OSU Softball To Open 2022 Slate at Kajikawa Classic

Thursday, February 10

Tempe, AZ

7:30 P.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

Arizona State

February 09, 2022 | Cowgirl Softball

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The Basics
The No. 5/4 Oklahoma State softball team opens the 2022 season this Thursday when it travels to Tempe, Arizona to take part in the Kajikawa Classic from February 10-12.

The Cowgirls' first matchup with tournament host No. 21/21 Arizona State is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. On Friday, Oklahoma State takes on No. 20/18 Duke at 12:30 p.m. CT and Utah at 3 p.m. CT. On Saturday, OSU faces California Baptist at 10 a.m. CT and Missouri State at 12:30 p.m. CT.

Watch, Listen, Follow
Each of Oklahoma State's games at the Kajikawa Classic can be heard on facebook.com/ CowboySportsNetwork with Brodie Myers on the call. OSU's games with Pac-12 opponents Arizona State (Thursday, 7:30 p.m. CT) and Utah (Friday, 3 p.m. CT) will be streamed on the Pac-12 Network. Live stats for all of OSU's games over the weekend will be available online on statbroadcast.com. Fans can follow @CowgirlSB on Twitter all season for regular coverage and updates.

In the Rankings
Oklahoma State is No. 2 in SoftballAmerica's 2022 Preseason Top 25, No. 3 in D1Softball's Preseason Top 25, No. 4 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Collegiate Top 25, and No. 5 in the USA Today/ NFCA Coaches Poll.

In the ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason poll: Duke is No. 18, while Arizona State is No. 21. As for the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, Duke is ranked No. 20 and ASU No. 21.

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 play in their first year.

Notable Streaks and Trends
• The Cowgirls have been ranked in the NFCA poll in each of their last 146 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• Sydney Pennington has started 207 consecutive games, which amounts to every game of her career.
• OSU has tallied five or more hits in nine of its last 12 games.
• OSU has at least one stolen base in six of its last 12 games.
• OSU has allowed four or fewer runs in 10 of its last 12 games.
• OSU has held six of its last 12 opponents without a home run.
• OSU is 33-11 in season opening games dating back to 1978.
• OSU is 17-8 in opening season tournaments in the Gajewski era.
• OSU has won three of its last four games against Arizona State in Tempe.
• OSU has won five straight neutral site games against Utah.
• OSU has won three of its last five neutral site games against Missouri State.

Series History vs. This Week's Opponents
Oklahoma State and Arizona State have met 15 times dating back to 1981, with the series in slight favor of the Sun Devils, 8-7. While ASU has yet to play in Stillwater, OSU holds a 4-1 advantage in Tempe. This is Kenny Gajewski's second head coaching matchup with the Sun Devils. The most recent matchup was a 2-0 Cowgirl win in 2019.

In the 21-game history between OSU and Utah since 1982, the Cowgirls hold a 16-5 advantage, including a 14-5 record on neutral turf. Gajewski's head coaching career record against the Utes is 2-0.

The Cowgirls lead Missouri State 32-7 all time. OSU has a 5-3 lead in games with the Bears played at a neutral site. Gajewski-led Cowgirls are 4-1 against Missouri State; the most recent matchup being a 11-0 OSU victory in 2020. Oklahoma State meets Duke and California Baptist for the first time in the program's history this weekend.

All-America Trio
A trio of returning 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
While the three All-Americans get their share of attention, it's the depth of the Cowgirl roster that makes the team so dangerous.

Starting at shortstop for a fourth-consecutive season, Kiley Naomi returns to contribute to the Oklahoma State unit in every facet of the game. A spectacular talent who does everything well, Naomi garnered preseason first team All-America honors from D1Softball and was ranked by that publication as the No. 1 shortstop in the nation entering the 2022 season. She enters the 2022 season having been successful on more than 90 percent of her stolen base attempts. Her career .578 slugging percentage is the best ever for an Oklahoma State shortstop and ranks fourth among all players in school history.

At second base, Gajewski has brought in Brianna Evans from Red Oak, Texas – the lone freshman in Oklahoma State's starting lineup. Ranked No. 11 in the Extra Inning Softball's Elite 100 coming in, she had impressive credentials, but it was her play in the fall that brought her from interesting prospect to actual contributor.

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. She is a career .303 hitter with 18 doubles, 37 runs batted in and a .462 slugging percentage.

Rounding out a star-studded infield, Morgyn Wynne was first team All-Big 12 at Kansas in 2021 and was named to Softball America'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 Scotland David and Avery Hobson, both of whom are also likely to appear as pinch runners.