Cowgirls Wasting No Time as they Open in Softball's Version of Death Valley

No soft openers for Oklahoma State softball as Kenny Gajewski wants to find out about his team right away at LSU

STILLWATER -- With the snow piled up on the tarp at Cowgirls Stadium and the 13th-ranked Oklahoma State squad limited to hitting in indoor cages and throwing the ball around and fielding balls off the Astroturf 3D1 inside the Sherman Smith Training Center, it's hard to imagine that they will leave on Thursday and head to Baton Rouge, La. to open their season at 6 p.m. on Friday night against 11th-ranked LSU in their swanky but fan cozy Tiger Park. 

The Cowgirls looking to build off last season's College World Series trip will see the Tigers Friday night and then again Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. with two games against Florida A&M at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. No easy task although the Cowgirls return key players like third baseman Sydney Pennington, shortstop Kiley Naomi, center fielder Chyenne Factor, and left fielder Michaela Richbourg. They've added Georgia grad transfer Alysen Febrey and Virginia All-ACC standout Hayley Busby. 

With all that, Kenny Gajewski, who says it is intentional that he has the Cowgirls opening in the home of powerhouse LSU said his most talented player may be freshman second baseman Karli Petty #14 in the batting cage video. Petty doesn't act like a freshman and the Cowgirls better not be timid to get this started. 

"There's no better way than to throw them in right from the start," Gajewski said of his intentionally opening the season with a challenge. "Some people like to ease in. I don't want to ease in. I want to see where we are right from the start. I don't need Karli to get hits, I need Karli to be competitive, to be normal, that is what will try to do. We will coach Karli to be normal. She doesn't have to be Maddie Sue Montgomery or anybody else. We need her to know she doesn't need to be anybody other than you."

It will be fun to see how the freshman from Southmoore gets started because she has been good in the fall and in preseason practice. 

Gajewski told me that in the last week since media day the team has progressed the way he has wanted. 

"It's been really good, really good energy, and I think what you see is the experienced kids, they realize what it takes to be prepared for the first games, so they are rounding into form," Gajewski said upbeat and smiling. "They kind of know when go time is and I really like the influence of those kids like Pennington and Febrey. I really like what I've seen out of (Kiley) Naomi. The pitching has been good and the intrasquads (games) have been competitive."

Gajewski has been excited about the addition of former Tulsa head coach John Bargfeldt as pitching coach, but admits that his pitchers need to see some hitters that haven't seen them so much.

"Yes, I'd have to say lately, our hitters have been getting the best of our arms," Gajewski said. "That is what happens when you are seeing the same pitchers over and over."

They'll be plenty of new and plenty of different coming up on Friday night. You can even watch this battle of top 15 softball squads as the Cowgirls and the Tigers will be on SEC+ and if you have Big 12+ then you are in business to stream the game live.