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STILLWATER — Looking back at the first 30 games, coach Kenny Gajewski wonders if his Oklahoma State softball team believed success would come a little easier than it has.
The 16th-ranked Cowgirls are 21-9 after going 2-2 on a challenging trip to Georgia.
And they’re entering a more difficult week in Arizona.
OSU opens the four-game trip to the desert in a non-conference game against Arizona State — which is not on the Cowgirls’ Big 12 schedule this season — at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
OSU then takes on No. 11 Arizona in the teams’ first conference meeting, less than a year after they met in an NCAA Super Regional in Stillwater.
Arizona, of course, is a legendary power in the sport, and was synonymous with the Pac-12 Conference before joining the Big 12 last summer.
Now, the Wildcats are one of the new Big 12’s top programs.
“I’m glad they’re here,” Gajewski said. “We lost two top teams and we needed to replace those teams. Arizona obviously can be and ought to be one of those type of teams that we can have in this league.”
Yet that only makes for a scary road trip for the Cowgirls, who haven’t strung together long stretches of success this year, despite a respectable overall record.
“We’re 21-9 — there’s a lot of teams that would like to be that,” Gajewski said. “We probably lost a couple more games than what we felt like we would.
“I feel patience within this team. I don’t feel anybody’s pressing. I don’t see anybody losing their mind. I don’t feel that at all. I just think we’re embracing the fact that this has been a difficult year. We’ve yet to play a bunch of good games in a row, which I believe that all seasons have.”
Currently, the Cowgirls have won two straight games, which matches their second-longest win streak of the year. They reeled off 11 wins from mid-February into early March, but have been back on the rollercoaster since.
“You play the way you’re supposed to play 60% of the time,” Gajewski said. “Twenty is under and 20 is over. We definitely haven’t hit the over. And we’ve definitely felt some of the under. It’s just been a hair harder. But it’s OK.”
Big 12 softball power rankings: NiJaree Canady's Texas Tech no-hitter adds to dominance
OSU outfielder Tia Warsop has seen her name in a variety of places in the batting order since taking over the right-field starting job early in the year.
Last week, Gajewski moved the speedy slap hitter to the No. 2 spot for the final two games and she went 5 for 7 with five runs scored.
“My job is to get on base and move my teammates along with it,” Warsop said. “It’s fun getting to bat in different places.”
Her strong finish last week boosted her average to .439, the best on the team, and her 23 runs scored are the second most, behind Megan Delgadillo, who had been the leadoff hitter until Gajewski shuffled the lineup.
He moved Tallen Edwards, who had been in the bottom one-third of the order much of the season, to the leadoff spot with Warsop behind her.
Warsop has an on-base percentage of .507 and has 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
“I took her out of the Georgia game,” Gajewski said, referencing a poor defensive play and two bad at-bats. “She responded the next day great and I loved it. It was awesome. She’s growing up right in front of us.
“She still needs to really grow. But she’s doing an awesome job, having a great attitude. When I took her out, she didn’t pout or cry. She’s tough. That’s the stuff I love about her.”
Super 16 college softball rankings: After losses, where does Texas, OU stand in poll?
Until he heard assistant coach Greg Bergeron say the words, the feeling hadn’t taken shape for Gajewski.
“You look like a fish out of water,” Bergeron told Gajewski as they discussed the head coach’s role while OSU is batting.
Gajewski had coached third base the previous nine years, but handed that role to Bergeron when he hired him last offseason, because Gajewski likes Bergeron’s game management philosophy.
Gajewski began coaching first base, but quickly admitted that he hated it. In early March, he gave up that job to be in the dugout, but he wasn’t feeling comfortable there, either. During the recent series against Baylor, Gajewski returned to the third-base coaching box.
“I didn’t feel part of the game at first base, as much as I wanted to,” Gajewski said. “When I went to the dugout, I felt worse. I didn’t know where to stand in the dugout, where to go, who to talk to.
“I feel like this team is missing my energy, my up-and-down. I want them to see my fist pumps and see my heartache. That’s who we’ve been here. I felt like we were missing that. From me, not from Bergy.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball seeks consistency on tough Arizona road trip
Continue reading...
The 16th-ranked Cowgirls are 21-9 after going 2-2 on a challenging trip to Georgia.
And they’re entering a more difficult week in Arizona.
OSU opens the four-game trip to the desert in a non-conference game against Arizona State — which is not on the Cowgirls’ Big 12 schedule this season — at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
OSU then takes on No. 11 Arizona in the teams’ first conference meeting, less than a year after they met in an NCAA Super Regional in Stillwater.
Arizona, of course, is a legendary power in the sport, and was synonymous with the Pac-12 Conference before joining the Big 12 last summer.
Now, the Wildcats are one of the new Big 12’s top programs.
“I’m glad they’re here,” Gajewski said. “We lost two top teams and we needed to replace those teams. Arizona obviously can be and ought to be one of those type of teams that we can have in this league.”
Yet that only makes for a scary road trip for the Cowgirls, who haven’t strung together long stretches of success this year, despite a respectable overall record.
“We’re 21-9 — there’s a lot of teams that would like to be that,” Gajewski said. “We probably lost a couple more games than what we felt like we would.
“I feel patience within this team. I don’t feel anybody’s pressing. I don’t see anybody losing their mind. I don’t feel that at all. I just think we’re embracing the fact that this has been a difficult year. We’ve yet to play a bunch of good games in a row, which I believe that all seasons have.”
Currently, the Cowgirls have won two straight games, which matches their second-longest win streak of the year. They reeled off 11 wins from mid-February into early March, but have been back on the rollercoaster since.
“You play the way you’re supposed to play 60% of the time,” Gajewski said. “Twenty is under and 20 is over. We definitely haven’t hit the over. And we’ve definitely felt some of the under. It’s just been a hair harder. But it’s OK.”
Big 12 softball power rankings: NiJaree Canady's Texas Tech no-hitter adds to dominance
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Tia Warsop producing all over lineup
OSU outfielder Tia Warsop has seen her name in a variety of places in the batting order since taking over the right-field starting job early in the year.
Last week, Gajewski moved the speedy slap hitter to the No. 2 spot for the final two games and she went 5 for 7 with five runs scored.
“My job is to get on base and move my teammates along with it,” Warsop said. “It’s fun getting to bat in different places.”
Her strong finish last week boosted her average to .439, the best on the team, and her 23 runs scored are the second most, behind Megan Delgadillo, who had been the leadoff hitter until Gajewski shuffled the lineup.
He moved Tallen Edwards, who had been in the bottom one-third of the order much of the season, to the leadoff spot with Warsop behind her.
Warsop has an on-base percentage of .507 and has 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
“I took her out of the Georgia game,” Gajewski said, referencing a poor defensive play and two bad at-bats. “She responded the next day great and I loved it. It was awesome. She’s growing up right in front of us.
“She still needs to really grow. But she’s doing an awesome job, having a great attitude. When I took her out, she didn’t pout or cry. She’s tough. That’s the stuff I love about her.”
Super 16 college softball rankings: After losses, where does Texas, OU stand in poll?
You must be registered for see images attach
Gajewski returns to coaching third
Until he heard assistant coach Greg Bergeron say the words, the feeling hadn’t taken shape for Gajewski.
“You look like a fish out of water,” Bergeron told Gajewski as they discussed the head coach’s role while OSU is batting.
Gajewski had coached third base the previous nine years, but handed that role to Bergeron when he hired him last offseason, because Gajewski likes Bergeron’s game management philosophy.
Gajewski began coaching first base, but quickly admitted that he hated it. In early March, he gave up that job to be in the dugout, but he wasn’t feeling comfortable there, either. During the recent series against Baylor, Gajewski returned to the third-base coaching box.
“I didn’t feel part of the game at first base, as much as I wanted to,” Gajewski said. “When I went to the dugout, I felt worse. I didn’t know where to stand in the dugout, where to go, who to talk to.
“I feel like this team is missing my energy, my up-and-down. I want them to see my fist pumps and see my heartache. That’s who we’ve been here. I felt like we were missing that. From me, not from Bergy.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball seeks consistency on tough Arizona road trip
Continue reading...
