The Cowgirl Way: Pam Harper

Once a Cowgirl, always a Cowgirl.

Oklahoma State softball alumnus Pam Harper is the epitome of what it means to be a Cowgirl. Not only was Harper an All-American while at OSU, but she has also become one of the program's most involved and supportive alumni.

Harper, a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, grew up in an era when softball was just starting to be recognized as a true competitive collegiate sport with the implementation of Title IX.

In Harper's era, choosing where to go to school and play softball was a very different process than it is today. Many young women stayed close to home and chose their destination with extra emphasis on the degree options that nearby colleges offered.

"Back in those days, we didn't even think about going to like Notre Dame or UCLA. You pretty much just stayed in state," Harper said.

Seeking a degree in horticulture, the obvious choice for Harper was Oklahoma State, which is how she ended up a Cowgirl for life.

"It's very different. You look at our team now and they are from all over the country because that's how they are recruited," Harper said.

In her junior and senior year, half of the starting nine for Oklahoma State were from Tulsa, and Harper had grown up playing with or against most of them. Harper explains that with such familiarity, the team already had a built-in comradery, making their already impressive team even stronger.

"I played first base, and my second baseman and shortstop, we grew up playing with each other," Harper said. "So, I knew what they were going to do before they did it."

By Harper's senior season, the team had five All-Americans including Harper who was a first-team honoree, was consistently ranked in the top 10, and they became the most successful team in Cowgirl softball history.

The recruiting aspect of softball was not the only difference Harper noted from her era to today's team, especially since the game was just getting its legs under it as a collegiate sport when she came in as a freshman.

Harper recalls the players having to supply all of their equipment except for their uniforms, they had to travel to almost all of their games in vans and the coaches were in charge of driving the vans, and they even had to wash their own uniforms.

"It's a wonder that the white ones didn't turn out pink," said Harper, laughing. "It was very, very different than it is now."
In the fall of 1978, when softball transitioned from a club sport to a varsity sport, Oklahoma State hired a name all Cowgirl softball fans will recognize, Sandy Fischer, as its head coach. Fischer's first year as head coach was also Harper's freshman year.

What was it like to play for the legendary coach at the very beginning of her illustrious career?

Harper describes how most of the team ranged from 18 to 21 years old and when she was first hired, Fischer was only in her mid-to-late 20's.

"She had to establish, and she did this, that she was not our friend, and that she was our coach," Harper said. "Don't get me wrong, we had fun, but she ran a tight ship."

These days, Harper is as involved with the Cowgirl softball team as ever before. In fact, Harper was one of the first alumni to meet with head coach Kenny Gajewski when he was hired at OSU.

What is Harper's favorite thing about Coach Gajewski and his entire coaching staff? His relationship with the alumni.

Harper says when former players walk in, he calls it "Our House," and in one of her first meetings with Gajewski, Harper brought up the idea of having an alumni weekend.

"He looked me straight in the eye, and it still gives me chills when I think about it," Harper said. "He said you never ask me that again. This is your house. You built this place, and you make sure your teammates know that."

Harper mentions how hard it is to put into words how much it means to her to be a Cowgirl. She has devoted a lot of her time to the program even since graduating from OSU. Harper has served as a mentor for players in the past, she does everything in her power to help the team whenever they need it, and she still stays in touch with many of her teammates around the country.

On any given weekend, Harper can be found in Stillwater at the pregame tailgate behind the left field fence, playing corn hole and having fun with family, friends and fans alike. Once the girls start batting practice and take aim on the tailgate, Harper takes her place in the stands right behind home plate to cheer on the Cowgirls of today with a tremendous amount of pride.

"It's hard to describe, I just love this program," Harper said. "It truly was four of the best years of my life. All I did was go to school for something I loved and played softball."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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