Wrapping the Fall the Cowgirl Way with Kenny Gajewski

Towards the end of the fall season, Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski took his team to Broken Bow, Okla., for a weekend getaway.

The Cowgirls spent the weekend bonding, relaxing and enjoying the company of their teammates.

And singing.

“We’ve never done this, but we had our new people and a couple of returners get up in front of everyone and sing our alma mater,” said Gajewski. “Jilyen Poullard got up, we made everybody get up on a chair so you’re standing above everybody else, and this cat just shuts her eyes and starts singing. Everybody was like, oh my gosh. She had her own little beat to it, and I was just thinking how cool is this moment?

“She just wants to be part of a great program and a great team. She’s done everything in her power to do that, so it’s really neat.”

There is a deeper meaning than just learning that Poullard can sing. It’s the trust element revealed in the moment in front of her teammates. Trusting the coaching staff that they are putting her in the best possible situation and trusting her teammates will support and encourage her.

Through moments like this, Gajewski has built the Cowgirls into one of the premiere programs in the nation.

When you are one of only two teams in Division I softball that have advanced to the Women’s College World Series in each of the last four years the standard is different.

“We don’t set goals here. We never have. I think it’s just expected that we’re going to be going to OKC now and that’s kind of a scary, hard expectation, but I don’t know that we’d want it any other way,” said Gajewski. “There are no moral victories here. I think these girls understand and they know what the expectations are. I’m not trying to hold you accountable to be here. I’m trying to hold you accountable because you said you want to get to OKC and win the final game.”

The Cowgirl way is built around relentlessness, excellence and passion.

“We don’t treat you normal, we treat you better. But we expect more. That’s been the hardest thing about this fall. It’s just reminding them that it isn’t normal here and we like it like that.”

In addition to singing, the Cowgirls spent the fall season learning about themselves.

“Our goal this fall was to figure out who we are. With 11 new faces, figuring out who these kids are in our uniform, on our field, in this setting. We recruited these kids, and we love them for many reasons.” Said Gajewski.

“I think just figuring out who they are on that field so when we make a lineup, we’re in the right spot. And I would tell you we’re nowhere close, but we’re on the right path. But I think right now this is a really talented team that lacks experience.”

The Cowgirls went undefeated in eight games during the fall schedule and outscored the opposition 79-27, which included games against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams Wichita State and Central Arkansas.

Despite averaging almost 10 runs per game, Gajewski had a different view of his team’s offensive performance in the fall.

Different standard, different expectations.

“I’m not very happy with our offense, but right now I think part of that is we have a lot of young kids. We performed significantly better in our intersquad games than against the teams we played. I’m not totally thrilled with where our offense is right now, but I don’t want to be thrilled right now either.

“They’re fighting for hits instead of good at bats. I’ll just tell them if you’ll just have good at bats, you’ll play here. I mean, that’s all I want is people that I can count on to give me good at bats, get good swings off, hit the ball hard. That’s all I want.”

The Cowgirl offense in 2024 will include returnees Tallen Edwards, Micaela Wark and Audrey Schneidmiller and newcomer Caroline Wang.

Oklahoma State will feature a deep, and talented, pitching staff in 2024 that includes Lexi Kilfoyl, Kyra Aycock, Ivy Rosenberry, Katie Kutz, Kathryn Ogg and Saylor Davis.

“I would say pitching and our defense were the two bright spots in the fall,” said Gajewski. “The pitching is really good. Lexi was incredible and with Kyra we’re making a few little adjustments and trying to get her to grow. We get into this stuff, and you find out how these kids are wired.”

“I think three or four has been our number that we think are going to get innings. We have Lexi and we also have Kyra, so we feel like we have two of those number one kids. We have Katie Kutz, who is a freshman that’s going to grow up and pitch and she has great stuff. The bright spot for us this fall would be Ivy. She’s just turned the corner and finally has belief in herself and belief in her stuff. There’s no issue about her stuff because her stuff is the best on our team.”

In support of the pitching staff, Oklahoma State will once again put an outstanding defensive group on the field led by Megan Bloodworth, Edwards, Wark, Wang, Schneidmiller and Rosie Davis.

“The fall is so hard because you’re moving people in and out. We’re going to play a 10-inning fall game, and we’re not going to have the same defensive lineup more than one or two innings, so we have a lot of new faces on our dirt. I don’t love it yet. I can just tell you that.

“It doesn’t feel like (Kiley) Naomi, (Rachel) Becker and (Sydney) Pennington yet. But Bloodworth is in that category. She has the ability to be just like them. I think Davis has that at some point. The only way they learn is to be in those moments and Rosie deserves to learn that. Tallen has also had a really good fall. We’re trying to win every year, so you lose these kids, you have got to replace them, and it takes time because you invest a lot to get those other ones to that point.”

.@megbloodworth flashin' the leather😤#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/XohTHFNX2h

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) October 19, 2023

When asked who has impressed him during the fall, Gajewski answered without hesitation – Kathryn Ogg and Jilyen Poullard.

“Kathryn is the secret weapon. She’s a kid that came here that has been at the bottom of our pitching chart for her time here. She’s not gifted with crazy skill, but Carrie’s (Eberle) started to kind of uncover a little bit of stuff with her. She is the definition of the Cowgirl Way. She does things here that nobody else is willing to do, her energy is infectious and suddenly, she’s crept up our depth chart where she may get some looks here and there. It gives us a change of pace, but just an amazing kid.

“Jilyen has been off the charts defensively and the energy and the intensity and the way she’s opened her heart and just said I want to be here. And now she’s on our leadership group. She’s mature and wants to win about as badly as anybody I’ve ever been around and she’s going to make a big difference here.”

“And to be honest, Kathryn and Jilyen live the Cowgirl Way and that’s what we want. If I have 24 of those, we’re going to be really good.” Gajewski said.

Gajewski has spent the fall learning about his team, and he likes what he sees as the Cowgirls prepare for the 2024 season.

“I learned that I love them, and I love who they’re turning into. They’ve shown me that they’re willing to grow and they’ve shown me that they’re willing to fight. They’re showing me that they’re willing to play wherever they have to play to help this team win.

“And then we’re going to have to get them back here and hopefully they’re in the right frame of mind and we can hit the ground running and the weather’s good and we can go. But I love this group. It doesn’t look like our normal because our normal has been the same people, so it’s going to be a new normal. I’m trying to regrasp that for them and make sure that they understand they’re playing to that standard. Nothing else.”

SUBSCRIBE

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Extra Inning Softball TM

Check out our other EIS links: