Three Storylines to Watch For Entering Oklahoma State’s Super Regional Against Nebraska

The Cowgirls will play an old Big Eight foe in a best-of-three series that starts Thursday, and only the winner can go to Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma State will be in Lincoln taking on Nebraska in an NCAA Super Regional. The action gets started at 8 p.m. Thursday night on ESPN2.

Nebraska is 49-6 this season and rolled through the Big Ten, going 23-1 in conference games. With the Big Ten not being a softball power, the Cornhuskers were given the 4 seed nationally, but they rank as the nation’s No. 1 team in various polls, something OSU coach Kenny Gajewski agrees with.

“We’re getting to face another great team,” said Gajewski after OSU’s Regional. “I voted them No. 1 the last couple weeks — I think they are that. They’ve been doing everything that they’ve been asked. They’ve played as tough a schedule as anybody. I know (the Big Ten) might not be the highest-rated league, but like, they walked through that league. And they played the schedule in the beginning, and they came here when they didn’t have to. They’ve done things and played well, and their staff is another great staff. I can’t wait to go compete there. I saw their games on TV, and ah man, the crowds look awesome. It’s gonna be fun. Our girls will relish that. We can’t wait.”

Here are three storylines to keep in mind as the Super Regional round gets going.

1. Ruby Returns Home, Enters Elite Pitching Matchup

Two Nebraska girls will step into the circle in Lincoln this week, but only one will advance to Oklahoma City.

Newly minted three-time All-American Ruby Meylan attended Skutt Catholic in Omaha.  A two-time national champ at OU, Jordy Frahm (formerly Bahl) is out of Papillion-La Vista. Here’s how the two statistically match up this season:

2. The Series Is Already Even

The Super Regional round is a best-of-three series, but from a season perspective, we’ll find out who wins in a five-game series.

Nebraska came to Stillwater back in February as part of a multi-team event that also saw the Cowgirls host Southeast Missouri and South Dakota State.

The Cowgirls won the first of those games via an 11th-inning walk-off home run from Rosie Davis. If you need more evidence of how elite the pitching will be this weekend, that game went 11 innings and ended 2-1.

ROSIE DAVIS WALK OFF WINNER🤠 https://t.co/LWIetGB7Pk pic.twitter.com/pOyhHdJ7T2

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) February 27, 2026

Two days later, the teams met again. This time Nebraska pulled out a 4-3 win, with Frahm — also a hitter — pulling out a two-RBI single in the sixth to pull the Cornhuskers ahead.

They were supposed to meet again the next day, but weather meant Nebraska had to head up to Lincoln early. Now the score will be settled with a trip to OKC on the line.

3. Can OSU Get Back to OKC?

Speaking of OKC, the Cowgirls didn’t make it to softball’s biggest tournament for the first time since 2018 last season, snapping a five-season streak (the WCWS didn’t happen in 2020).

It was the longest WCWS streak in program history, as before the Gajewski Era, the Cowgirls had only ever made back-to-back seasons in Oklahoma City.