OSU Hits The Road For St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational

The Basics
The No. 7/7 Oklahoma State softball team travels to Clearwater, Fla., to compete in a tournament field loaded with legitimate WCWS contenders at the 2022 St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational from February 18-20.

On Friday, the Cowgirls face No. 19/16 Michigan at 9 a.m. CT and No. 21/22 LSU at 3 p.m. CT. On Saturday, OSU takes on South Florida at 12:30 p.m. CT and No. 6/5 Washington at 5 p.m. CT. OSU wraps up the weekend with Northwestern at 8:30 a.m. CT on Sunday.

Watch, Listen, Follow
Each of Oklahoma State's games at the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. A list of the Cowgirls' weekend slate – including time and TV designation:
Feb. 18 vs. Michigan - 9 a.m. CT (ESPNU)
Feb. 18 vs. LSU - 3 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Feb. 19 vs. South Florida - 12:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Feb. 19 vs. Washington - 5 p.m. CT (ESPN+) Feb. 20 vs. Northwestern - 8:30 a.m. (ESPN+)

Live stats for all of OSU's games over the weekend will be available online on okstate.statbroadcast. com. Fans can follow @CowgirlSB on Twitter all season for regular coverage and updates.

In the Rankings
Oklahoma State slots in at No. 4 in SoftballAmerica's 2022 NCAA Top 25 Ranking, No. 7 in D1Softball's Top 25 Ranking, No. 7 in the USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.

Oklahoma State From a Distance
Eight starters and several other important performers are back from the 2021 team that finished No. 6 in the final rankings and played in the Women's College World Series. Five of OSU's returning starters
were also starters on the Cowgirls' 2019 WCWS team.

Some of the most decorated players in Oklahoma State softball history are back, including returning All-Americans Hayley Busby and Sydney Pennington, plus 2022 preseason All-American Kiley Naomi. Pitcher Kelly Maxwell is on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List and was invited to try out for a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team in January.

Impact newcomers include the 2020 Shortened Season National Player of the Year and first team All-American Miranda Elish, 2022 preseason All-America first baseman Morgyn Wynne, 2021 first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference pitcher Morgan Day and 2021 All-Southeast Region catcher Julia Cottrill.

A talented freshman class headlined by Brianna Evans (No. 11 on the Extra Inning Softball Elite 100
and Tatum Clopton (No. 7 overall prospect in the nation, per FloSoftball) enters into the mix. Despite
joining a veteran-laden team, both Evans and Clopton are realistic candidates to earn starts in their first year.

Notable Streaks and Trends
• The Cowgirls have been ranked in the NFCA poll in each of their last 149 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• Sydney Pennington has started 212 consecutive games, which amounts to every game of her career.
• OSU has at least one stolen base in each of its last three games.
• OSU has allowed four or fewer runs in its last five games.
• OSU has held three of its last five opponents without a home run.
• OSU has struck out at least seven batters in its last five contests.
• OSU has tallied double-digit strikeouts against three of its last five opponents.

Series History vs. This Week's Opponents
Oklahoma State and Michigan have met 11 times dating back to 1982, with the Cowgirls holding a 6-5 advantage. All 11 meetings have been on neutral turf. LSU has won 11 of its 17 meetings all time with OSU. In 18 games against South Florida, Oklahoma State boasts a 16-2 record and a 9-1 record on neutral ground. Washington has taken 13 of 17 all-time against the Cowgirls, but the two teams have split the last four meetings. Oklahoma State is 10-15 all time against Northwestern.

Who's Hot
Junior left handed pitcher Kelly Maxwell was a standout for Oklahoma State at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe last weekend. In 11.0 innings pitched, she recorded a 2-0 record and maintained a 0.00 ERA while striking out 21 of the 40 batters she faced. Against No. 21/21 Arizona State, she led the Cowgirls to their first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent on the road since 2009.

Freshman two-way athlete Tatum Clopton got her first career start and first collegiate win as the Cowgirls' starter against California Baptist, where she pitched five scoreless innings and struck out five.

At the plate, Chyenne Factor is leading the way for OSU in the new season. In the Cowgirls' first five games of 2022, the senior outfielder batted .313, slugged at a .688 clip and led Oklahoma State in runs (three), hits (five) and home runs (two), the most notable among them being a walk off bomb to seal a victory against Utah on February 11.

All-America Trio
A trio of All-Americans headline an Oklahoma State roster loaded with talent. Pitcher and designated player Miranda Elish earned first team All-America honors from SoftballAmerica in 2020. The same publication named Sydney Pennington a second team All-American, while outfielder Hayley Busby was voted an National Fastpitch Coaches Association third team All-American.

In Elish, the 2020 Shortened Season National Player of the Year according to Softball America, the Cowgirls boast an All-American in the circle for the second-straight year following the departure of Carrie Eberle. Between her time at Oregon and Texas, Elish has posted a 66-15 career record with a 1.53 earned run average and 669 strikeouts in 550 innings of work. Opponents are batting just .179 against her.

Hayley Busby returns to OSU after the best year of her career in her first full season with the Cowgirls. Honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as a third team All-American, Busby blasted her way into program history as the single-season record holder in slugging percentage.

A local product from nearby Sand Springs, Okla., Pennington is a multi-year captain whose name is peppered throughout the OSU record book, most notably as the program's career home run leader, a feat she accomplished prior to getting the extra year of eligibility as a result of the COVID pandemic. Now in her fifth and final year with the Cowgirls, she has started every possible game in her career. A converted shortstop who fields her position well at third base, Pennington comes off a solid showing in a 2021 season where she batted .275, smashed 13 home runs and recorded a .546 slugging percentage.

Depth in the Lineup
Kiley Naomi returns to contribute to the Oklahoma State unit in every facet of the game. Naomi garnered preseason first team All-America honors from D1Softball and was ranked by that publication as the No. 1 shortstop in the nation ahead of the 2022 slate.

At second base, Gajewski has brought in Brianna Evans from Red Oak, Texas – the lone freshman in Oklahoma State's starting lineup – who was ranked No. 11 in the Extra Inning Softball's Elite 100.

At catcher, Julia Cottrill is a 2021 NFCA All-Region third team honoree and All-SEC Newcomer team member who brings two years of starting experience with her from Florida.

Rounding out a star-studded infield, Morgyn Wynne was first team All-Big 12 at Kansas in 2021 and was named to SoftballAmerica's 2022 preseason second team All-American squad.

OSU returns a talented outfield group that includes veteran playmakers Chyenne Factor and Chelsea Alexander, who are joined by Karli Petty, a converted second basemen whose versatility has made her a viable option in the grass. The trio will be joined by a pair of speedy sophomores in Scotland David and Avery Hobson.

OSU Hits The Road For St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Chelsea Alexander

Hayley Busby

Tatum Clopton

Julia Cottrill

Scotland David

Morgan Day

Carrie Eberle

Miranda Elish

Chyenne Factor

Avery Hobson

Kelly Maxwell

Kiley Naomi

Sydney Pennington

Karli Petty

Morgyn Wynne

Oklahoma State University Athletics