OSU Softball: Cowgirls Climb as High as 2 in Polls, RPI Gets Much-Needed Boost

Heading into the Big 12 Tournament, the Cowgirls are ranked as high as No. 2 in the polls, and they’ve beaten the undisputed No. 1 team in a three-game series.

Oklahoma State took two of three off three-time defending national champion Oklahoma this past weekend, leading the Cowgirls to the following standings in each of the major polls:

ESPN/USA Softball — No. 2
USA Today/NFCA — No. 3
D1 Softball — No. 3
Softball America — No. 3

Texas is the No. 1 team in all of the polls, as the Longhorns clinched a Big 12 title this past weekend despite dropping a pair of games in Stillwater.

Despite their high standing in those polls, there was still somewhat of a wonder as to whether the Cowgirls would get a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament because of their RPI ranking. Although the RPI isn’t solely used for seeding, it does play a heavy factor. Getting in the top 8 seeds is important because that would mean the Cowgirls would host a potential Super Regional at Cowgirl Stadium — a place where OSU is 19-1 this season.

OSU went into the weekend outside the top 8 in the RPI, but after picking up the pair of wins, the Cowgirls are at No. 8.

“I think we’re right there,” said OSU coach Kenny Gajewski after Sunday’s game about his team’s standing. “I’d be really shocked if we weren’t, but it’s out of my hands. There’s nothing I can do. I’m not gonna lobby or any of that kind of stuff, but I think we’re set up good. We’ve done everything that we could do. We’ve played a good schedule.”

Still somewhat dependent on what happens at the Big 12 Tournament, it seems as if it would be crazy if the Cowgirls didn’t get a top-8 seed. But if they don’t, it sounds like the mindset is there to overcome a potential letdown on Selection Sunday.

“Me personally, I don’t really give a dang,” Lexi McDonald said. “We’re gonna go wherever the crap they put us, and we’re gonna go beat the heck out of whoever we play. We have each other’s backs. We’re just gonna go compete and have fun. Compete the Cowgirl way, go play for our program, play for each other and just be thankful God has given us the opportunity to go out there and go compete.”

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OSU starts the Big 12 Tournament with a game against BYU at 11 a.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City. OSU went 2-1 against the Cougars in Provo earlier this season.