Cowboys and Cowgirls Crack the Preseason Top 20
The road to Oklahoma City and Omaha is quickly approaching for both the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls. It has been a rough year for Oklahoma State athletics, but the men and women on the diamond are ready to change that.
The recent release of the first softball rankings of the season had many scratching their heads in disbelief. The four-time defending champion Oklahoma Sooners were not the No. 1 team in the preseason polls. The Florida Gators hold down the No. 1 spot in the rankings, followed by the Texas Longhorns at No. 2. The Sooners are ranked 3rd in all the land, followed by the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at No. 4.
Debuting in the top 5️⃣
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) January 13, 2025
📝 https://t.co/Y7yr4VsxyZ #GoPokes | @SoftbalAmerica pic.twitter.com/8zLgHHDMjo
The Cowgirls have talented returners Karli Godwin, Tallen Edwards, Claire Timm and many others back from a solid team a year ago. Kenny Gajewski went to work in the transfer portal adding key players RyLee Crandall, Megan Delgadillo, Amanda Hasley and Rachael Hathoot.
The Cowgirls are the early favorite to bring home the Big 12 Championship and could once again be punching their ticket to the WCWS in 2025.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are coming off of a 42-win season a year ago in which they finished the season ranked No. 21 in the nation. The recent 2025 NCAA preseason baseball rankings took notice of what the Pokes did in 2024.
Cowboys checking in
— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) January 13, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/rtG0ZJr1Dp#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/SByxIdVkaC
The Cowboys are ranked No. 17 in the preseason polls and are tops in the Big 12 Conference. The new-look Big 12 Conference has three teams in the rankings: Oklahoma State at 17, newly minted conference member Arizona at 21, and TCU at 23.
Texas A&M is the preseason No.1 team in all the land followed by Virginia at No. 2. LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas round out the top 5 on the men’s side of the sport.
One thing is for certain when it comes to both the Cowboys and Cowgirls. They each have the pieces in place to make some noise on the diamond in 2025.
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Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.