Cowgirl Softball Returns To OKC For 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series

The Basics
After outscoring its NCAA Regional and Super Regional opponents by a combined 37-3, the No. 6 national seed Oklahoma State softball team heads to Oklahoma City, to compete in the 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex from June 1-9.

Action starts Thursday with an opening day quadruple-header; Oklahoma State will take on the No. 3 national seed Florida State Seminoles at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Watch, Listen, Follow
Each game of the 2023 NCAA WCWS can be seen on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC.

For games on ESPN or ESPN2, excluding the championship series, Kevin Brown (play-by-play), Amanda Scarborough (analyst) and Courtney Lyle (reporter) are on the call.

For games on ABC and the championship series, Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Jessica Mendoza (analyst), Michele Smith (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) are on the call. Pam Ward, Danielle Lawrie and Madison Shipman will be on site at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex studio.

Westwood One will stream every game of the NCAA WCWS on Sirius Channel 84, XM Channel 84 or westwoodonesports.com/NCAAPlayer. Ryan Radtke (play-by-play), Chris Plank (play-by-play), Leah Amico (Analyst), Destinee Martinez (Analyst) will alternate on the call throughout the championship.

All of Oklahoma State's games can be heard on stillwaterradio.net or The Varsity Network with Bill Van Ness on the call.

Live stats for all of Oklahoma State's games are available online at statbroadcast.com.

Fans can follow @cowgirlsb on Twitter for regular in-game coverage and updates.

Oklahoma State From A Distance
No. 6 national seed Oklahoma State rides a five-game NCAA postseason win streak into its program record fourth-consecutive Women's College World Series appearance.

2023 marks the third consecutive postseason that the Cowgirls secured a top-eight national seed and the right to host the Regional and Super Regional rounds of the NCAA DI Softball Championship.

This is Oklahoma State's seventh-consecutive NCAA DI Softball Championship berth (which equates to every postseason of the Gajewski era) and its 25th all time. Seven-consecutive appearances in the NCAA DI Softball Championship is the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only the record mark of 11 set from 1988-98.

The 2023 Cowgirls' offensive production has already led them to claim team single-season records for hits (522), runs scored (369), doubles (107) and runs batted in (348). They're on pace for record-setting season marks in batting average, on-base percentage and hits per game, as well.

Forty And Counting
With a total of 46 wins ahead of the 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series, Oklahoma State has now tallied three-consecutive 40-win seasons (2021-23); it has accomplished the feat just three times in its history (1988-90 & 1992-94).

The 2023 Cowgirls enter the WCWS tied for sixth for the most wins in a single season in program history.

Series History
Oklahoma State enters the week with a 77-51 all-time record in the NCAA DI Softball Championship and is 15-20 all-time at the Women's College World Series.

The recent history of the all-time series between Oklahoma State and Florida State has held significant weight. In 2019, OSU knocked off the defending national champion Seminoles at the Tallahassee Super Regional to reach its first WCWS since 2011. Two years later, in the second round of the winner's bracket at the 2021 WCWS, it was Florida State who ended the Cowgirls' season early.

A season ago, the Cowgirls lost a pair of one-run games in Tallahassee from April 28-29. Most recently, the Cowgirls took two of three from the Seminoles (9-1 in five innings on March 11; 3-2 on March 12) in a showcase nonconference series in Stillwater.

Overall, Oklahoma State holds the series lead over Florida State, 15-12; the two teams are tied, 7-7, in games played at a neutral site.

Perennial Postseason Power
OSU has reached the NCAA Women's College World Series in each of the past four postseasons, joining Oklahoma as the only two teams to do so.

The streak is the longest in program history since Sandy Fischer captained the Cowgirls to three-consecutive AIAW World Series appearances from 1980-1982.

In their seven consectutive NCAA postseason appearances, the Cowgirls have tallied a 31-14 record, including a 5-0 record in 2023; this year marks back-to-back perfect runs to the NCAA WCWS in the NCAA DI Softball Championship's current format.

Notable Streaks & Trends
• OSU has been ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll in each of its last 263 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• OSU has earned a top-eight national seed in each of the last three NCAA DI Softball Championships.
• OSU has outscored its opponents 369-139, a +230 run differential.
• OSU has outscored its opponents 70-6 in the first inning.
• OSU has earned 16 wins via run-rule this season.
• OSU has claimed 25 wins by five or more runs this season.
• OSU has held opponents to five runs or less in 52 of its 60 games this season.
• OSU is 37-7 when scoring first and 25-3 when scoring in the first inning.
• Kelly Maxwell has recorded 223 of the Cowgirls pitching staff's 431 strikeouts this season, which equates to 51.7 percent of Oklahoma State's strikeouts.

Becker's Batting Bonanza
Graduate infielder Rachel Becker has played at an All-America level in her first season at Oklahoma State and the final season of her collegiate career.

An NFCA Midwest All-Region second team honoree and one of only two Cowgirls to start all 60 games for Oklahoma State this season, Becker leads NCAA DI and is tied-first for the OSU single season record for doubles (22).

To The Max
Perhaps the top left-hander in college softball, Kelly Maxwell has anchored the Oklahoma State pitching staff in her second year as the Cowgirls' ace.

The redshirt senior and two-time All-Big 12 first team selection ended the regular season as the Big 12 Conference leader in strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings and hits allowed per seven innings.

With 223 punch outs before the start of the 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series, she is one of just six pitchers in program history to record 200+ strikeouts in multiple seasons at Oklahoma State.

Killing It, Kilfoyl
Senior right-hander Lexi Kilfoyl has proved to be a powerful complement to Kelly Maxwell throughout the 2023 season and has combined with the Cowgirls' ace to be a formiddable one-two punch during Oklahoma State's return to the NCAA WCWS.

As a NFCA first team All-Region and second team All-Big 12 selection in her first season with the Cowgirls, Kilfoyl has tallied thirteen strikeouts and allowed one earned run, one base on balls and nine hits over 16.2 innings pitched during the Pokes' five-game wins streak in the 2023 NCAA DI Softball Championship.

We've Got Five On It
The active NCAA DI leader in games played and OSU career record holder in runs scored, assists, double plays turned, Kiley Naomi has caught fire in this year's NCAA DI Softball Championship, going 9-for-17 (.529) during the Cowgirls' undefeated run through the NCAA Stillwater Regional and NCAA Stillwater Super Regional. In that span, she has tallied six runs scored, three home runs, two doubles, one triple, 11 RBI and 22 total bases.

Cowgirl Softball Returns To OKC For 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rachel Becker

Lexi Kilfoyl

Kelly Maxwell

Kiley Naomi

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Cowgirl Softball Returns To OKC For 2023 NCAA Women's College World Series

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rachel Becker

Lexi Kilfoyl

Kelly Maxwell

Kiley Naomi

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