Cowgirls Headed to OKC Looking to Snap Big 12 Early Exit Streak

STILLWATER — Since winning the Big 12 Tournament in 2022, it’s been a quick trip to Oklahoma City for the Cowgirls the past three seasons.

Oklahoma State has gone 0-1 at the Big 12 Tournament the past three years, but they’ll look to turn their fortunes this week when the 2-seed Cowgirls take on 7 seed Utah in the opening round at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The league’s top eight teams made the tournament field, meaning three Big 12 squads saw their season end this past weekend. Of the eight teams that will be in Oklahoma City, four weren’t even in the conference the last time the Cowgirls won it.

Newer Big 12 squads Arizona (3 seed), UCF (4), Arizona State (6) and Utah (7) join longstanding Big 12 members Texas Tech (1), OSU (2), Kansas (5) and Baylor (8) in the tournament. Although it’s hard to argue that the losses of OU and Texas were notable, Gajewski said this week that he likes what this new-look Big 12 has developed into.

“You start looking around, the people we brought in are the people who are getting in, as well as the teams that have been getting in,” Gajewski said. “The league RPI is the second in the country, so SEC and then us. So, we’re doing something right. I think it’s been a good league. We miss a little of the star power, but we’re really good in the middle. The top is good and the middle is better than it’s ever been. It’s been a good league. Very happy with what’s transpired.”

The Cowgirls enter the tournament sitting at No. 14 in the RPI as they look to put a bow on their NCAA Tournament resume. It feels like the Cowgirls are in a good spot to host an NCAA Regional, but getting into those top eight seeds feels like a long shot at this point, which would see the Cowgirls host a would-be Super.

Gajewski said Tuesday that All-American ace Ruby Meylan will throw the Cowgirls’ Big 12 tournament opener. She’s been all that and then some for OSU this season, with the Cowgirls winning the past 15 games Meylan has pitched in.

The topic of load management with her has been brought up a lot in Gajewski’s media availabilities because of how much she is throwing. She’s thrown 213 2/3 innings and 3,355 total pitches thus far this season.

While Gajewski clearly recognizes Meylan does need rest, he joked with the media Tuesday that they sounded more worried about it than he is. He also noted this is how it used to be in softball. For reference, Meylan’s 213 2/3 innings pitched isn’t even in the top 10 in seasons in program history. Back in 2004, Jessica Hoppock threw 307 innings for the Cowgirls.

“I’m gonna protect her this week — like we have in the league,” Gajewski said. “I don’t think we can be a top eight (seed). I think losing to Kansas (on Saturday) took any outside chance of that out. I thought there was maybe an outside chance if we swept, and then we could run the table in the conference tournament, which would be hard to do. But we’d be on, like, a huge winning streak playing probably as good of softball as anybody in the country. Then if some other things happened, maybe you slip into an 8 — maybe.

“I think we lost that chance. So, I think right now you just go in there and say, OK, we’re gonna try to win the first game, and we’ll do whatever it takes. Then we’ll evaluate that, that night in my room with the staff over some food and talk about that and figure out what’s next best. There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves yet.”