Five Reasons You Want to Get on Board with Cowgirls Softball
STILLWATER -- Kenny Gajewski could have spent the offseason celebrating taking Oklahoma State softball back to OKC and Women's College World Series. It was quite a season with the Super Regional win at Florida State vs. the defending national champions and then opening up in OKC with an upset over Florida. Instead, Gajewski went to work on bettering his program by picking up players off the portal and enticing a rival coach to come to Stillwater and groom his pitchers, We think you'll like what Kenny has done with the Cowgirls and we have five good reasons for you to jump on board.
1. The Ranking
You don't have to wait long for recognition as the Cowgirls opened up strong in the national polls for the 2020 season both the USA Today/Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 have Oklahoma State ranked 13th. It's the third-straight season the Cowgirls have been ranked to start the season, but last January they were 22nd in the coaches poll and 21st with ESPN and USA softball.
"The polls are great, but we don't care where they rank us," Gajewski said. "It's where you wind up at the end and the polls don't dictate that."
2. The Transfers
Gajewski has added one of the top pitchers in the nation in Carrie Eberle from Virginia Tech; one of the top position players in the same conference, the ACC, in Hayley Busby out of Virginia, and then Georgia and SEC standout and one of his first recruits at OSU in Alysen Febrey.
Febrey is a tough player that was a .330 career hitter with 18 home runs, 28 doubles and 82 RBIs at Georgia. She started 162 of her 163 games played with the Bulldogs.
"I'd always loved Coach Gajewski and he had recruited me at Florida too," said Febrey. "I knew him for a long time. This program is turning into something great and I want to be a part of it."
Last season at Virginia, Busby batted .388, posted an eye-popping 1.125 OPS and notched 66 hits, 30 of which resulted in extra bases (17 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR).
Busby's numbers held up against some of the stiffest competition she faced last season as the right-handed hitter posted three-hit games against Georgia, Pitt, Notre Dame, at James Madison, at NCAA State and vs. Hampton.
Finally, Eberle gives the Cowgirls some big-time power in the circle. She was the ACC Pitcher of the Year last season at Virginia Tech, 1st-Team All-ACC, and a National Top 100 Player of the Year. Eberle went 25-8 with a 1.84 ERA in 201.1 innings pitched. She pitched 23 complete games and and had nine shutouts.
3. The Attitude
It has taken a while, but the combination of the returning players from last season, the new transfers and the young incoming freshmen have got their stuff together. Gajewski said it took more time than he wanted, but an unbeaten fall has led to a good start with practice.
Why?
"I like my players," Gajewski said. "I have tough players. They really are tough and we have a tough schedule, so we need players that won't back down."
Oh yeah, they open next week in Baton Rouge with two against LSU and two against Florida A&M. Then the go to Clearwater, Fla. and will play Virginia Tech (Sure, Eberle will pitch), Missouri, Alabama, and yes, the Team USA.
4. The Freshman
Gajewski thinks by the time things really get rolling, his new second baseman, freshman Karli Petty from Moore and Southmoore High School will be the best player on the team. He thinks she has the most talent.
"Once she gets going, she may have the most talent on this team," Gajewski said. "She can hit with power, play the short game, drive balls in the gap, is playing a new position at second base, but she can handle it."
5. The New Pitching Coach
Gajewski said he always wanted to have former Tulsa coach John Bargfeldt coaching his pitchers. He calls his knowledge of softball pitching crazy and that he has done a lot to help Gajewski as a head coach.
"He's a man's man," the Cowgirls head coach said. "He has helped me a lot, shows me another side of decisions, and gives me another set of eyes in developing this team."
The pitchers swear by Burgfeldt. Not as under the breath, but in doing everything he asks.
"I'm total bought in, whatever he can do to help me I'm along for the ride," said Cowgirls veteran pitcher Logan Simunek. "He's been a fastpitch pitcher in men's fastpitch softball, so he knows what he is doing. He has done it and he has already proven to us that he can help us be better."
You might want to get on board this season. If you didn't last spring, you missed a darn good ride. Kenny Gajewski has done all he can to make sure the roller coaster climbs to higher highs this spring at Cowgirl Stadium. By the way season ticket sales have you looking at standing room only.
