‘Think It’s the Best Team We’ve Had Here’: Kenny Gajewski Likes Talent, Depth of 2025 Cowgirls

STILLWATER — This is team 10 for Kenny Gajewski as the Cowgirls’ coach, but it sounds like it could be his best yet, which is really saying something considering the Cowgirls have been to the past five Women’s College World Series.

Gajewski and Oklahoma State softball held a media day on Monday to preview the Cowgirls’ upcoming season. OSU starts its season Feb. 6 against Florida State as part of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. With some high impact transfers set to join a returning core that should get only better, Gajewksi spoke highly of the team he is taking into 2025.

“Think it’s the best team we’ve had here,” Gajewksi said. “For sure the most talented team, the most depth that we’ve ever had. And I would say that that goes for every facet — offense, defense, base running, pitching. Feel like we’ve got the best staff that we could assemble here, support staff. So, I think it just sets up for if these guys can stay together and weather the storms that are gonna come our way, we have a chance to do what they want to do, and that’s win the final game.”

It starts in the circle, where OSU grabbed All-American Ruby Meylan out of the transfer portal. Still only a junior, Meylan made the All-Pac 12 First Team in both of her seasons at Washington. In 76 appearances as a Husky, Meylan had a 2.31 ERA and 343 strikeouts across 303.2 innings pitched. Baylor transfer RyLee Crandall also joins the fold after throwing 286 innings the past two seasons at Baylor, where Crandall had a 3.13 ERA. Kyra Aycock is back for her junior season after throwing 170 innings for OSU over the past two seasons.

Meylan is next in a line of outstanding pitchers that Gajewksi has had lead his staff. Gajewski said that if Meylan can handle mental side of being the ace of a team expected to compete for a national title, she has the chance to be pretty, pretty good.

“It’s a highs and lows road,” Gajewski said. “This is what I mean, when she figures out the not worried about the peaks and the valleys so much, and she can just keep the steady-eddy approach, like a (Lexi) Kilfoyl has had here, like a Carrie (Eberle) has had here, like a Kelly Maxwell has had here. I look at others. There’s a lot of others, too — an (Miranda) Elish. She was very steady even though she was an emotional kid. (Samantha) Show, go back to her.

“When (Meylan) masters that, look out. Like, it’s as good as anybody we’ve ever had, and I mean maybe as good as anybody who’s ever pitched here. I think that says a lot for who we’ve run through this program before me, during us, all that.”

But OSU’s roster being good doesn’t stop in the circle. The Cowgirls return their entire infield from last season — Karli Godwin at first, Rosie Davis at second, Tallen Edwards and third and Megan Bloodworth at short. Gajewski said that’s how he’d expect to start the year in the infield after Bloodworth and New Mexico transfer Rachel Hathoot had a battle for short during the fall. Gajewski said Bloodworth won, but Hathoot will likely play in left field.

Godwin and Davis were true freshmen last season, but at different times of the year, they looked like a pair of OSU’s best players. Godwin was a finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection after hitting .340 with 15 home runs and a team-best 51 RBIs. Davis hit .333 with 35 runs scored and hit .511 with runners in scoring position. Edwards, now a junior, led the Cowgirls with 41 runs scored last season while hitting .299, and Bloodworth is a rock at shortstop, recording a team-high 140 assists.

Joining Hathoot in the outfield, expect Claire Timm in right and Cal State-Fullerton transfer Megan Delgadillo in center, with Lexi McDonald and Tia Warsop also pushing for at-bats. Gajewski also shoveled tons of praise onto how Micaela Wark is playing right now at the plate. Wark missed the fall after having surgeries on both knees during the offseason, but it sounds like she’ll continue to factor into things, as well.

At New Mexico, Hathoot was an All-Mountain West First Team selection the past two seasons, starting all 173 games she played with New Mexico. In four seasons with the Lobos, she hit .330, hitting .382 in 2024. Delgadillo, who’s nickname is Cheese, is elite on the basepaths with 151 stolen bases in four seasons at Cal State Fullerton. She’s the Titans’ career leader in hits (272), runs scored (172) and stolen batting average while recording a four-year batting average of .390. She hit .417 last season.

So, there don’t seem to be many weaknesses in this OSU lineup.

“Honestly, like, if you’re not going good, I got options,” Gajewski said. “I really respect how Coach (Patty) Gasso does her lineup. It changes a lot. It’s just real easy, like, ‘Well, you’re not going good? You still haven’t lost your spot, but maybe you’re gonna bat seventh here today.’ …

“It’s because you have competition. And it’s not personal, it’s just, ‘Hey, we’re trying to win today.’ For the first time in my time here, that’s a little bit how I feel. Each year, I know I get up here and I go, ‘This is our best team. This is the most talent we’ve ever had.’ Well, I still feel like that on this team.”