Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Softball set for fall opener
September 22, 2026 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State softball team begins its fall exhibition schedule when it hosts USAO at 6 p.m. tomorrow in Cowgirl Stadium.
The contest is scheduled for 10 innings. Admission to all OSU home fall games is free, and fans are welcome to attend.
After earning their sixth Super Regional berth in the past seven years last May, the Kenny Gajewski-led Cowgirls return with a roster equal parts familiar and fresh.
Gajewski brought back 12 members of his Stillwater Regional-winning 2026 squad, led by senior standouts Rosie Davis, Karli Godwin and Tia Warsop.
Davis, a back-to-back first team All-Big 12 honoree, led the Cowgirls' offensive charge last season with a team-best 15 home runs. Warsop's .338 batting average and Godwin's .433 on-base percentage each led all Cowgirl qualified hitters.
Returning sophomore sluggers Jayelle Austin, Madison Hoffman and Aubrey Jones bolster the Oklahoma State lineup after enjoying successful freshman campaigns.
Both Jones and Austin earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team recognition. Jones, a unanimous selection, started all 58 of OSU's games and posted an .859 OPS, while Austin cemented her name in the school record books with an all-time freshman-best of 32 walks.
Joining Oklahoma State's dozen returners is a highly-anticipated cast of 12 newcomers.
The Cowgirls' five-player transfer class is ranked No. 3 nationally by Softball America and No. 9 by D1Softball.
Oklahoma State added two former All-Big 12 honorees in the portal, signing utility player Maddie Hartley and catcher Kennedy Proctor.
Hartley, who spent her first two college seasons at Houston, crushed 20 home runs and logged a 1.314 OPS en route to first team all-conference honors in 2026. Proctor, a third-year transfer from Utah, picked up D1Softball first team Freshman All-America and second team All-Big 12 recognition in 2025.
Kendra Lewis, a fellow former All-American, will also don America's Brightest Orange for the first time this fall. A pitcher-infielder hybrid, Lewis racked up awards as a freshman at Wisconsin in 2025. After posting a .408 batting average and 1.092 OPS that season, Lewis was named to the NFCA All-America third team, the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region first team, and the Big Ten's all-conference first team and all-freshman team.
Headlining Oklahoma State's new-look pitching staff is 2026 Norman Super Regional standout Delainey Everett and former top-25 prospect Payton Kennedy.
Both SEC transfers, Everett's earned run average never rose above 2.92 in three years at Mississippi State. She received national attention in May after tossing a complete-game shutout against No. 2 Oklahoma, becoming the first pitcher in 399 games to do so against the Sooners.
Kennedy arrived in Stillwater this summer after spending her freshman campaign at Ole Miss. Although she was limited to just three appearances last season, the now-sophomore carries a blue-chip recruit reputation, as Extra Inning Softball ranked her as the No. 25 prospect in the country in 2025.
Seven players compose the Cowgirls' freshman class (five position players, two pitchers). On3/Rivals tabbed OSU among the nation's 25 best high school recruiting classes, coming in at No. 24 with a 90.000 overall rating.
The same publication ranked three first-year Pokes as four-star prospects: Reese Poage, Dawson Blue and Peyton May.
A Mustang, Oklahoma, native, Poage possesses the ability to play both catcher and shortstop at a high level, providing Gajewski with plenty of options to utilize her talents. Oklahoma's third-highest ranked prospect in the 2026 class, Poage was twice named district player of the year and earned OHSFCA All-State honors as a senior in 2026.
Hailing from the prestigious IMG Academy by way of Laurinburg, North Carolina, infielder Dawson Blue plays the game with an abundance of energy. A 2026 PGF All-American, Blue was picked as On3/Rivals' No. 76 prospect in the nation after posting a 1.346 OPS and team-leading marks in home runs (seven), hits (29) and RBIs (31) as a senior at IMG. She spent her first three years of high school at Scotland High in Laurinburg, where she set program records in single-season and career home runs, with 11 and 20, respectively.
Right-handed pitcher Peyton May arrives at OSU after three years of dominance in Southern California's high school softball scene. May pieced together a record-breaking senior campaign in 2026, logging a Norco High School single-season best 0.25 ERA and striking out 151 batters in 100 innings. Her efforts earned her Inland Empire Varsity Player of the Year recognition and an honorable mention spot on MaxPreps' All-America list.
Hollywood native Aliyah Garcia boasts the ability to play nearly every position on the field. A speedy athlete with a smooth glove, Gajewski simply described Garcia as "electric." She graduated from Sherman Oaks High School with a .558 career batting average and All-CIF selections in 2024 and 2025. Garcia also earned the start at shortstop in Oklahoma State's scrimmage with the Chinese National Team on September 10, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
In-state addition Kennedy Allen rounds out pitching coach Carrie Eberle's staff after an extraordinary career at Chandler High School. A southpaw, Allen led the nation in wins (30) and strikeouts (342) as a junior, according to MaxPreps. She finished her career with a 0.86 ERA and 865 strikeouts over 516 innings, earning conference MVP, district player of the year and The Oklahoman's Little All-City Player of the Year honors multiple times each.
Catcher and infielder Kinleigh Russell offers a championship pedigree to the Cowgirl lineup. A five-year letterwinner at South Warren in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the lefty ended her high school career with a .497 batting average, .562 on-base percentage and 230 hits. An all-state honoree in 2025, Russell capped off her time with the Spartans by leading the team to an unblemished 45-0 record and the KHSAA State Championship in 2026.
Utility player Jade Barton was Gajewski's final freshman signee, officially joining the team in July. She logged 26 home runs, 112 RBIs and 165 runs scored in four years at Sealy High School in Sealy, Texas, culminating in a selection to the Texas 4A All-State Team as a senior. She was thrice named a first-team all-district honoree.
The contest is scheduled for 10 innings. Admission to all OSU home fall games is free, and fans are welcome to attend.
After earning their sixth Super Regional berth in the past seven years last May, the Kenny Gajewski-led Cowgirls return with a roster equal parts familiar and fresh.
Gajewski brought back 12 members of his Stillwater Regional-winning 2026 squad, led by senior standouts Rosie Davis, Karli Godwin and Tia Warsop.
Davis, a back-to-back first team All-Big 12 honoree, led the Cowgirls' offensive charge last season with a team-best 15 home runs. Warsop's .338 batting average and Godwin's .433 on-base percentage each led all Cowgirl qualified hitters.
Returning sophomore sluggers Jayelle Austin, Madison Hoffman and Aubrey Jones bolster the Oklahoma State lineup after enjoying successful freshman campaigns.
Both Jones and Austin earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team recognition. Jones, a unanimous selection, started all 58 of OSU's games and posted an .859 OPS, while Austin cemented her name in the school record books with an all-time freshman-best of 32 walks.
Joining Oklahoma State's dozen returners is a highly-anticipated cast of 12 newcomers.
The Cowgirls' five-player transfer class is ranked No. 3 nationally by Softball America and No. 9 by D1Softball.
Oklahoma State added two former All-Big 12 honorees in the portal, signing utility player Maddie Hartley and catcher Kennedy Proctor.
Hartley, who spent her first two college seasons at Houston, crushed 20 home runs and logged a 1.314 OPS en route to first team all-conference honors in 2026. Proctor, a third-year transfer from Utah, picked up D1Softball first team Freshman All-America and second team All-Big 12 recognition in 2025.
Kendra Lewis, a fellow former All-American, will also don America's Brightest Orange for the first time this fall. A pitcher-infielder hybrid, Lewis racked up awards as a freshman at Wisconsin in 2025. After posting a .408 batting average and 1.092 OPS that season, Lewis was named to the NFCA All-America third team, the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region first team, and the Big Ten's all-conference first team and all-freshman team.
Headlining Oklahoma State's new-look pitching staff is 2026 Norman Super Regional standout Delainey Everett and former top-25 prospect Payton Kennedy.
Both SEC transfers, Everett's earned run average never rose above 2.92 in three years at Mississippi State. She received national attention in May after tossing a complete-game shutout against No. 2 Oklahoma, becoming the first pitcher in 399 games to do so against the Sooners.
Kennedy arrived in Stillwater this summer after spending her freshman campaign at Ole Miss. Although she was limited to just three appearances last season, the now-sophomore carries a blue-chip recruit reputation, as Extra Inning Softball ranked her as the No. 25 prospect in the country in 2025.
Seven players compose the Cowgirls' freshman class (five position players, two pitchers). On3/Rivals tabbed OSU among the nation's 25 best high school recruiting classes, coming in at No. 24 with a 90.000 overall rating.
The same publication ranked three first-year Pokes as four-star prospects: Reese Poage, Dawson Blue and Peyton May.
A Mustang, Oklahoma, native, Poage possesses the ability to play both catcher and shortstop at a high level, providing Gajewski with plenty of options to utilize her talents. Oklahoma's third-highest ranked prospect in the 2026 class, Poage was twice named district player of the year and earned OHSFCA All-State honors as a senior in 2026.
Hailing from the prestigious IMG Academy by way of Laurinburg, North Carolina, infielder Dawson Blue plays the game with an abundance of energy. A 2026 PGF All-American, Blue was picked as On3/Rivals' No. 76 prospect in the nation after posting a 1.346 OPS and team-leading marks in home runs (seven), hits (29) and RBIs (31) as a senior at IMG. She spent her first three years of high school at Scotland High in Laurinburg, where she set program records in single-season and career home runs, with 11 and 20, respectively.
Right-handed pitcher Peyton May arrives at OSU after three years of dominance in Southern California's high school softball scene. May pieced together a record-breaking senior campaign in 2026, logging a Norco High School single-season best 0.25 ERA and striking out 151 batters in 100 innings. Her efforts earned her Inland Empire Varsity Player of the Year recognition and an honorable mention spot on MaxPreps' All-America list.
Hollywood native Aliyah Garcia boasts the ability to play nearly every position on the field. A speedy athlete with a smooth glove, Gajewski simply described Garcia as "electric." She graduated from Sherman Oaks High School with a .558 career batting average and All-CIF selections in 2024 and 2025. Garcia also earned the start at shortstop in Oklahoma State's scrimmage with the Chinese National Team on September 10, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
In-state addition Kennedy Allen rounds out pitching coach Carrie Eberle's staff after an extraordinary career at Chandler High School. A southpaw, Allen led the nation in wins (30) and strikeouts (342) as a junior, according to MaxPreps. She finished her career with a 0.86 ERA and 865 strikeouts over 516 innings, earning conference MVP, district player of the year and The Oklahoman's Little All-City Player of the Year honors multiple times each.
Catcher and infielder Kinleigh Russell offers a championship pedigree to the Cowgirl lineup. A five-year letterwinner at South Warren in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the lefty ended her high school career with a .497 batting average, .562 on-base percentage and 230 hits. An all-state honoree in 2025, Russell capped off her time with the Spartans by leading the team to an unblemished 45-0 record and the KHSAA State Championship in 2026.
Utility player Jade Barton was Gajewski's final freshman signee, officially joining the team in July. She logged 26 home runs, 112 RBIs and 165 runs scored in four years at Sealy High School in Sealy, Texas, culminating in a selection to the Texas 4A All-State Team as a senior. She was thrice named a first-team all-district honoree.
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/ Cowgirl SoftballTuesday, September 22
Tuesday, September 22
Sunday, September 20
Sunday, September 20
