Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Arizona
Cowgirls Head To OKC For Third-Straight NCAA Women's College World Series Appearance
June 01, 2022 | Cowgirl Softball
The Basics
Champions of the Big 12 Conference, the No. 7 national seed Oklahoma State softball team rides an undefeated postseason run into its third-straight trip to the NCAA Women's College World Series at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Cowgirls get started on Thursday as part of an opening day quadruple-header when they take on Arizona at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Watch, Listen, Follow
Each game of the 2022 Women's College World Series is slated for either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. The Pokes take on Arizona on ESPN on Thursday.
In day games, and the championship series, Beth Mowins (PXP), Jessica Mendoza (Analyst), Michele Smith (Analyst) and Holly Rowe are on the call. Kevin Brown (PXP), Amanda Scarborough (Analyst) and Andraya Carter will be on the call for night games.
Courtney Lyle, Danielle Lawrie and Madison Shipman will be on site at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex studio.
Westwood One and the ESPN Radio Network will stream every game an Sirius 84, XM 84 or westwoodonesports.com/NCAAPlayer. Ryan Radtke (PXP), Chris Plank (PXP), Leah Amico (Analyst), Destinee Martinez (Analyst) will alternate on the call throughout the championship.
All of Oklahoma State's games can be heard on 105.5 KGFY FM or online at stillwaterradio.net with Bill Van Ness on the call.
Live stats are available online at okstate.statbroadcast.com or statbroadcast.com/ncaa.
Fans can follow @CowgirlSB on Twitter all season for regular coverage and updates.
In The Rankings
As of June 1, Oklahoma State ranks:
• No. 5 in SoftballAmerica's NCAA Division I Softball Top 25
• No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll
• No. 7 in NCAA DI Adjusted Rating Percentage Index
• No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25
• No. 9 in D1Softball's Top 25
Oklahoma State From AÂ Distance
Oklahoma State has pieced together an undefeated 2022 postseason run on its way to a third-consecutive Women's College World Series appearance, including its first Big 12 tournament title and five-straight wins as a host in the Regional and Super Regional rounds of the NCAA tournament.
The Cowgirls boast top-25 wins over Arizona State, Michigan, Northwestern, Texas, top-ranked Oklahoma, Nebraska and Clemson. OSU has six victories over NCAA WCWS teams.
OSU is led by Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Kelly Maxwell, fellow first-team All-Big 12 performer Miranda Elish and second-team All-Big 12 honorees Katelynn Carwile, Chyenne Factor, Kiley Naomi and Sydney Pennington.
Notable Streaks & Trends
• OSU has eclipsed 40 wins for the third-consecutive season, a feat it has accomplished only two other times in its history (1988-90 and 1992-94).
• OSU is among four NCAA DI softball programs to advance to each of the past three Super Regionals, joining Arizona, Oklahoma and UCLA.
• OSU has played in the NCAA postseason every season since the arrival of head coach Kenny Gajewski in 2016, including three WCWS trips, six NCAA Regionals and three NCAA Super Regionals.
• OSU is 13-1 in NCAA tournament games played at Cowgirl Stadium during the Gajewski era.
• OSU has tallied a 24-12 record in each of the past six NCAA tournaments.
• OSU has been ranked in the NFCA poll in 199 consecutive games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• OSU is 35-3 when it scores first and 19-1 when it scores in the first inning.
• OSU has scored 309 runs in 2022, marking the sixth time an Oklahoma State team has tallied 300 or more in a single season.
• OSU boasts a .981 fielding percentage, which leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally.
• OSU has three pitchers that have tallied a triple-digit single-season strikeout total for the first time in program history: Kelly Maxwell
(279), Miranda Elish (128) and Morgan Day (104).
• Maxwell, Elish and Day have combined for 519 strikeouts this season, the second-highest single season strikeout total in team history; the trio is the second OSU pitching staff to total 500 or more.
• Maxwell leads the Big 12 and ranks second nationally with 11.6 strikeouts per seven innings. She also ranks in the top 10 nationally in shutouts (fourth – 11) and fewest hits per seven innings (fifth – 3.44).
• Sydney Pennington has started 265 consecutive games, which amounts to every game of her career.
Perennial Postseason Power
OSU has reached the NCAA Women's College World Series in each of the past three postseasons.
The streak marks the first by the Cowgirls in the NCAA WCWS era and the first since Sandy Fischer captained the Cowgirls to three-consecutive AIAW World Series appearances from 1980-1982.
In their six-consectutive NCAA postseason appearances, the Cowgirls have tallied a 24-12 record, including an undefeated 5-0 record in 2022, their first perfect run to the NCAA WCWS in its current format.
Championship Mindset
After finishing the regular season with a 14-4 record against Big 12 Conference opposition – the second-best regular season conference win total in school history – Oklahoma State opened the 2022 postseason in emphatic fashion as it captured its first Big 12 title.
The Cowgirls beat Kansas and No. 16/16 Texas to earn a spot in the Big 12 championship game for the fifth consecutive year.
OSU toppled No. 1/1 Oklahoma in the championship game to secure its first conference tournament championship since winning the Big Eight crown in 1992.
Chelsea Alexander, Chyenne Factor, Kelly Maxwell and Morgan Day were named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team; Day was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
To The Max
The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and conference leader in strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings and shutouts, Kelly Maxwell is performing at an All-America level as the ace of the Oklahoma State pitching staff.
In the midst of the best season of her career, she has already set or matched single-season career highs in earned run average, wins, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts and opponent batting average.
Maxwell's stellar redshirt junior season has already secured her top 25 single season rankings in shutouts (7th – 11) and strikeouts (5th – 279).
Day & Night
Right-handed graduate senior Morgan Day is playing her best softball when it matters most as the Cowgirls navigate the 2022 postseason without Miranda Elish in the circle.
The Illinois State transfer earned a pair of wins over No. 16/16 Texas and No. 1/1 Oklahoma in 12.0 innings pitched in the Big 12 Conference Championship. Named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, she did not give up a walk and allowed only nine hits and two runs. Day limited opposing batters to a .200 batting average at the event.
Day sports a 2.56 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 98.1 innings of work on the year with seven complete games. She is holding opponents to a .200 batting average.
Hot Bats
Through five NCAA postseason contests, two Cowgirl starters are averaging above .350 at the plate in Miranda Elish (.385) and Katelynn Carwile (.357); three more are batting .400 or better: Sydney Pennington (.467), Hayley Busby (.467) and Karli Petty (.400).
Julia Cottrill leads the team in NCAA postseason slugging percentage (.833). She's joined by five teammates who are slugging above .500: Carwile (.786), Elish (.769), Petty (.733), Busby (.533) and Pennington (.533).
