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STILLWATER — Don’t tell Kenny Gajewski, but his Oklahoma State Cowgirls are No. 16 in the college softball RPI rankings this week.
Talk all you want about the RPI or NCAA seedings or hosting a regional, but Gajewski knows he can’t let his team worry about such things right now.
The Cowgirls (27-15, 8-8 Big 12) are coming off an important weekend in which they won two of three games at Central Florida, and are set to host second-ranked Texas (No. 8 RPI) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium on ESPNU.
Oklahoma State’s RPI is good, thanks in part to its non-conference strength of schedule, which will get another boost against the Longhorns.
But for a team that is 12-11 in its last 23 games, worrying about the postseason only creates undue pressure.
“Whenever I hear people in our office say, ‘Well, if we do this…’ I’m like, 'Hey, quit talking about ‘if we do this,’” Gajewski said. “Let’s just win the next game. That’s where we need to put our focus.
“We’ve made it a little harder on ourselves than maybe the map we drew out. But it’s OK. I don’t actually care. The thing I know is that we are OK, because of the schedule we’ve played.”
More: Big 12 softball power rankings: NiJaree Canady propels Texas Tech to conference crown cusp
So Gajewski doesn’t want to hear concerns about getting a top-16 seed and regional host berth.
He just wants to prepare his team to be its best when the postseason arrives, regardless of where the Cowgirls might play.
Wednesday’s game is helpful on both fronts.
Playing a team that has been ranked in the top three much of the year, with a few weeks at No. 1, will help the RPI and strength of schedule, which is a key component of the NCAA selection committee’s seeding process. And it provides another true test for where the Cowgirls stand in relation to the country’s best teams.
“Win or lose, it’s gonna help us,” Gajewski said. “We’re gonna figure out who we are and what we need to continue to get better at or what we’re doing well.
“I don’t think winning it is gonna put us in a host spot or losing it will take us out of one. I don’t look at it like that. For us, we just need to keep facing these elite arms and facing the pressure that they’re going to present with their speed and athleticism and good hitters and good defense. That’s what we need to be focused on.”
The Cowgirls seem to be reducing their flaws in recent games.
Pitching depth remains the biggest concern behind starter Ruby Meylan, who now has a 1.66 ERA over 152 innings pitched. But while RyLee Crandall and Katie Kutz have both shown the capability to be a reliable No. 2, neither has established consistency in that role.
In the loss at UCF, the duo combined to record two outs in a nine-run first inning on three hits, six walks and two hit batters. Outside of that inning, the OSU pitching staff allowed just six runs for the rest of the three-game series.
More: Oklahoma State softball wins series vs UCF as Amanda Hasler blasts 2 HRs for Cowgirls
The defense has been solid, though its errors have come at costly times.
Yet most importantly of all, the offense looks like it’s coming together.
“We’re starting to do better, and it doesn’t show maybe as much yet,” Gajewski said. “But our offense is starting to become a little more relentless.
“We’ve been missing that since maybe the first game of our year. That’s what gives you the, ‘Hey, this is who we can be.’ We somehow lost that somewhere, and we’re regaining that now.”
Part of that recent boost has been an uptick in production from catcher Amanda Hasler — who drove in all four runs in Saturday’s 4-3 win at UCF with a pair of two-run home runs — and Karli Godwin, who seems to be coming out of a mid-season slump.
Hasler began the season in the bottom one-third of the lineup, but has become a fixture at either the No. 3 or 4 spot and now leads the team with 12 home runs.
“There was one point this season when I was in the nine-hole, and I was like, ‘I’m in the lineup, that’s all that matters,’” Hasler said. “If I’m in the lineup, I’m gonna do the best I can to help my team and try to produce.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Super 16 college softball rankings: Chaos rules, but Texas A&M and Texas stay on top
FIRST PITCH: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater (ESPNU)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball can't worry about 'what if' before Texas game
Continue reading...
Talk all you want about the RPI or NCAA seedings or hosting a regional, but Gajewski knows he can’t let his team worry about such things right now.
The Cowgirls (27-15, 8-8 Big 12) are coming off an important weekend in which they won two of three games at Central Florida, and are set to host second-ranked Texas (No. 8 RPI) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium on ESPNU.
Oklahoma State’s RPI is good, thanks in part to its non-conference strength of schedule, which will get another boost against the Longhorns.
But for a team that is 12-11 in its last 23 games, worrying about the postseason only creates undue pressure.
“Whenever I hear people in our office say, ‘Well, if we do this…’ I’m like, 'Hey, quit talking about ‘if we do this,’” Gajewski said. “Let’s just win the next game. That’s where we need to put our focus.
“We’ve made it a little harder on ourselves than maybe the map we drew out. But it’s OK. I don’t actually care. The thing I know is that we are OK, because of the schedule we’ve played.”
More: Big 12 softball power rankings: NiJaree Canady propels Texas Tech to conference crown cusp
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So Gajewski doesn’t want to hear concerns about getting a top-16 seed and regional host berth.
He just wants to prepare his team to be its best when the postseason arrives, regardless of where the Cowgirls might play.
Wednesday’s game is helpful on both fronts.
Playing a team that has been ranked in the top three much of the year, with a few weeks at No. 1, will help the RPI and strength of schedule, which is a key component of the NCAA selection committee’s seeding process. And it provides another true test for where the Cowgirls stand in relation to the country’s best teams.
“Win or lose, it’s gonna help us,” Gajewski said. “We’re gonna figure out who we are and what we need to continue to get better at or what we’re doing well.
“I don’t think winning it is gonna put us in a host spot or losing it will take us out of one. I don’t look at it like that. For us, we just need to keep facing these elite arms and facing the pressure that they’re going to present with their speed and athleticism and good hitters and good defense. That’s what we need to be focused on.”
The Cowgirls seem to be reducing their flaws in recent games.
Pitching depth remains the biggest concern behind starter Ruby Meylan, who now has a 1.66 ERA over 152 innings pitched. But while RyLee Crandall and Katie Kutz have both shown the capability to be a reliable No. 2, neither has established consistency in that role.
In the loss at UCF, the duo combined to record two outs in a nine-run first inning on three hits, six walks and two hit batters. Outside of that inning, the OSU pitching staff allowed just six runs for the rest of the three-game series.
More: Oklahoma State softball wins series vs UCF as Amanda Hasler blasts 2 HRs for Cowgirls
The defense has been solid, though its errors have come at costly times.
Yet most importantly of all, the offense looks like it’s coming together.
“We’re starting to do better, and it doesn’t show maybe as much yet,” Gajewski said. “But our offense is starting to become a little more relentless.
“We’ve been missing that since maybe the first game of our year. That’s what gives you the, ‘Hey, this is who we can be.’ We somehow lost that somewhere, and we’re regaining that now.”
Part of that recent boost has been an uptick in production from catcher Amanda Hasler — who drove in all four runs in Saturday’s 4-3 win at UCF with a pair of two-run home runs — and Karli Godwin, who seems to be coming out of a mid-season slump.
Hasler began the season in the bottom one-third of the lineup, but has become a fixture at either the No. 3 or 4 spot and now leads the team with 12 home runs.
“There was one point this season when I was in the nine-hole, and I was like, ‘I’m in the lineup, that’s all that matters,’” Hasler said. “If I’m in the lineup, I’m gonna do the best I can to help my team and try to produce.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Super 16 college softball rankings: Chaos rules, but Texas A&M and Texas stay on top
You must be registered for see images attach
OSU vs. Texas
FIRST PITCH: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater (ESPNU)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball can't worry about 'what if' before Texas game
Continue reading...
