What We Learned from the First Weekend of Cowgirl Softball

The Cowgirls’ season started on a sour note, but Kenny Gajewski’s squad turned it around and then some. After dropping its first game of the season to Oregon State, 8-2, Oklahoma State won four games in a row to finish the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.

The most impressive of the aforementioned victories came directly after the loss. The Cowgirls handled No. 7 Arizona, 9-4, led by Madi Sue Montgomery’s two home runs. They also tied a program record with 21 runs against Western Michigan. There were many other items of note that happened during the weekend, so let’s take a look at some key points from the first handful of games.

Vanessa Shippy is insane

Here’s a mind-boggling stat: Through five games, Shippy is hitting .846. Eight. Forty. Six. I know it’s a small sample size, but that’s ridiculous. Plenty of basketball players would be ecstatic to shoot 84.6 percent from the free-throw line. That’s essentially what Shippy has done to start the season; it’s almost automatic.

Sydney Pennington looks like the real deal

Pennington, a freshman, has multiple hits in four games thus far. She’s second on the team with 10 hits and leads the Cowgirls with nine RBIs. Gajewski had great things to say about her during media day, and she has lived up to his praises thus far.

“This is power, this is scary,” Gajewski said. “When she’s up, you’ll see me way back at third base because I don’t want my teeth bashed in. I’ve been around some special kids; this is one of those kids.”

Jessi Haffner is on a power surge

Haffner had four career home runs entering this season, and all of them came in 2017. She already has three after one weekend. She has hit a home run in every other game, driving five runs across home plate in the process

Whitney Whitehorn’s versatility will be valuable this season

Whitehorn isn’t confined to the batter’s box or the circle; she can perform in both. The senior from Owasso gave up two runs in one inning against Oregon State but rebounded nicely with a four-strikeout, three-inning performance against New Mexico. She was also efficient at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a walk.

Emmie Robertson keeps opposing batters off the bases

The entire pitching staff impressed this weekend, but Robertson held opponents to a .194 batting average. She was the starting pitcher in the Cowgirls’ statement win against Arizona and allowed only one hit in three innings against Western Michigan.

To summarize, it was a great start of the season for the Cowgirls. Here’s what Kenny Gajewski had to say at the conclusion of the weekend.

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