Oklahoma State Softball: Weekend Preview
Welcome to the opening day of college softball.
Several teams get started on Thursday, including the Oklahoma State Cowgirls.
OSU is on the road to start the season, spending the next four days playing five games out in California, including a top-15 battle on Sunday.
Thursday: Cal State Northridge
The Matadors come into this season after posting a 28-24 record last season, including being eliminated in two games at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
Mikayla Carman is back for Cal State Northridge after collecting a .338 batting average with 54 hits and 28 RBIs in 2023.
Both Shaylan Whatman and Kaylee Escutia return as well as they tied for the team high in home runs last season with five a piece.
Friday: Loyola Marymount
Coming off a 28-22 season in 2023, including a trip to the NCAA Regionals, the Lions are looking to take the next step this season.
Sydney Poole is back for the Lions this season after recording a team-high .338 batting average last season.
Izzy Jamgotchian returns as well after putting up 40 hits, seven home runs and 37 RBIs last season.
Saturday: Utah State and UC Riverside
The first double header of the season and the first contest will be at 11 a.m. against Utah State.
Coming off an 18-26 start last season, including 9-13 in the Mountain West, the Aggies are looking to get back on the winning side of things in 2024.
Jaden Colunga returns after securing a .327 batting average with 36 hits, three home runs and 23 RBIs last season.
Right after that, the Cowgirls take on UC Riverside at 1:30 p.m.
The Highlanders are coming off a 25-28 season but ended the season on a five-game winning streak.
Gigi Araki is back after smashing five home runs last year for the Highlanders, along with 29 hits and 18 RBIs.
Nadia Witt also returns for the Highlanders after hitting .343 with 58 hits and 20 RBIs last season for the Highlanders.
Sunday: UCLA
This is the big one as the Cowgirls take on UCLA at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
The Bruins come in ranked in the top 10 in most preseason polls, including starting at No. 8 in the USA Softball Preseason Poll.
UCLA is coming off a 52-7 record last season but was eliminated in the NCAA Regionals, suffering a 2-1 loss to Liberty in its final game of the season.
Maya Brady leads the show this season after posting a .448 batting average with 77 hits, 18 home runs and 59 RBIs in 2023.
Power is the staple in the Bruins lineup this season. All four players who had double-digit home runs last season return to UCLA for the 2024 season.
Want to join the discussion? Like All Pokes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
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.