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Photo courtesy Oklahoma State Softball
Change can be difficult, even if you are standout catcher Caroline Wang.
Wang, who was the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023, transferred to Oklahoma State after spending the previous four years at Liberty.
And when she donned the orange and black for the first time in the fall of 2023 the transition got off to a slow start.
“It definitely was a learning curve. Coming from Liberty, I’ve caught the same people pretty much for four years. And coming here in the fall, it wasn’t pretty for a little while.”
A sentiment echoed by Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski.
“I can tell you this, in the fall I couldn’t figure this kid out. I really couldn’t. I loved her, but I was like, I can’t tell if she really likes to play, or she’s just in that fifth year, and kind of getting to that point of it’s coming to an end, or what.
“But man, when we got back in the winter, it’s like the lights just flipped.”
Fast forward and Wang has definitely flipped the switch and is a key cog in the Cowgirls lineup and has been a rock behind the plate.
She has appeared in all 27 games and made 26 starts and leads the Cowgirls in home runs with seven and her .713 slugging percentage is also tops among the starters.
Wang is third on the team with a .363 batting average and is second on the team with 21 RBIs.
She also has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and has found a groove with her new pitching staff.
“It’s not just five new pitchers, it’s five really good new pitchers with really good stuff and having to learn all of that. I think we’ve come around, working with our pitching coach Carrie Eberle, and getting on the same page a little better and learning everybody’s pitches. I would say now I’m feeling very confident and much better about it.”
There was another significant change in Wang’s life during the summer as she married Matt Wang. His presence, and their marriage, has made the move to Oklahoma State much easier.
“It would have been much harder to come here alone. And he is just the biggest supporter and he’s going to everything that he can manage. He travels for work, and he can’t go to everything, but he is my biggest supporter, and it was a lot of fun to come here with Matt. And even though I didn’t know anybody, I wasn’t alone and that definitely helps.”
Gajewski, and the Cowgirls, have taken the extra step in welcoming not only Caroline, but Matt into their program.
“Matt is the most incredible dude. I’ve tried to make that very clear to them that anytime we do any team deal, I want Matt to be around. He came all the way over here to be with her. And he’s part of the program. It’s not like a boyfriend or girlfriend. This is a spouse.
“And I think when our girls see them together, they can see their relationship is special, even though they’re young. Caroline and Matt are a couple our young kids can look up to and go, man, that’s how it’s supposed to look.”
Wang also credits her new teammates at Oklahoma State and the Cowgirl Way in helping her matriculate into the program.
“This team is just really awesome about welcoming everybody in. That’s just what’s special about it here. And honestly, until we started playing, I didn’t really realize how good this team is. I knew we had talented pieces, and it was going to be fun, but the competitiveness just in practice every single day makes it unique.”
As the season is progressing, Gajewski has seen Wang not only occupy a place in the middle of the Cowgirls lineup, but a place amongst the team.
“I think she’s done well. I think it was a little bit of a shock at first to anybody’s system. I think that would be normal. But boy, she just gets it. She’s a winner and she knows how to win. She knows how to compete. Probably as good as anybody on this team. It’s just been special.”
Wang and pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl are referred to as the grandmothers on the team and that duo has helped Oklahoma State solidify its standing as one of the top teams in the nation. The Cowgirls are currently ranked third in the D1Softball poll, fourth in the NFCA poll, sixth in the ESPN/USA Softball poll and seventh in the Softball America poll.
Lucky number 🎰 of the year
That home run marks Caroline's 4⃣2⃣nd of her career!#GoPokes | #REP https://t.co/w7jL9imk12 pic.twitter.com/2MzFFuTWbB
— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) March 16, 2024
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