Oklahoma State softball pitching staff, young hitters show development in fall
STILLWATER — The one storyline that will loom over Oklahoma State softball all next season is obvious.
What would this team have looked like with ace pitcher Kelly Maxwell back in the circle?
The answer?
Doesn't matter.
Maxwell is at OU and the Cowgirls head into winter with the same goal of pursuing a national championship regardless of Maxwell’s uniform color.
Here’s a look at three key developments from the Cowgirls’ recently concluded fall season, starting with the pitching staff:
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The arms race
Knowing what his team faced, OSU coach Kenny Gajewski approached the fall with the challenge of developing a pitching staff that is limited in big-game experience beyond Lexi Kilfoyl, who pitched in several clutch moments last season.
Kilfoyl will seamlessly slide into the No. 1 role after helping the Cowgirls to their fourth straight Women’s College World Series appearance. But the pitching rotation behind her will be made up of less experienced arms.
Kyra Aycock was sharp as the third option on last year’s team, and she saw a bit of postseason action to help prepare her for a bigger role this year.
Katie Kutz, a highly pursued high school recruit out of McLean, Virginia, has the talent to step in as a contributor.
Yet one of the most important developments of fall was the progress shown by Ivy Rosenberry.
Now a senior, Rosenberry saw limited action in her first season as a Cowgirl after transferring from Virginia Tech. But in the fall, she showed capability of earning more time and bringing an additional layer of depth to the staff.
None of these pitchers were on the roster when new pitching coach Carrie Eberle was last on the OSU staff as a graduate assistant in 2022, but Eberle has worked quickly to build strong relationships with them.
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Young hitters show growth
Combining last year’s freshman class, which included several players who were starters or in primary bench roles, with a talented group of newcomers, the Cowgirls have a young core that could push Gajewski into making some tough lineup decisions.
Karli Godwin was the gem of the recruiting class, and has shown the capability to be a dangerous hitter while also giving returning first baseman Micaela Wark a rest on defense.
Another true freshman, Rosie Davis has shown both the bat and the glove to contend for a starting job in the outfield.
And sophomores who showed potential last year, like Claire Timm, Katie Lott and Lexi McDonald, showed in fall that they are worthy of being in the mix for outfield spots as well.
Also, outfielder Scotland David, a senior who has dealt with multiple serious injuries throughout her career, is healthy and played well in fall.
Defensive holes to fill
Though Gajewski has been accustomed to roster turnover in his time at OSU, he hasn’t faced anything quite like this. He always had familiar faces he could lean on over several years, from Sydney Pennington to Kiley Naomi to Chyenne Factor and others.
But this team will be heavy on players in their first or second year at OSU.
And defensively, the Cowgirls graduated everyone up the middle of the field in catcher Taylor Tuck, Naomi and Rachel Becker in the middle infield and Factor in center field.
Those will be key positions to fill, and other than Wark at first base, the rest of the infield could have a new look.
Megan Bloodworth, last year’s starter at third base, saw time there and at second in the fall. Tallen Edwards, who held down left field as a freshman last season, should be back on the dirt, where she starred at Southmoore High School.
Among transfers, Jilyen Poullard has infield and outfield experience from her time at McNeese State, which could help her battle for playing time at multiple positions. Macy Graf was a part-time starter on the infield as a freshman last year at Mississippi State. And senior Caroline Wang from Liberty will compete with Audrey Schneidmiller at catcher.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball pitchers, young hitters show growth in fall
