Oklahoma State University Athletics
2022 Oklahoma State Softball Position Preview - Utility
December 06, 2021 | Cowgirl Softball
A third consecutive trip to the Women's College World Series seems attainable for Oklahoma State in 2022. As the countdown to the season continues, check back in regularly at okstate.com for a breakdown of the Cowgirls' roster by position group. A look at the utility players:
Having lost a trio of utility specialists in Macee Barnes, Mady Lohman and Maci Cunconan, head coach Kenny Gajewski has added a strong class of freshmen, a handful of whom have proven their ability to step in and make plays in the field, at the plate or on the base paths.
Aside from its newest members, Oklahoma State also welcomes back junior Jules Callaham and sophomores Avery Hobson and Scotland David.
Out of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, Jules Callaham will be a veteran leader for the OSU utility unit in 2022. As she has since her arrival in Stillwater, Callaham will make the greatest impact for the Cowgirls with her speed around the bases.
She made 10 appearances in her freshman season and 14 in her sophomore season, most often as a pinch runner. In seven games of fall exhibition action, Callaham showed off the fruits of her offseason labor: she posted a .500 batting average in 18 plate appearances and tallied a .526 on-base percentage.
Avery Hobson has proved to be an asset to the OSU roster. Perhaps her most valuable contributions so far in her young career came near the end of the 2021 season, where she was the starting designated player in each of its nine postseason contests.
In her first year, Hobson appeared in 45 games, batted .309 with five RBI, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases. Along with her starts as the designated player, she also earned a handful of starts in the outfield during the 2021 regular season.
Scotland David made her presence felt on the basepaths in her first season with Oklahoma State. She saw action in 33 games of the 2021 season – almost exclusively as a pinch runner as she nabbed nine bases and scored 12 runs on the year.
Joining Gajewski and the Cowgirls from right down the road, Perkins-Tryon alumna Hailey Kastl will look to make an immediate impact. A nationally ranked prospect out of high school, Kastl slotted in at No. 56 in the 2021 Extra Inning Softball Elite 100. Named Tulsa VII Conference Offensive Player of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons at Perkins-Tryon, Kastl also competed in basketball, cheer, and track and field.
Kastl brings with her to Stillwater that same all-around athleticism. Along with a handful of appearances in the outfield during the 2021 fall season, Kastl was the go-to option for Gajewski when calling in a pinch runner.
Another in-state addition in Tatum Sparks rounds outs the young OSU utility group. Sparks was tabbed at No. 25 in the nation by Extra Inning Softball in its 2021 Elite 100 rankings. In her junior season at Shawnee High School, Sparks turned in a notable .538 batting average along with 14 home runs and 53 RBI; she also posted a 1.220 slugging percentage.
Sparks was the 2020 District 6A-3 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team shortstop and has gotten early reps at third base and catcher during the 2021 fall slate.
A mix of returners with WCWS experience and newcomers with promise, the OSU utility group will provide consistency and play-making potential behind a stacked Cowgirls' roster.
Having lost a trio of utility specialists in Macee Barnes, Mady Lohman and Maci Cunconan, head coach Kenny Gajewski has added a strong class of freshmen, a handful of whom have proven their ability to step in and make plays in the field, at the plate or on the base paths.
Aside from its newest members, Oklahoma State also welcomes back junior Jules Callaham and sophomores Avery Hobson and Scotland David.
Out of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, Jules Callaham will be a veteran leader for the OSU utility unit in 2022. As she has since her arrival in Stillwater, Callaham will make the greatest impact for the Cowgirls with her speed around the bases.
She made 10 appearances in her freshman season and 14 in her sophomore season, most often as a pinch runner. In seven games of fall exhibition action, Callaham showed off the fruits of her offseason labor: she posted a .500 batting average in 18 plate appearances and tallied a .526 on-base percentage.
Avery Hobson has proved to be an asset to the OSU roster. Perhaps her most valuable contributions so far in her young career came near the end of the 2021 season, where she was the starting designated player in each of its nine postseason contests.
In her first year, Hobson appeared in 45 games, batted .309 with five RBI, 13 runs scored and three stolen bases. Along with her starts as the designated player, she also earned a handful of starts in the outfield during the 2021 regular season.
Scotland David made her presence felt on the basepaths in her first season with Oklahoma State. She saw action in 33 games of the 2021 season – almost exclusively as a pinch runner as she nabbed nine bases and scored 12 runs on the year.
Joining Gajewski and the Cowgirls from right down the road, Perkins-Tryon alumna Hailey Kastl will look to make an immediate impact. A nationally ranked prospect out of high school, Kastl slotted in at No. 56 in the 2021 Extra Inning Softball Elite 100. Named Tulsa VII Conference Offensive Player of the Year in both her junior and senior seasons at Perkins-Tryon, Kastl also competed in basketball, cheer, and track and field.
Kastl brings with her to Stillwater that same all-around athleticism. Along with a handful of appearances in the outfield during the 2021 fall season, Kastl was the go-to option for Gajewski when calling in a pinch runner.
Another in-state addition in Tatum Sparks rounds outs the young OSU utility group. Sparks was tabbed at No. 25 in the nation by Extra Inning Softball in its 2021 Elite 100 rankings. In her junior season at Shawnee High School, Sparks turned in a notable .538 batting average along with 14 home runs and 53 RBI; she also posted a 1.220 slugging percentage.
Sparks was the 2020 District 6A-3 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team shortstop and has gotten early reps at third base and catcher during the 2021 fall slate.
A mix of returners with WCWS experience and newcomers with promise, the OSU utility group will provide consistency and play-making potential behind a stacked Cowgirls' roster.
Players Mentioned
IF
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UTL
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UTL
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OF
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OF
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IF
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