OSU Softball: Vanessa Shippy Named Big 12 Player of the Year

Oklahoma State senior Vanessa Shippy was named the Big 12 Softball Player of the Year (for the second time) as well as all-conference first-team honors, after a stellar senior season.

She ranked in the top 5 nationally in walks per game (98), on-base percentage (.613) and runs per game (1.18) and leaves Stillwater with more school records than Mason Rudolph. Shippy was the conference’s co-Player of the Year in 2016, sharing the honor with Oklahoma’s Erin Miller.

On Wednesday, Shippy was also named as a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The top 3 finalists will be announced on May 23 and the winner were revealed on May 29.

Cowgirl head coach Kenny Gajewski will definitely miss his two-time All-American who just became the first of his players to be selected in the National Pro Fastpitch Draft — with the No. 11 overall pick by the Cleveland Comets.

“Her legacy is not the numbers,” said Gajewski. “I know from the outside it feels like it could be the All-Americans and records … but that stuff goes away. When we look back, her legacy is going to be the way she treated these other kids and showed them how to work.”

Cowgirls Samantha Clakley, Taylor Lynch and Madi Sue Montgomery were all named to the all-Big 12 second team and Chelsea Alexander and Sydney Pennington were named to the Big 12’s all-freshman team.