Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Softball: 2019 Season Preview
February 05, 2019 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER - Slowly, but surely, the Oklahoma State softball program has returned to the forefront of college softball under fourth-year head coach Kenny Gajewski, and in 2019, the Cowgirls will be hoping to reclaim their perch among the sport's elite teams.
Gajewski has assembled a roster of 22 star student-athletes that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the country on any given field and on any given night. Through grueling fall camp, winter workouts and beyond, the Cowgirls have seen and heard about the potential this year's team possesses, but now is their chance to show that Oklahoma State does more than talk the talk.
In Taylor Lynch and Madi Sue Montgomery, Oklahoma State fields two strong pillars to anchor the program. As the only players to be active on the roster through Gajewski's first four years in Stillwater, the Texas tandem stands as a driving force for whatever success lays ahead for OSU. Beside them, the Cowgirls boast talented names like returning senior Rylee Bayless, sophomore captain Sydney Pennington, rising pitcher Logan Simunek and a former Texas A&M two-way standout in Samantha Show.
For the first time under Kenny Gajewski, Oklahoma State has a lineup that will incite fear in the opposition at every spot, and a pitching staff that contains five arms, each with a dynamic skillset to send opposing hitters back to the bench in a hurry. The Cowgirls, for all of the flash and hype that has been heaped upon the 2019 squad, have remained focused on their goal – Oklahoma City. Only 12 programs in the country have been to the Women's College World Series more frequently than Oklahoma State, and the new generation of Cowgirls are building themselves up to carry the program back to what was once its second home.
Pitching Staff
The 2019 Oklahoma State pitching staff will feature five arms, all of whom bring something different to the table and can mow down hitters in a variety of ways.
Texas A&M transfer Samantha Show figures to be the bulldog of the staff and anchor a mixture of fresh and familiar faces for the orange and black-clad Cowgirls. Show, a two-time NFCA All-Region selection, is a two-way star that will also contribute at the plate. In the circle, however, she was a dynamic arm that the Aggies could always rely on. Last season in College Station, she struck out 75 batters in 103.1 innings and held opposing hitters to a .236 average.
Show tossed her first career no-hitter in a five-inning gem against Penn State on March 6 and followed it up with a dominant nine-strikeout showing against Ole Miss on March 10. After just three seasons, Show ranked 10th in A&M history with 366 career strikeouts.
Oklahoma State will also feature two returning faces in the circle this season, as both Logan Simunek and Samantha Clakley are back for their junior and senior seasons, respectively.
Simunek's 2018 season was somewhat of a breakout year for the electric right-hander, as she tallied a 2.44 ERA in 97.2 innings pitched and tossed the first no-hitter by a Cowgirl pitcher since 2014 when she blanked Maine on March 3. The Piedmont, Oklahoma, native started the year with 21.2 innings of shutout work and late in the season she put in her best shifts against the top teams in the country. Against top-20 foes in 2018, Simunek allowed just nine earned runs in 27.2 innings of work. Narrow that to top-10 opponents and it gets even better as she surrendered just four earned runs in 19.1 innings pitched.
Clakley, meanwhile, was the workhorse in the circle for OSU last season, pitching 164.2 innings to go with a solid 2.76 ERA in her first season as a Big 12 competitor. Her 164.2 innings pitched were the third most of any Big 12 arm in 2018 and her earned run average ranked 10th among the league's top pitchers.
Oklahoma State's pitching staff will also feature another SEC transfer, as Gabby Sprang joins the family after one year at Tennessee. Sprang, a long-armed lefty, comes to Stillwater after a solid first season of collegiate softball in which she showed promise during her limited action at UT. Coming out of high school, Sprang was the nation's top pitching recruit and ranked No. 3 overall in FloSoftball's 2017 HOT 100 Rankings. She could be someone that sees an increased role with the Cowgirls throughout the season as she develops her immense talent.
The last arm out of the OSU bullpen this season is freshman Kelly Maxwell, who comes to the Cowgirls after a dominant high school and select career in Texas. Maxwell stormed through the opposition during her youth career, earning first-team All-State honors, being named an Under Armour All-American and receiving several other accolades for her success. The left-hander's role is still yet to be defined within such a deep slew of arms at the coaching staff's disposal, but she is a name that Cowgirl fans could hear for years to come over the stadium speakers.
Catchers
The catcher spot will look very familiar to Oklahoma State fans in 2019, as both Mackenzie Thomas and Raquel Dominguez return to handle duties behind the plate.
Thomas led the way at the catcher spot last season, appearing in 55 of OSU's 61 contests, starting on 50 of those occasions. She struggled at the plate, but was dynamic defensively for coach Kenny Gajewski, racking up a .991 fielding percentage and committing just two errors.
Dominguez was a late bloomer of sorts, as she saw limited action throughout the season, but started both of the Cowgirls' final two games in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. In those two appearances, Dominguez went 3-for-7 and hit her first career double to show the promise she possessed heading into 2019.
OSU's backstop crew could also see a local favorite slot into the lineup at times, as Stillwater native Taylor Tuck has seen action at catcher all throughout the fall and early parts of the spring. Tuck was a three-sport star at Stillwater High School and is someone that could push the two veterans ahead of her for playing time at some point in 2019.
Utility
During Kenny Gajewski's tenure in Stillwater, he has made it no secret that he loves players that can move anywhere across the diamond and excel. His 2019 roster features several players that have seen several spots on the field and can step in as needed for the Cowgirls on any given day.
Taylor Lynch and Rylee Bayless highlight this group of utility players, as both have undergone transitions from everyday starters at third base to locking down spots as outfielders in the OSU lineup. Lynch is coming off yet another impressive season in a Cowgirl uniform as she was named an NFCA first-team All-Region selection and a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2018. She posted a .358 batting average as OSU's right fielder and posted career highs in home runs (8), walks (17) and runs batted in (47). Lynch was also perfect defensively, going 50-for-50 on defensive chances out in right field. Bayless, meanwhile, seemed to be primed for an elite season after going 9-for-16 with four walks and nine runs scored during opening weekend in Arizona last year, but a torn ACL in practice forced her into a redshirt year. The former NJCAA National Player of the Year hasn't dwelled on her injury though and will again be a dynamic presence at the top of Oklahoma State's lineup this season.
Behind those two, the Cowgirls utility lineup features new faces such as the previously mentioned Taylor Tuck, freshman Mady Lohman and JUCO transfer Shalee Brantley. Lohman, in particular, will be a name Cowgirl fans hear quite often in 2019 as the scrappy Texan locked up a spot as one of the team's top competitors after an impressive fall season.
Outfielders
The outfield is an area where competition is always brewing for Oklahoma State, as it has been a prime spot for utility players like Bayless and Lynch to go head-to-head with the pure outfielders for playing time. This year's outfield crew consists of familiar faces like sophomore Chelsea Alexander and seniors Elise LeBeouf and Mallory Goodman, as well as a new face in freshman Chyenne Factor.
Alexander is the leading contender to see action of this outfield quartet after an impressive first year of college softball saw her earn a spot on the Big 12's All-Freshman team a year ago. The gritty sophomore was a highlight reel in left field last season during her 41 starts, and even made an appearance on SportsCenter's 'Top 10 Plays' for her diving catch against Texas in April. The left-handed hitter finished with a .300 batting average in 130 at-bats during her freshman campaign.
LeBeouf and Goodman didn't see much of the field in 2018, but have been chomping at the bit to crack the lineup during their senior seasons. Factor, meanwhile, is someone that the OSU coaches have kept their eye on because of the flashes of brilliance she showed in the fall. If their names aren't in the lineup though, the outfield crew will still serve as some of Gajewski's key names off the bench when the Cowgirls need a base hit or a strong baserunner.
Infielders
Perhaps the most talented group for Oklahoma State in 2019 comes from the infielders.
Led by returning starters Madi Sue Montgomery and Sydney Pennington, the infield defense could again be a standout area for OSU this season. Montgomery has started every game of her Cowgirl career thus far despite dealing with several nagging injuries throughout her first three years of college softball and will again hold her spot at second base. Pennington, meanwhile, was the only freshman to start all 61 games last season, doing so as a designated player, left fielder and eventually locking down a spot as OSU's starting shortstop.
The infield competition has been so fierce, that Pennington made the transition to third base to make way for freshman Kiley Naomi at shortstop. Pennington's selflessness and willingness to again change positions to help her team was one of the primary factors in Gajewski's decision to make her, along with Elise LeBeouf, the Cowgirls' team captains in 2019.
At shortstop, Naomi is likely to lock down the starting role thanks to a fierce competitive nature and freakish athleticism that will make her one of the Big 12's top defenders for years to come. With Naomi and Pennington together on the left side of the infield and in the lineup, OSU has a young tandem that could wreak havoc on the opposition for the next few seasons.
On the receiving end of the dynamic infield awaits a trio of talented first basemen. Michaela Richbourg, a returning sophomore, and Sydney Springfield, a transfer from LSU, will be the key names to watch out for as they look to fill the shoes of longtime OSU defensive stalwart Jessi Haffner at first base. Samantha Show will also see action opposite the hot corner on days where she isn't mowing through batters in the circle.
Gajewski has assembled a roster of 22 star student-athletes that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the country on any given field and on any given night. Through grueling fall camp, winter workouts and beyond, the Cowgirls have seen and heard about the potential this year's team possesses, but now is their chance to show that Oklahoma State does more than talk the talk.
In Taylor Lynch and Madi Sue Montgomery, Oklahoma State fields two strong pillars to anchor the program. As the only players to be active on the roster through Gajewski's first four years in Stillwater, the Texas tandem stands as a driving force for whatever success lays ahead for OSU. Beside them, the Cowgirls boast talented names like returning senior Rylee Bayless, sophomore captain Sydney Pennington, rising pitcher Logan Simunek and a former Texas A&M two-way standout in Samantha Show.
For the first time under Kenny Gajewski, Oklahoma State has a lineup that will incite fear in the opposition at every spot, and a pitching staff that contains five arms, each with a dynamic skillset to send opposing hitters back to the bench in a hurry. The Cowgirls, for all of the flash and hype that has been heaped upon the 2019 squad, have remained focused on their goal – Oklahoma City. Only 12 programs in the country have been to the Women's College World Series more frequently than Oklahoma State, and the new generation of Cowgirls are building themselves up to carry the program back to what was once its second home.
Pitching Staff
The 2019 Oklahoma State pitching staff will feature five arms, all of whom bring something different to the table and can mow down hitters in a variety of ways.
Texas A&M transfer Samantha Show figures to be the bulldog of the staff and anchor a mixture of fresh and familiar faces for the orange and black-clad Cowgirls. Show, a two-time NFCA All-Region selection, is a two-way star that will also contribute at the plate. In the circle, however, she was a dynamic arm that the Aggies could always rely on. Last season in College Station, she struck out 75 batters in 103.1 innings and held opposing hitters to a .236 average.
Show tossed her first career no-hitter in a five-inning gem against Penn State on March 6 and followed it up with a dominant nine-strikeout showing against Ole Miss on March 10. After just three seasons, Show ranked 10th in A&M history with 366 career strikeouts.
Oklahoma State will also feature two returning faces in the circle this season, as both Logan Simunek and Samantha Clakley are back for their junior and senior seasons, respectively.
Simunek's 2018 season was somewhat of a breakout year for the electric right-hander, as she tallied a 2.44 ERA in 97.2 innings pitched and tossed the first no-hitter by a Cowgirl pitcher since 2014 when she blanked Maine on March 3. The Piedmont, Oklahoma, native started the year with 21.2 innings of shutout work and late in the season she put in her best shifts against the top teams in the country. Against top-20 foes in 2018, Simunek allowed just nine earned runs in 27.2 innings of work. Narrow that to top-10 opponents and it gets even better as she surrendered just four earned runs in 19.1 innings pitched.
Clakley, meanwhile, was the workhorse in the circle for OSU last season, pitching 164.2 innings to go with a solid 2.76 ERA in her first season as a Big 12 competitor. Her 164.2 innings pitched were the third most of any Big 12 arm in 2018 and her earned run average ranked 10th among the league's top pitchers.
Oklahoma State's pitching staff will also feature another SEC transfer, as Gabby Sprang joins the family after one year at Tennessee. Sprang, a long-armed lefty, comes to Stillwater after a solid first season of collegiate softball in which she showed promise during her limited action at UT. Coming out of high school, Sprang was the nation's top pitching recruit and ranked No. 3 overall in FloSoftball's 2017 HOT 100 Rankings. She could be someone that sees an increased role with the Cowgirls throughout the season as she develops her immense talent.
The last arm out of the OSU bullpen this season is freshman Kelly Maxwell, who comes to the Cowgirls after a dominant high school and select career in Texas. Maxwell stormed through the opposition during her youth career, earning first-team All-State honors, being named an Under Armour All-American and receiving several other accolades for her success. The left-hander's role is still yet to be defined within such a deep slew of arms at the coaching staff's disposal, but she is a name that Cowgirl fans could hear for years to come over the stadium speakers.
Catchers
The catcher spot will look very familiar to Oklahoma State fans in 2019, as both Mackenzie Thomas and Raquel Dominguez return to handle duties behind the plate.
Thomas led the way at the catcher spot last season, appearing in 55 of OSU's 61 contests, starting on 50 of those occasions. She struggled at the plate, but was dynamic defensively for coach Kenny Gajewski, racking up a .991 fielding percentage and committing just two errors.
Dominguez was a late bloomer of sorts, as she saw limited action throughout the season, but started both of the Cowgirls' final two games in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. In those two appearances, Dominguez went 3-for-7 and hit her first career double to show the promise she possessed heading into 2019.
OSU's backstop crew could also see a local favorite slot into the lineup at times, as Stillwater native Taylor Tuck has seen action at catcher all throughout the fall and early parts of the spring. Tuck was a three-sport star at Stillwater High School and is someone that could push the two veterans ahead of her for playing time at some point in 2019.
Utility
During Kenny Gajewski's tenure in Stillwater, he has made it no secret that he loves players that can move anywhere across the diamond and excel. His 2019 roster features several players that have seen several spots on the field and can step in as needed for the Cowgirls on any given day.
Taylor Lynch and Rylee Bayless highlight this group of utility players, as both have undergone transitions from everyday starters at third base to locking down spots as outfielders in the OSU lineup. Lynch is coming off yet another impressive season in a Cowgirl uniform as she was named an NFCA first-team All-Region selection and a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2018. She posted a .358 batting average as OSU's right fielder and posted career highs in home runs (8), walks (17) and runs batted in (47). Lynch was also perfect defensively, going 50-for-50 on defensive chances out in right field. Bayless, meanwhile, seemed to be primed for an elite season after going 9-for-16 with four walks and nine runs scored during opening weekend in Arizona last year, but a torn ACL in practice forced her into a redshirt year. The former NJCAA National Player of the Year hasn't dwelled on her injury though and will again be a dynamic presence at the top of Oklahoma State's lineup this season.
Behind those two, the Cowgirls utility lineup features new faces such as the previously mentioned Taylor Tuck, freshman Mady Lohman and JUCO transfer Shalee Brantley. Lohman, in particular, will be a name Cowgirl fans hear quite often in 2019 as the scrappy Texan locked up a spot as one of the team's top competitors after an impressive fall season.
Outfielders
The outfield is an area where competition is always brewing for Oklahoma State, as it has been a prime spot for utility players like Bayless and Lynch to go head-to-head with the pure outfielders for playing time. This year's outfield crew consists of familiar faces like sophomore Chelsea Alexander and seniors Elise LeBeouf and Mallory Goodman, as well as a new face in freshman Chyenne Factor.
Alexander is the leading contender to see action of this outfield quartet after an impressive first year of college softball saw her earn a spot on the Big 12's All-Freshman team a year ago. The gritty sophomore was a highlight reel in left field last season during her 41 starts, and even made an appearance on SportsCenter's 'Top 10 Plays' for her diving catch against Texas in April. The left-handed hitter finished with a .300 batting average in 130 at-bats during her freshman campaign.
LeBeouf and Goodman didn't see much of the field in 2018, but have been chomping at the bit to crack the lineup during their senior seasons. Factor, meanwhile, is someone that the OSU coaches have kept their eye on because of the flashes of brilliance she showed in the fall. If their names aren't in the lineup though, the outfield crew will still serve as some of Gajewski's key names off the bench when the Cowgirls need a base hit or a strong baserunner.
Infielders
Perhaps the most talented group for Oklahoma State in 2019 comes from the infielders.
Led by returning starters Madi Sue Montgomery and Sydney Pennington, the infield defense could again be a standout area for OSU this season. Montgomery has started every game of her Cowgirl career thus far despite dealing with several nagging injuries throughout her first three years of college softball and will again hold her spot at second base. Pennington, meanwhile, was the only freshman to start all 61 games last season, doing so as a designated player, left fielder and eventually locking down a spot as OSU's starting shortstop.
The infield competition has been so fierce, that Pennington made the transition to third base to make way for freshman Kiley Naomi at shortstop. Pennington's selflessness and willingness to again change positions to help her team was one of the primary factors in Gajewski's decision to make her, along with Elise LeBeouf, the Cowgirls' team captains in 2019.
At shortstop, Naomi is likely to lock down the starting role thanks to a fierce competitive nature and freakish athleticism that will make her one of the Big 12's top defenders for years to come. With Naomi and Pennington together on the left side of the infield and in the lineup, OSU has a young tandem that could wreak havoc on the opposition for the next few seasons.
On the receiving end of the dynamic infield awaits a trio of talented first basemen. Michaela Richbourg, a returning sophomore, and Sydney Springfield, a transfer from LSU, will be the key names to watch out for as they look to fill the shoes of longtime OSU defensive stalwart Jessi Haffner at first base. Samantha Show will also see action opposite the hot corner on days where she isn't mowing through batters in the circle.
Players Mentioned
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