Oklahoma State University Athletics
Bases Loaded: Cowgirls Impress in Houston
February 11, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER -Â The Oklahoma State softball team kicked its 2019 season into full gear this past weekend, going 4-1 at the Houston Invitational.
OSU lost its opener to Illinois on Friday, but responded quickly, defeating Houston, Sam Houston State, avenging the Illinois loss and walking-off No. 13 Kentucky, 8-7, in Sunday's finale. A look at the biggest talking points coming out of week one:
First Base: Welcome to the Show
Samantha Show, a senior pitcher and utility player, saw her first competitive action with the Cowgirls this past weekend in Houston, Texas, and she immediately made her presence known both at the plate and in the circle.
Show's weekend kicked off with a two-run home run against Illinois, and she'd follow it up with several starring moments, including a two-hit, complete-game performance against Houston Friday night, a second-inning grand slam in the second meeting against the Illini and a six-inning outing against No. 13 Kentucky on Sunday.
The Texas A&M transfer batted .300, notched four extra-base hits and drove in eight runs while hitting primarily out of the two-hole in coach Kenny Gajewski's lineup. She also tallied 13 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .146 batting average in her two pitching appearances.
Show's name will be one seen and heard frequently throughout the year, as her experience and immense talent will be a key factor in Oklahoma State's ability to succeed in 2019.
Second Base:Â Springing Into Action
Sydney Springfield, a junior first baseman and transfer from LSU, burst onto the scene in her first competitive weekend as a Cowgirl, batting .462 with four extra-base hits and four RBI during the Houston Invitational.
Springfield started three times at first base and played in all four of OSU's victories this past weekend. She notched multiple hits in all three of her starts, highlighted by a two-home run, four-RBI day against No. 13 Kentucky in Sunday's finale.
With OSU trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Springfield smoked a two-run shot to cut the deficit in half. The Flower Mound, Texas, native's efforts were turned upside down in the top of the seventh, as she committed an error that allowed the Wildcats to extend the lead back to three.
Springfield would not let her defensive lapse keep her down though, as she blasted her second home run of the day - another two-run effort - over the left-field fence to secure OSU's walk-off win.
Her efforts over the weekend were noticed by fans, teammates and coaches alike, and she will likely be a prominent name in the lineup moving forward in 2019.
Third Base: Speed Kills, And So Does Power
One of the most interesting things about Oklahoma State's lineup coming out of week one was how the pair of Kiley Naomi and Rylee Bayless formed a deadly duo of powerful speedsters at the top and bottom of OSU's lineup.
Bayless, the Cowgirls' leadoff batter, and Naomi, the one turning the lineup over at the bottom of the order, were dynamic in action together.
Naomi reached base at a .529 clip, and Bayless' .400 batting average and .571 on-base percentage were a key factor in the freshman's ability to score seven times in five games. Bayless notched four extra-base hits out of the leadoff spot and Naomi bagged two, with both tallying home runs in OSU's win over No. 13 Kentucky Sunday morning.
They both also possess elite speed and can swipe a base, go first-to-third or even first-to-home in a flash. Naomi swiped two bases during her first weekend of college softball and Bayless is OSU's active career stolen bases leader.
This dynamic duo that can hit for average, hit for power, get on base and run with the best of them will be a key pair to watch as the competition heats up in 2019.
Home Plate: Building a Program, Brick-by-Brick
The biggest thing to come out of this weekend was just how much the Oklahoma State softball program has grown during the current staff's four-year tenure.
After the opening-day loss to Illinois, the Cowgirls rallied to beat a game Houston squad, 5-1, on its home turf that same day. OSU then carried that momentum into a gritty 3-0 win over Sam Houston State and a 10-6 loss-avenging performance against Illinois Saturday, despite the Cowgirls not being at their best.
Coach Kenny Gajewski noted that those two wins on Saturday were a great sign toward the Cowgirls' growth, as in previous years, when the team struggled to score or found itself in tough situations, the games usually went the other way on the scoreboard.
Sunday's Houston Invitational finale was perhaps the most positive sign of the rebuilding Gajewski and staff have achieved at OSU thus far.
The Cowgirls found themselves down by five runs, and scoreless through three, but their heads never dropped and the at-bats stayed sharp as OSU slowly chipped away at the No. 13 Wildcats' lead. The impressive display was capped by a four-run seventh inning that ended with a two-run, walk-off home run that sent the OSU dugout into a frenzied celebration.
There is still plenty of work to be done. In fact, the Cowgirls have (at least) 47 games remaining on their 2019 schedule, but this year's team has already started to show flashes of its immense potential.
OSU lost its opener to Illinois on Friday, but responded quickly, defeating Houston, Sam Houston State, avenging the Illinois loss and walking-off No. 13 Kentucky, 8-7, in Sunday's finale. A look at the biggest talking points coming out of week one:
First Base: Welcome to the Show
Samantha Show, a senior pitcher and utility player, saw her first competitive action with the Cowgirls this past weekend in Houston, Texas, and she immediately made her presence known both at the plate and in the circle.
Show's weekend kicked off with a two-run home run against Illinois, and she'd follow it up with several starring moments, including a two-hit, complete-game performance against Houston Friday night, a second-inning grand slam in the second meeting against the Illini and a six-inning outing against No. 13 Kentucky on Sunday.
The Texas A&M transfer batted .300, notched four extra-base hits and drove in eight runs while hitting primarily out of the two-hole in coach Kenny Gajewski's lineup. She also tallied 13 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .146 batting average in her two pitching appearances.
Show's name will be one seen and heard frequently throughout the year, as her experience and immense talent will be a key factor in Oklahoma State's ability to succeed in 2019.
Second Base:Â Springing Into Action
Sydney Springfield, a junior first baseman and transfer from LSU, burst onto the scene in her first competitive weekend as a Cowgirl, batting .462 with four extra-base hits and four RBI during the Houston Invitational.
Springfield started three times at first base and played in all four of OSU's victories this past weekend. She notched multiple hits in all three of her starts, highlighted by a two-home run, four-RBI day against No. 13 Kentucky in Sunday's finale.
With OSU trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Springfield smoked a two-run shot to cut the deficit in half. The Flower Mound, Texas, native's efforts were turned upside down in the top of the seventh, as she committed an error that allowed the Wildcats to extend the lead back to three.
Springfield would not let her defensive lapse keep her down though, as she blasted her second home run of the day - another two-run effort - over the left-field fence to secure OSU's walk-off win.
Her efforts over the weekend were noticed by fans, teammates and coaches alike, and she will likely be a prominent name in the lineup moving forward in 2019.
Third Base: Speed Kills, And So Does Power
One of the most interesting things about Oklahoma State's lineup coming out of week one was how the pair of Kiley Naomi and Rylee Bayless formed a deadly duo of powerful speedsters at the top and bottom of OSU's lineup.
Bayless, the Cowgirls' leadoff batter, and Naomi, the one turning the lineup over at the bottom of the order, were dynamic in action together.
Naomi reached base at a .529 clip, and Bayless' .400 batting average and .571 on-base percentage were a key factor in the freshman's ability to score seven times in five games. Bayless notched four extra-base hits out of the leadoff spot and Naomi bagged two, with both tallying home runs in OSU's win over No. 13 Kentucky Sunday morning.
They both also possess elite speed and can swipe a base, go first-to-third or even first-to-home in a flash. Naomi swiped two bases during her first weekend of college softball and Bayless is OSU's active career stolen bases leader.
This dynamic duo that can hit for average, hit for power, get on base and run with the best of them will be a key pair to watch as the competition heats up in 2019.
Home Plate: Building a Program, Brick-by-Brick
The biggest thing to come out of this weekend was just how much the Oklahoma State softball program has grown during the current staff's four-year tenure.
After the opening-day loss to Illinois, the Cowgirls rallied to beat a game Houston squad, 5-1, on its home turf that same day. OSU then carried that momentum into a gritty 3-0 win over Sam Houston State and a 10-6 loss-avenging performance against Illinois Saturday, despite the Cowgirls not being at their best.
Coach Kenny Gajewski noted that those two wins on Saturday were a great sign toward the Cowgirls' growth, as in previous years, when the team struggled to score or found itself in tough situations, the games usually went the other way on the scoreboard.
Sunday's Houston Invitational finale was perhaps the most positive sign of the rebuilding Gajewski and staff have achieved at OSU thus far.
The Cowgirls found themselves down by five runs, and scoreless through three, but their heads never dropped and the at-bats stayed sharp as OSU slowly chipped away at the No. 13 Wildcats' lead. The impressive display was capped by a four-run seventh inning that ended with a two-run, walk-off home run that sent the OSU dugout into a frenzied celebration.
There is still plenty of work to be done. In fact, the Cowgirls have (at least) 47 games remaining on their 2019 schedule, but this year's team has already started to show flashes of its immense potential.
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
