With a trip to Texarkana, Texas, for the Century Bank Classic this past weekend, year two of the Rich Wieligman era at Oklahoma State is under way.
The Cowgirl softball team went 3-3 on the weekend, picking up a pair of wins over Centenary, dropping two games to Arkansas and then splitting a pair of contests with the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
While OSU still faces plenty of challenging opponents, its schedule is significantly easier than last year, when it faced seven of the eight Women’s College World Series participants from the previous year.
Wieligman said Oklahoma State is all for facing tough competition, but this year’s lineup of opponents will be a welcome change from last year’s brutal schedule.
“Last year we opened up with Alabama that first weekend, who was in the College World Series the year before,” Wieligman said. “We didn’t have that this year. It was good that we didn’t have those pressers, and hopefully we can build on what we did this last weekend.”
The trip to Texarkana marked the start of a hectic stretch of tournaments in which the Cowgirls will play several games per day each weekend.
Despite the sudden change of pace that comes with the start of a new season, several Cowgirl players said they are excited the games have finally arrived.
“We have been practicing for so long and we’ve been able to get outside so much this year before the season started,” senior Kim Kaye said. “So it’s just been really nice because we’ve just been practicing so much and now we will finally be able to play some games.”
Sophomore Katelyn Bright said the team works hard in the off-season, but the transition from practice to actual competition is what it is all about for the players.
“It’s different but it’s good to have,” Bright said. “Everyone’s been looking forward to it. You need games and that’s what we are here for.”
Oklahoma State lost its top three offensive producers from last season in Courtney Totte, Shanel Scott and Krystle Sanchez but will not look to miss a beat if the beginning of this year is any indication.
OSU tallied 29 hits and racked up seven home runs from six players in their first two games of the Century Bank Classic against Centenary.
Wieligman said he is looking for more balanced hitting throughout his lineup this season rather than relying on one or two players to produce from the plate.
“Last year we depended a lot on Courtney (Totte) to do it all and this year I think our lineup is a lot deeper,” Wieligman said. “Even the teams we have played so far this year have said that.”
Most importantly, the Cowgirls are gaining team unity this season that was more difficult to achieve last season in Wieligman’s first year as head coach.
“This feels a lot more like a team, last year it was a little mixed,” Kaye said. “But this year, especially with having the younger girls coming in, we are so much more cohesive.”
Oklahoma State will escape the cold weather and travel to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend where they will play five games as part of the 22-team Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State University.
After what many coaches would consider a “transition year,” Wieligman said his team has settled in and is ready to regain its national prominence.
“They are ready to make that mark,” Wieligman said. “I think that their attitude is great, they want to do well and they are ready to work hard.
“I think that we are ready to start making some strides in the right direction.”
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