OSU Softball: Four Takeaways from the Cowgirls’ Opening Weekend

The Cowgirls opened their season this weekend at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico, where there were a few ups and a few downs.

Oklahoma State left the event with a 3-1 record, beating Oregon, North Carolina and Ole Miss, but the No. 3 Cowgirls did stumble against Maryland.

Here are a few takeaways from the event:

1. Kelly Maxwell Was Dominant

Kelly Maxwell started the games against Oregon (a 3-0 win) and Ole Miss (a 3-0 win), and she was her normal self.

In 13 innings pitched, Maxwell allowed no runs off four hits while striking out 23 and walking two. So through OSU’s opening weekend, Maxwell was a 0.00 ERA, a .100 batting average against and has struck out 58% of the batters she has faced. Wicked stuff.

2. No Normal Freshman

Tallen Edwards is supposed to be a senior at Southmoore High School. She reclassified to get to OSU early, and after her first weekend as a college softball player, it’s fairly evident that she was ready for the step up in competition.

Edwards hit .538 this weekend, leading all Cowgirls with multiple at-bats. She also leads the team with seven hits and five RBIs.

OSU’s left fielder, Edwards hit ninth in the Cowgirls’ lineup in their first two games before hitting second in the final two. The only game she didn’t record multiple hits in was against Oregon, the first game of her college career. She had three RBIs in OSU’s loss to Maryland, where she finished 2-for-4 at the plate.

3. Impact Transfers

Kenny Gajewski has done great in the transfer portal, and 2023 is no different.

Lexi Kilfoyl and Rachel Becker stood out in their opening weekends as Cowgirls.

Kilfoyl, a pitcher/designated player from Alabama, made two appearances in the circle this weekend, and she didn’t allow a run. In 7.1 innings, she gave up five hits while striking out 12. Then at the plate, Kilfoyl had one of the Cowgirls’ two home runs from the weekend, blasting a two-run shot against North Carolina. She has three RBIs in her 10 plate appearances.

Becker, an infielder from Purdue, had a .444 batting average in her first weekend as a Cowgirl, going 4-for-9 at the plate while also drawing a team-high six walks. She had two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. And she made a handful of nice plays at second base.

4. Don’t Put Too Much Stock in the Maryland Loss

The No. 3 team in the country falling to an unranked foe is certainly less than ideal, but a little context does matter.

Gajewski didn’t use Maxwell or Kilfoyl in OSU’s loss to Maryland, instead giving some innings to his team’s younger pitchers. The result of an 11-6 defeat doesn’t look great on the schedule, but there won’t be many spots this season where the Cowgirls don’t use those two arms.