Stillwater, Okla. -
This Week’s Schedule
MIZUNO CLASSIC
#20 Oklahoma State (15-6) vs Wisconsin (4-11)
Fri., March 12 • 4:30 pm • Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
#20 Oklahoma State (15-6) vs Prairie View A&M (0-11)
Fri., March 12 • 7 pm • Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
#20 Oklahoma State (15-6) vs Rutgers (5-10)
Sat., March 13 • 1:30 pm • Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
#20 Oklahoma State (15-6) vs TBD
Sat., March 13 • 4:30/7 pm • Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
#20 Oklahoma State (15-6) vs TBD
Sun., March 14 • 9/11 am • Cowgirl Stadium • Stillwater, Okla.
On Tap
Oklahoma State hosts the Mizuno Classic this weekend, beginning on Friday. The Cowgirls will face Wisconsin, Prairie View A&M and Rutgers. OSU will play the Badgers on Friday at 4:30 p.m., followed by OSU and Prairie View at 7 o’clock. On Saturday, the Cowgirls will play the Scarlet Knights at 1:30 p.m., before the semifinals and finals are played on Saturday night and Sunday.
About Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is 15-6 overall this season and ranked No. 19 in the latest USA Softball/ESPN.com top-25 rankings and 20th in the NFCA Coaches poll. Five of the losses this season have come against top-25 opponents, including a loss to top-ranked Washington. The Cowgirls are 3-5 this season against ranked foes, including wins over No. 13 Cal, 14th-ranked Louisville and No. 11 Oklahoma. Four different Cowgirls are batting .350 or better this season, and five have an on-base percentage of .400 or better.
At the Plate
The Cowgirls are led by junior third baseman Mariah Gearhart who is batting .418 with 23 runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Julie Ward has a .841 slugging percentage with seven home runs and 11 doubles. She also leads the Big 12 with 32 runs batted in and has three grand slams on the season. A pair of freshmen — Amy Graham and Tamara Brown — are hitting .385 and .350, respectively and have added some youth to the lineup. Eight different Cowgirls have already scored eight or more runs this season.
In the Circle
Oklahoma State’s pitching staff is led by senior Anna Whiddon who is 11-3 so far on the season. Whiddon has a 1.98 earned run average in 77-2/3 innings pitched. She has six complete games, three shutouts and is averaging a little more than one strikeout per inning. Whiddon threw a one-hit shutout against Bedlam-rival and 11th-ranked Oklahoma in a non-conference game last weekend. Freshman Kat Espinosa is 4-2 this season with a 1.88 ERA and has eight starts this season.
National Players of the Week
Oklahoma State pulled off a rare feat last week. Julie Ward was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week, while Anna Whiddon received Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honors. It was the first time a Cowgirl recieved the NFCA honor and just the second time an OSU player received the USA Softball award. Courtney Totte was named USA Softball Player of the Week in 2007.
Big 12 Player & Pitcher of the Week
The Big 12 also recognized Ward and Whiddon’s performance. Julie Ward was named the Big 12 Player of the Week, while Anna Whiddon received Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors. It has happened just once before in OSU softball history, when on Feb. 25, 2003, Lauren Bay and Jade Lindly were named Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively. Whiddon was 4-0 last week with a 0.88 ERAand wins over No. 14 Louisville and 11th-ranked Oklahoma. Ward batted .500 with two home runs and four doubles, 10 RBIs and a grand slam.
The Mizuno Classic Opponents
Oklahoma State is 1-0 against the Wisconsin Badgers. The last time the two met was in 2005 at the Tulsa Invitational and the Cowgirls won 4-1. OSU is 2-0 all-time against Rutgers and last played them in 1991 at the Pony Tournament in Fullerton, Calif. The Cowgirl won 1-0. Oklahoma State and Prairie View A&M have never met on the softball diamond.
