Cowgirls win first game as a top 25 team

It was all smiles on the Cowgirl softball team Wednesday at Cowgirl Stadium.

Not only were there smiles because of the 7-0 victory over North Texas, but also, for the first time since 2004, the Cowgirls were playing as a part of the top 25.

The Cowgirls are No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.

Coach Rich Wieligman said the ranking is a big accomplishment and his 11-5 Oklahoma State team deserves it, but needs to keep grinding thorough the season.

“They have worked hard and done what they need to do,” Wieligman said. “They come to work hard every day, and I have told them now it is even harder to stay there than it is to get there. But I think they are ready for the challenge.”

The Cowgirls once again rose to the challenge on Wednesday, winning their home opener to keep the celebration going.

Senior Pitcher Anna Whiddon pitched six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and held North Texas to one hit.

“North Texas is a team we should beat hands down,” Whiddon said. “I just went into the game thinking go after every hitter, get outs every single time.”

Wieligman said Anna is a very strong pitcher and keeps the other teams guessing, which makes her successful.

“Anna is doing her thing right now,” Wieligman said. “She is throwing her pitches well. She is capitalizing on the hitter’s weakness. She is mixing her pitches well. Today she threw some good changeup drop curves in there, keeping them off balance.”

Even with all the good things there is always some improvement needed, senior outfielder Katelyn Bright said.

The one thing she noticed that OSU needs to work on for future games is the lack of energy against North Texas. She said for the upcoming games this weekend they need to bring the intensity.

“We can’t come out flat,” Bright said. “We came out this game thinking we were going to run all over them. We have to come out with more fire.”

Senior outfielder Megan Castle said the Cowgirls have high hopes to prove they are a team that should be among the best in the nation. Their next chance to prove that will come on Friday, when they play No. 14 Louisville in Stillwater.

“It is a good opportunity for us because they are ranked higher than us,” Castle said. “And we get to show the country that our program is on the rise and that we are a good team and deserve to be there.”