2023 Oklahoma State Position Preview - Infield - Oklahoma State University Athletics

Fresh off a third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Women's College World Series, Oklahoma State has reestablished itself among the nation's elite softball programs. As the 2023 Cowgirls prepare for their chance to play on the sport's biggest stage, check back in regularly at okstate.com for a breakdown of the OSU roster by position group. This week we breakdown the OSU infield.

With the graduation of All-Americans Sydney Pennington and Hayley Busby, the Cowgirls' infield undoubtedly lost some veteran leadership. Nonetheless, head coach Kenny Gajewski has refreshed the group with a talented mix of high-profile transfers and a promising freshmen.

Returning for the Cowgirls, Kiley Naomi and Morgyn Wynne will serve as leaders for a position group with considerable depth. Newcomers to the Oklahoma State infield include All-American graduate senior Rachel Becker, sophomores Megan Bloodworth and Sophie Page, redshirt freshman Micaela Wark and true freshmen Claire Timm and Lexi McDonald.

Captaining the infield is two-time All-Big 12 standout Kiley Naomi, who has started all but four games of her OSU career at shortstop. She ranks in the top 15 in a dozen of Oklahoma State's all-time career lists, including six top-five spots, having already established herself in the program record books. Naomi tallied six multi-hit games last year, with six home runs and a .333 season on-base percentage. One of the best defensive talents in the country, the graduate senior will serve as a veteran for the OSU roster as she chases All-America status in her final collegiate season.

Rachel Becker is a massive addition for the Cowgirls' middle infield. The graduate transfer from Purdue etched her name into the Boilermakers' history books as the second player in school history to hit .400 or better in back-to-back seasons (.479 and .429, respectively). In her final season as a Boilermaker, Becker became the program's second-ever All-American and also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, tabbing 17 RBI and finishing the year with a .662 slugging percentage. She also tallied 77 putouts and 102 assists last season. Among the many combinations available to Gajewski in the infield, Becker at second and Naomi at shortstop will make for a dynamic middle infield duo.

Morgan Wynne returns for her final collegiate season and her second as a Cowgirl as an experienced option at first base. Smashing four homers and tallying nine RBI, Wynne played in 38 games for the Cowgirls, including 25 starts at first base. Perhaps even more impressive is the 1.000 fielding percentage she boasted last season, committing zero errors while notching 132 putouts. Her defensive reliability paired with her improving offensive numbers could mean a big role for Wynne in 2023.

Alabama-transfer Megan Bloodworth collected a host of honors in her freshman season with the Crimson Tide, being named a NFCA second-team All-Region honoree and voted a Schutt Sports/NFCA D1 Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist. She started 45 games in her debut season, hitting seven home runs, 30 RBI and tallying a .961 season OPS. Bloodworth has made a quality first impression, starting at third base in all but two of Oklahoma State's fall exhibition games. Gajewski will continue to count on her as the season gets underway in February.

Micaela Wark will get her first collegiate game action in 2022. The Frisco, Texas-native redshirted her freshman year at Kansas and joined the Cowgirls this fall with four years of eligibility. Wark has an impressive high school resumé and got plenty of reps during the Pokes fall slate. With plenty of pop in her bat, she has potential to be a reliable offensive option in what is already a stacked OSU infield.

Sophie Page comes to Oklahoma State from UAB, where she started 24 games for the Blazers, primarily at shortstop and second base. She tallied 56 assists and 30 putouts in her 42 games played. At the plate, she tallied 11 hits and six runs and she nabbed a stolen base as well. Page's experience at the collegiate level will prove handy for Gajewski, as she can excel at multiple positions in the infield.

Rounding out the talented infielders, freshmen Lexi McDonald and Claire Timm both featured in the fall ball season, proving to be promising options. McDonald, hailing from Silo, Oklahoma, ranked as the No. 43 overall prospect in Extra Innings Softball's 2022 Extra Elite 100. Timm was a four-year letterwinner at Kennedy High School in Buena Park, California, and was awarded first-team All-League honors on three occasions.

The OSU 2023 infield will be extremely valuable in every facet of the game as the Cowgirls compete for a fourth-consecutive WCWS appearance.

Oklahoma State University Athletics

2023 Oklahoma State Position Preview - Infield

Related News

Players Mentioned

Rachel Becker

Megan Bloodworth

Hayley Busby

Lexi McDonald

Kiley Naomi

Sophie Page

Sydney Pennington

Claire Timm

Micaela Wark

Morgyn Wynne

Related Videos