For Immediate Release | May 22, 2024 | Contact: Serg Thomas (serg.thomas@okstate.edu)
Cowgirl Softball Set to Host Arizona in Fifth-Consecutive NCAA Super Regional Appearance
The Basics
After sweeping the NCAA Stillwater Regional, the No. 5 national seed Oklahoma State softball team (47-10 overall, 21-6 Big 12), hosts Arizona (37-16-1, 13- 11 Pac-12) in a best-of-three Super Regional in Cowgirl Stadium this weekend with a trip to the Women’s
College World Series on the line. Game one is set for 7 p.m. Friday on ESPNU, with
game two at 6 p.m. Saturday, with TV information yet to be determined. Sunday’s if-necessary game is TBD.
Watch, Listen, Follow
Every game of the NCAA Stillwater Super Regional can be seen on the ESPN family of networks, with game one set to be televised on ESPNU with Mark Neely and Carol Bruggeman on the call. Fans can listen to the games on stillwaterradio.net, or tune in using the Varsity Network app with Bill Van Ness and Rachel Becker on the call.
Live stats for all of OSU’s games are available online at NCAA.com. Fans can follow @CowgirlSB on X all season for regular coverage and updates, including a live scoreboard.
In The Rankings
Oklahoma State is No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll and No. 4 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Softball America has the Cowgirls at No. 3 and D1Softball has the Pokes at No. 3. In the NCAA Softball Rating Percentage Index (RPI), OSU slots in at No. 12.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
After posting a program record fourth-consecutive 40-win season, the Oklahoma State softball team earned the No. 5 national seed in the 2024 NCAA DI Softball Championship, which ties the 2021 Cowgirls for the highest national seed in program history. After sweeping the NCAA Stillwater Regional, OSU improved to 15-0 in its last 15 NCAA Regional round contests. 2024 marks the fifth consecutive season in which Oklahoma State earned the right to host an NCAA Regional and the fourth straight season in which the Cowgirls secured a top-eight national seed. In each of the previous four seasons, OSU has advanced to the Women’s College World Series. This is OSU’s eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA Softball Championship and its 26th appearance all time. Eight consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament is the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only the record mark of 11 set from 1988-98. The Cowgirls are led by Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and top three finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Lexi Kilfoyl, and fellow All-Big 12 first team selections Karli Godwin and Caroline Wang. A three-time Big 12/NFCA Pitcher of the Week, Kilfoyl is second nationally in ERA (1.08) and leads the Big 12 in shutouts (six) and victories (24). Godwin, a TUCCI/NFCA DI Softball Freshman of the Year Top 10 finalist, has 14 home runs to go with 48 RBIs and a team-leading 12 doubles. Wang set a new OSU single-season home run record by a catcher (17, and counting) and has 11 doubles and 48 RBIs. Oklahoma State finished third in the Big 12 standings (21-6), marking the sixth-straight season finishing inside the top three (not including the shortened 2020 season due to COVID). The Pokes collected four series sweeps (UCF, Houston, Texas Tech and Kansas) to go with series wins over then-No. 19 Baylor, BYU, then-No. 2 Texas and then-No. 2 Oklahoma.
Notable Streaks and Trends
• In the last three seasons, Oklahoma State is 18-1 in postseason games played in Cowgirl Stadium with a combined score of 120-21.
• OSU has been ranked in the NFCA poll in each of its last 328 games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
• OSU is 22-1 at home this season, outscoring the opposition, 155-40, and holding a 35-6 advantage in home runs. OSU slugs .604 at home, while opponents slug only .274 in Cowgirl Stadium.
• When pitching at home, Lexi Kilfoyl is 10-0 with a 1.07 earned run average and limits the opposition to a .203 batting average.
• Oklahoma State has won 16 games via run-rule.
• Oklahoma State has scored 10+ runs in 14 games this season.
• OSU has outscored its opponents, 19-7, from the seventh inning on.
• OSU is 9-2 in one-run games.
• Dating back to the Washington game on Feb. 22, OSU has hit 71 home runs and allowed only 22.
• Oklahoma State has hit at least three home runs in 17 different games so far this season.
• Karli Godwin has started all 57 games this season, the only player on the team to do so.
Series History
The Cowgirls are 10-3 all-time in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Softball Championship and have won their last five Super Regional games. OSU and Arizona have met 34 times, with Arizona leading the series, 21-13. This is the first meeting between the two teams in Stillwater. In the postseason, the teams have met eight times, with the Cowgirls trailing the series, 3-5. In the Gajewski era, the Pokes are 2-1 against the Wildcats.
Postseason Success in Stillwater
In the last four seasons (including this season), Oklahoma State is 18-1 in regional and super regional games played in Cowgirl Stadium with a combined score of 120-21. In those 19 games, OSU slashes .340/.397/.598 as a team while blasting 27 home runs and launching 40 doubles to go with 112 RBIs. Cowgirl pitchers have a 1.06 ERA in 125.0 IP while tallying 136 strikeouts. A closer look:
5/21/21 (R) Campbell W 10-0 (5)
5/22/21 (R) Mississippi State W 9-3
5/23/21 (R) Mississippi State W 10-2 (5)
5/28/21 (SR) No. 11 Texas W 6-1
5/29/21 (SR) No. 11 Texas L 2-4
5/30/21 (SR) No. 11 Texas W 2-0
5/20/22 (R) Fordham W 12-0 (5)
5/21/22 (R) No. 25 Nebraska W 7-4
5/22/22 (R) North Texas W 2-0
5/26/22 (SR) No. 14 Clemson W 2-0
5/27/22 (SR) No. 14 Clemson W 5-1
5/19/23 (R) UMBC W 9-0 (6)
5/20/23 (R) No. 21 Wichita State W 6-0
5/21/23 (R) Nebraska W 5-2
5/25/23 (SR) No. 19 Oregon W 8-1
5/26/23 (SR) No. 19 Oregon W 9-0
5/17/24 (R) Northern Colorado W 6-0
5/18/24 (R) Kentucky W 6-2
5/19/24 (R) Michigan W 4-1
2024 NCAA Stillwater Regional Domination
At the NCAA Stillwater Regional, Oklahoma State outscored its opponents by a combined margin of 16-3. The Cowgirls were led by strong performances from Lexi Kilfoyl in the circle, who picked up three victories and owned a 0.74 ERA in 19.0 IP with zero walks given up and 21 strikeouts. Jilyen Poullard became the only player in the Gajewski era to launch three home runs in an NCAA Regional, while Caroline Wang and Rosie Davis both batted .500.
Jumpin’ Jil
Jilyen Poullard has launched seven home runs in her last eight games, including three during the NCAA Stillwater Regional. With her two-HR day against Kentucky, Poullard became the only Cowgirl this season to have two multi-HR games, with her first coming against Kansas on April 28. She’s only the eighth in school history with multiple games with two or more home runs in the same season.
Gettin’ Hot at the Right Time
Oklahoma State enters Super Regionals as winners in 13 of its last 15. In that span, the Pokes have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 98-45 and have hit 24 home runs and 21 doubles. OSU’s hot stretch has been fueled by strong numbers from Lexi McDonald, Karli Godwin, Jilyen Poullard and Caroline Wang, all of whom have batting averages over .340 during the last 15 games. Godwin leads the team with 17 home runs and has five home runs during the stretch while posting a .356 batting average and a .822 slugging percentage. Poullard has seven home runs a team-best 15 runs. Wang has a team-best .391 batting average in the last 15 games.
NFCA All-Region Cowgirls
The 2024 Cowgirls tied a program record with eight NFCA Midwest All-Region honorees, headlined by first team members Lexi Kilfoyl, Ivy Rosenberry and Caroline Wang. Freshman standout Karli Godwin and redshirt sophomore Micaela Wark were named to the second team, while Rosie Davis, Tallen Edwards and Claire Timm all received third team recognition.
Big 12’s Best
The Cowgirls were well-represented in this year’s crop of Big 12 yearly awards, highlighted by Lexi Kilfoyl earning Pitcher of the Year, marking OSU’s third hurler in the last four years to win the award. Kilfoyl also collected first team All-Big 12 honors, joined by Karli Godwin and Caroline Wang. Ivy Rosenberry picked up All-Big 12 second team recognition, with Godwin and Rosie Davis both being named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
All Things Lexi
Lexi Kilfoyl is the first in school history to be a top three finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining Texas’ Reese Atwood and Stanford’s NiJaree Canady as 2024 finalists. The winner is set to be announced May 28. The graduate pitcher was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited College Softball draft, one of 15 players selected to join the league that begins play in late July. She is the seventh Cowgirl to be drafted by Athletes Unlimited, and the 25th Cowgirl in program history to be selected in a professional draft. Kilfoyl will trade in America’s Brightest Orange for the Red, White and Blue as she was one of 16 athletes selected to represent United States Women’s Elite Team at the Japan All-Star Series from July 4-8.
Dinger Party
The Cowgirls have launched 86 home runs as a team this season, which is the second-most in a season and only seven home runs behind the school record set in 2021. OSU has blasted three or more home runs in 17 different contests this season. Four different Cowgirls (Karli Godwin, Jilyen Poullard, Caroline Wang and Micaela Wark) have double-
digit home runs this season, marking only the second time in program history four players have double- digit home run totals (previously occurred in 2021).
Record Year
The Cowgirls of 2024 have (so far) set 74 personal single-season career highs, and are on pace to set multiple more. Ivy Rosenberry, Lexi McDonald and Claire Timm all set single-season career-bests in virtually every statistical category. Some of the other notable achievements include Jilyen Poullard shattering her previous single-season best with 11 home runs this season, while Caroline Wang and Micaela Wark both tied their respective career-bests in home runs, with 17 and 10, respectively.
2023 Cowgirls vs. 2024 Cowgirls
Despite losing five starters from last year’s team, the Cowgirls of 2024, comprised of mainly underclassmen, have not missed a beat. In fact, this year’s group of Cowgirls have elevated their play in areas compared to last season. OSU has nearly doubled its home run total from this point last season, sitting at 86 dingers now (compared to 49 at this point last season). Additionally, OSU holds a 1.97 ERA as a team this season, where as last year the Cowgirls had an ERA of 2.11 at this point.
40 Wins - Again
After securing its 40th win of the season, the Cowgirls of 2024 became the 16th team in program history to reach the 40-win mark, and are the fourth consecutive to do so. Four straight 40-win seasons is a program record.
Clutch Hitting
As a team, OSU is batting .347 with runners in scoring position. Rosie Davis (22-for-41, .537 avg.), Tallen Edwards (12-for-37, .324 avg.), Caroline Wang (19-for-52, .365 avg.), Micaela Wark (13-for-32, .406 avg.) and Karli Godwin (16-for-41, .333 avg.) lead the Cowgirl hitters with RISP. With two outs, the Cowgirls are batting .301.
Fab Freshmen
Roommates off the field, freshmen Rosie Davis and Karli Godwin have been mainstays in the OSU lineup, with Godwin the only Cowgirl to start every game this season. Both NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalists, the pair are both among the top three on the team in batting average (.338 for Davis and .339 for Godwin) and they combine for 79 RBIs to go with 21 home runs and 22 doubles. Additional freshman contributors are Taylor Anderson and Tia Warsop. Perhaps the two fastest players in the Gajewski era, both are threats on the basepaths and commonly used in pinch running scenarios, combining for 28 runs scored. In her first career start at BYU on March 22, Anderson blasted her first career home run. Of Oklahoma State’s 321 RBIs so far this season, freshmen account for 26% of them (82/321) and of its 451 hits, freshmen account for 28% of them (127/451).
Home Sweet Home
OSU has dominated at home since 2019, boasting a 118-16 record at Cowgirl Stadium. At home this season, the Pokes are 22-1, have outscored opponents, 155-40, and have hit 35 home runs while only giving up six. With the latest addition of the right field bleachers added for the Big 12 home opener, a new attendance record was set at Cowgirl Stadium on March 30, when 1,757 fans watched OSU clinch the series against then-No. 2 Texas.
In addition to its new single-game attendance record, OSU set a new home regular season attendance record, with 22,070 fans packing into Cowgirl Stadium this season.
Selected Cowgirl Tidbits
Tallen Edwards - Outspoken advocate for people with alopecia. Enrolled at OSU a year early and earned 2023 freshman All-America honors when she should have been a senior in high school.
Karli Godwin - Top-10 national recruit who enjoys hunting and fishing in her spare time. Chose OSU largely because Stillwater feels like her home of Lake Waccamaw, N.C.
Macy Graf - Mississippi State transfer who runs her own apparel company called Shady Cowboy.
Lexi Kilfoyl - 2023 All-American and 2024 Preseason All-American. Alabama transfer who pitched in the 2021 Women’s College World Series for the Crimson Tide and in the 2023 WCWS for Oklahoma State. Brother, Andrew, plays football at South Florida.
Katie Kutz - An elite-level competitive bodybuilder who has earned her pro card.
Lexi McDonald - Product of baseball hotbed Silo, Oklahoma. Brother is training to be a college softball umpire.
Jilyen Poullard - High-energy member of the team who was a standout at McNeese but transferred to Oklahoma State to rekindle her own love for the game. Is developing a clothing line, Yet To Come: Manifest Greatness, with her partner, Madysin.
Ivy Rosenberry - Virginia Tech transfer who grew up in Virginia but was drawn to OSU not only to play at the highest level but also because she has family in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Is enjoying a career-year in her final season of collegiate softball.
Haidyn Sokoloski - Two-time gold medalist for Team USA (U17 and U18) at the Pan American Championships. Played summer ball in Nashville in 2023 and was offensive MVP of the league. Has her own series on OSU Max, OSU’s streaming service, called Hangin’ with Haidyn, where she vlogs most of the road trips from this season.
Caroline Wang - Formerly Caroline Hudson before marrying Matthew Wang in the summer of 2023. Her father, John, won a Super Bowl as a member of the Baltimore Ravens and her grandfather played for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. Mother was a gymnast at Auburn and sister played softball for Chattanooga.
Tia Warsop - Selected to play for the Great Britain senior national team at age 17 and helped the squad to silver at the 2022 European Championships - its best finish at the event since 2009. Born in Northampton, England, but her family moved to Texas when she was four years old. One of the fastest players of the Kenny Gajewski era at Oklahoma State.
What’s At Stake
Oklahoma State is seeking its fifth consecutive Women’s College World Series appearance, one of only two teams in the country to do so. So far, every NCAA Super Regional appearance in school history has produced a WCWS berth.
