Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball Begins Conference Play at Kansas
March 26, 2021 | Cowgirl Softball
Game Notes (PDF)
The Basics
The No. 10/9 Oklahoma State softball team (24-4 overall) will travel to Lawrence, Kansas to kick off conference play against the Jayhawks this weekend.
OSU will face Kansas in a three-game series (16-9 overall) beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 26th in Lawrence.
Watch, Listen, Follow
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+. It will also be on the radio locally in Stillwater at KGFY 105.5 FM.
Fans can also follow live stats at statbroadcast.com.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State is ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25. At 24-4, the Cowgirls have steadily been in the top 10 of both polls since the beginning of the season when they received their first top 10 preseason ranking since 1994.
Kansas does not appear in this week's polls.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
With the conference season right around the corner, the Oklahoma State softball team has shown glimpses of greatness despite dropping a few games to this point. At 24-4, the Cowgirls have nine run-rule victories this season and are outscoring their opponents, 185-60, so far this season.
The Cowgirl pitching staff is led by returning All-American Carrie Eberle and redshirt sophomore Kelly Maxwell. Eberle and Maxwell are a true 1-2 punch in the circle for the Cowgirls, with a combined 18-1 record this season. Senior Logan Simunek has logged meaningful innings in the circle as the first pitcher in relief.
Offensively, Oklahoma State is led by returning All-American Alysen Febrey who leads the team in hits, doubles, and RBI. The Cowgirl lineup is extremely athletic with loads of speed. The power threat is also present throughout the entire lineup, as 11 different Cowgirls have home runs this season.
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Cowgirls have won 36 of their last 40 games, dating back to last season.
- Dating back to April 10, 2018, the Cowgirls have won 34 of 36 home games played against unranked opponents.
- Dating back to April 3, 2019, the Cowgirls are 46-4 in all games played against unranked opponents.
- The Cowgirls have won four of five against ranked opponents this season and dating back to last season, have won seven of their last nine against ranked opponents.
- Oklahoma State has hit at least one home run in 12 of its last 13 games.
- Kiley Naomi has been successful on 35 of her last 36 stolen base attempts and leads the team with 10 stolen bases.
- Sydney Pennington has started 175 consecutive games, which amounts to every possible game of her career.
- OSU has won 25 of their last 27 games at Cowgirl Stadium dating back to the 2019 season.
- The Cowgirl pitching staff has 13 shutouts this season.
- The Cowgirls have been successful in 37 of their 44 stolen base attempts this season.
- Hayley Busby is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, the longest on the team.
- Carrie Eberle has four shutouts this season.
- Kelly Maxwell and Carrie Eberle are tied for the team lead with nine wins.
- The Cowgirls have been ranked in the NFCA poll in each of their last 114 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
- The Cowgirls are outscoring opponents, 185-60, in 2021.
- Alysen Febrey has recorded a team-leading 13 multiple hit games and 10 multiple RBI games.
Series History vs. This Week's Opponents
Oklahoma State leads the overall series against Kansas, 79-51. In Lawrence, the Cowgirls own a 26-15 record. In their last meeting in 2019, Oklahoma State took home the 7-3 victory against the Jayhawks.
Head coach Kenny Gajewski is 11-0 versus Kansas.
