Published: May 09, 2008 08:42 am            

Cowgirls hope breaks ’08 translate into NCAA berth

Oklahoma State softball had the Big 12’s best turnaround this year.

Now the question is: Was it good enough to keep the Cowgirls’ season alive for at least one more week?

They head to the Big 12 Tournament this weekend and on Sunday night, they’ll find out if they’re one of the 64 participants in the NCAA Tournament which starts next week. OSU hasn’t appeared in an NCAA Regional since 2005.

“It’s nice to be in this situation to where you think you might have a chance,” said second-year O-State coach Rich Wieligman. “It’s better than where we were at last year. It’s progress and I think our girls have done a great job.”

A year ago, the Cowgirls lost by one run in 12 games and finished dead last in the conference with a 3-15 mark. This season, OSU — which had the nation’s 10th-toughest schedule in 2007 — displayed dramatic improvement despite losing seven starters and went 9-9 in league play.

“Softball is a lot about a hop here or a throw there, and this year, we were fortunate enough to get some breaks,” Wieligman said. “I think we’re laying some groundwork for what it takes to win and be successful. Now we have to be consistent with that approach.”

Sophomore Anna Whiddon added, “Just being able to turn it around completely was definitely remarkable. I think we’re a good prospect (for the NCAAs), but I think we’ll be right there on the line because we lost to some pretty weak teams early in the season.”

O-State’s tourney chances will likely be affected by its RPI, which stands at 79. However, the Cowgirls did record several quality wins including a two-game sweep of then-No. 18 Baylor and a 3-2 victory against then-No. 15 Washington.

Wieligman’s club also handed No. 6 Texas A&M, the conference’s regular-season champion, its only league loss on April 16. In each of the past two seasons, the Big 12 has sent six clubs to the NCAA tourney. The Cowgirls tied with Texas for fourth place in the conference standings.

“I think we’re with the caliber of teams that will make Regionals,” said senior Kim Kaye. “There have been occasional times when we haven’t played to our ability, but when you look at who we’ve beat and the way we play against the best teams, I think we’re right there on the bubble.”

“I don’t even want to try to get worked up about it,” Wieligman added with a laugh. “It’s up in the air. You don’t know who qualifies automatically that takes somebody else’s spot. You don’t know who’s on the selection committee. A lot of crazy things can happen.”

There’s always one way to remove any doubt — win the Big 12 tourney and claim the conference’s automatic bid. OSU’s journey begins Saturday when it meets No. 4 seed Texas in a 2 p.m. quarterfinal at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The Cowgirls, the No. 5 seed, split a pair of games with the Longhorns (27-20-2, 9-9) earlier this season at home. The winner advances to Saturday’s 7 p.m. semifinal to meet either top-seeded A&M, No. 8 seed Baylor or ninth-seeded Iowa State.

Sunday’s championship contest is set for noon and will be televised on Fox Sports Net (Suddenlink 37). Last season, under the new single-elimination format, the Cowgirls dropped a 6-5 first-round decision to Texas Tech in eight innings. OSU (26-24) is seeking its first Big 12 title.

“At the beginning of the season, we talked about all of our goals and one of them was to get a winning tradition back here at Cowgirl Stadium,” Whiddon said. “I think we’ve set the tone for that. We’re looking to go into (the Big 12 tourney) and win it.”

The NCAA Softball Selection Show will air at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

        

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