Cowgirl Softball Opens Big 12 Play Against Baylor

Friday, March 8

Waco, TX

6:30 p.m.

Oklahoma State University

Baylor

March 07, 2024 | Cowgirl Softball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Basics
Following a 4-3 extra inning win over Wichita State Wednesday night, the No. 4/7 Oklahoma State
softball team (18-2) opens Big 12 conference play on the road with a weekend series against No. 19/14 Baylor from March 8-10. Friday's opener is set for 6:30 p.m., with Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Watch, Listen, Follow
Fans can stream all three of this weekend's contests on ESPN+, or can listen on stillwaterradio.net or the Varsity Network app with Karsten Melton on the call. Live stats for all of OSU's games are available online at okstate.statbroadcast.com. Fans can follow @CowgirlSB on X all season for regular coverage and updates.

In The Rankings
Oklahoma State is No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll and No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Softball America has the Cowgirls at No. 7 and D1Softball has the Pokes at No. 4. Baylor is No. 19 by USA Today/NFCA and No. 14 by ESPN.com/USA Softball.

Oklahoma State from a Distance
There may be lots of fresh faces around Cowgirl Softball this year, but the Cowgirls haven't missed a beat, continuing the standard of excellence that coach Kenny Gajewski has put in place. With underclassmen enjoying significant success, Oklahoma State boasts a 18-2 record on the season with seven run-rule victories and wins over then-No. 10 UCLA (9-1, 5 inn.), then-No. 16 Florida (3-0) and then-No. 4 Washington (7-0). Sophomores Claire Timm and Tallen Edwards combine for one of the best leadoff duos in the country, while freshmen standouts Rosie Davis and Karli Godwin have been outstanding. While the bats rank among the best in the country, the Cowgirls' pitching staff shouldn't be overlooked either, with OSU's seven shutouts ranking eighth in the nation. Graduate senior Lexi Kilfoyl has already picked up national recognition for her strong performances in the circle, earning Wilson/ NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors to go with the Big 12 weekly award on February 27. Senior Ivy Rosenberry has made strides under new pitching coach Carrie Eberle, owning a team-best 0.23 ERA, good for top five in the country. Nationally, the Cowgirls rank among the top 25 in 11 different statistics, including batting average (.353, 13th), home runs (32, T-seventh), scoring (7.20, 16th), shutouts (seven, ninth), ERA (1.55, ninth) and fielding percentage (0.982, ninth).

Notable Streaks and Trends
• The Cowgirls enter the weekend with a 12-game winning streak that includes victories over No. 4 Washington and No. 16 Florida. In that stretch, OSU has outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 69-13.
• Oklahoma State has scored first in all 20 games this season.
• OSU has been ranked in the NFCA poll in each of its last 291 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• OSU has out-hit 17 of its 20 opponents entering Big 12 play this weekend.
• OSU has at least one extra base hit in all but one game this season.
• OSU has at least one home run in 10 of its last 13 games.
• In its last six games, OSU has 10 stolen bases.
• Right-hander Lexi Kilfoyl has not given up an earned run in her last 30.0 innings pitched.
• Freshman Karli Godwin has reached base safely in each of her last 14 games.
• Oklahoma State has hit at least three home runs in six different games so far this season.
• Dating to last season, Tallen Edwards has started 40 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team.
• The Oklahoma State pitching staff has tallied at least five strikeouts in its last five games played.
• In its last 12 games, the OSU pitching staff has only allowed four extra-base hits.

Series History
The Cowgirls and the Bears have met 81 times, with OSU leading the series, 48-33. In Waco, Baylor leads, 16-13. This is the second-consecutive season in which OSU and Baylor have met in the Big 12's opening weekend of play, with the Cowgirls sweeping the Bears by a combined margin of 16-6 last year in Stillwater.