Oklahoma State Softball Preview: The Pitchers
It’s softball time.
Oklahoma State softball kicks off its season on Thursday, taking on Cal State-Northridge in Northridge, California.
As the Cowgirls search for its fifth straight Women’s College World Series, we take a look at each of the position groups, starting with pitchers.
Returners
The pitching staff is looking to be the backbone of Kenny Gajewski’s squad, and Lexi Kilfoyl and Kyra Aycock headline the position group.
Kilfoyl comes in as the top arm for the Cowgirls after the departure of Kelly Maxwell, who transferred to Oklahoma in the offseason.
The senior had a stellar first season with OSU, posting a 1.70 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 2023.
Her best game last season came in her very first start in an Oklahoma State uniform, giving up zero runs on three hits and 12 strikeouts in a victory over North Carolina.
Aycock is back this season after recording one of the better freshman seasons across college softball in 2023. The sophomore finished the season with a 2.51 ERA in 2023, collecting 65 strikeouts in the 95 innings pitched.
Her best outing came against the eventual WCWS runner-up Flordia State Seminoles, giving up only one run on two hits and five strikeouts.
Kilfoyl and Aycock can’t do it all, and Gajewski and the crew know that. So, who are some of the familiar and new faces that could make an impact this season?
Ivy Rosenberry
Rosenberry, who transferred from Virginia Tech in 2023, came in most games when they were blowouts, but she put up respectable numbers.
She finished with a 2.65 ERA in 2023, recording 20 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched. Rosenberry did have trouble stopping teams last season, for she gave up 40 earned runs in 2023.
Katie Kutz
The No. 6 recruit in Softball America’s 2023 class, Kutz could be a breakout freshman for the Cowgirls.
A two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Virginia, Kutz secured a 0.45 ERA, striking out 268 batters and surrendering only 24 hits in 109 innings pitched her senior season.
While Kilfoyl and Aycock have the first two spots locked up in the rotation, Rosenberry and Kutz could be battling to watch and see who gets the third spot in the rotation.
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Nick is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University, where he also minors Sports Managment. He has covered OSU softball for 107.7 The Franchise and also covers Oklahoma high school football for Enid News & Eagle.