirls posted a 5-0 mark at the Mizuno Classic three weeks ago.

In the Rankings
Oklahoma State is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 and is No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll this week. It is the eighth consecutive week that OSU has held a spot in at least one of the national polls, dating back to last year's end-of-season rankings.

Oklahoma State From a Distance
Oklahoma State enters the 2018 season with a genuine buzz surrounding the program. Much of that has to do with a highly-successful first two years under head coach Kenny Gajewski, as well as a large crop of returning and new talent among the squad this season.
OSU was one of the best teams in the nation at getting on base last season, doing so at a .396 clip. That trend figures to remain a fixture of the team's success in 2018, as much of last year's core returns in this season's lineup. Senior Vanessa Shippy, who owns OSU's career on-base percentage record (.502), will lead the line once again as she looks to cement her place among the all-time great Cowgirls.
Along with Shippy, Oklahoma State's lineup will feature stars like Taylor Lynch, Madi Sue Montgomery, Randee O'Donnell and a host of other top-notch competitors. Among the 13 returners this year, OSU brings more than 75 percent of its total number of at-bats from a season ago (1,219-1,592 AB). That percentage grows when you look strictly at the number of hits that still reside in Stillwater from a season ago (77 pct./355-458 H).
The Cowgirl defense and pitching staff also looks to be improved in 2018. With seven of the eight every-day position starters returning to the field this year, along with a revamped pitching staff, OSU looks like a squad that will be able to keep the opposition's bats in check. This year's group of pitchers is made up of three transfers - Samantha Clakley, Emmie Robertson and Kendal Judge - as well as two returners - Logan Simunek and Whitney Whitehorn.

Notable Streaks and Trends Entering the Weekend
- OSU is 32-19 in games decided by two runs or less since the start of the 2016 season.
- Vanessa Shippy has started 201 consecutive games. She has started every possible game during her Oklahoma State career thus far, and has played every position but pitcher in a live game.
-  Madi Sue Montgomery has started 149 consecutive games entering this season. Like Shippy, she has started every possible contest during her OSU career.
-  Vanessa Shippy has tallied 185 hits to only 46 strikeouts since Gajewski became head coach at OSU.
-  Vanessa Shippy has recorded 51 hits over her last 42 games played.
-  Vanessa Shippy has reached base as the Cowgirls' first batter in 11 of OSU's last 13 contests.
-  Emmie Robertson has struck out at least four batters in seven of her 13 appearances this year, including a team-best nine against Oakland on Feb. 18.
-  Samantha Clakley has not walked more than two batters in her last nine appearances. On six of those occasions, she did not walk more than one.
-  Maddi Holcomb has logged at least one hit in 16 of her last 21 games.
-  Madi Sue Montgomery has driven in multiple runs on seven occasions this season, including in each of OSU's last three games of the Mizuno Classic.
-  Sydney Pennington has recorded at least one hit in 19 of her 28 games played thus far and has driven in at least one run on 14 occasions so far in 2018.
-  Logan Simunek has allowed just two earned runs in 35.1 innings pitched this season.