After turning down Auburn, Kenny Gajewski focuses on Oklahoma State softball's future
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — The end of the Oklahoma State softball season was abrupt and painful for coach Kenny Gajewski and the Cowgirls, who lost their first two games at the Women’s College World Series last week.
It might’ve been the most gut-wrenching conclusion to a season in Gajewski’s nine-year tenure.
Yet it was a hugely important season for the Cowgirls, who returned for a fifth straight WCWS appearance, and this time with a mostly new cast of characters.
Only a handful of reserves had been at OSU for more than one of the previous trips to Oklahoma City, so this season was, in many ways, a landmark year for the program.
These Cowgirls showed they can make it to OKC without the core players who anchored the previous four trips.
It wasn’t just a good collection of players who led the team to a strong run. Gajewski has built a program that can sustain.
That’s why Auburn called.
The only SEC program to fall short of 30 wins this season, Auburn representatives reached out to Gajewski about their head coaching vacancy, and he contemplated it, as initially reported by the Stillwater News Press. But when he looked at what he had, Gajewski was content.
“I think I have one of the best jobs in America,” Gajewski told The Oklahoman on Wednesday. “Our conference is excellent. When I look at resources and the way we continue to keep supporting softball here, the way my family loves being in Oklahoma and at Oklahoma State, it just didn’t make sense in the end.
“We still have work to do here, and we’ve worked really hard to get it here. And I feel like we’re still climbing.”
Gajewski has recruited well, both out of the high school ranks and the transfer portal — not just luring elite players, but uncovering hidden gems like Carolin Wang and Jilyen Poullard.
Beyond that, his staff has developed players once they’ve gotten to Stillwater.
Virginia Tech transfer pitcher Ivy Rosenberry was a solid third or fourth option out of the bullpen a year ago, and became a front-line starter who would’ve seen even more action had she not been sharing time with one of the country’s best pitchers Lexi Kilfoyl.
Lexi McDonald, a sophomore from Silo, was perhaps the best unsung story of this team. She went from playing minimally as a freshman to earning a regular starting spot and producing mightily at the bottom of the batting order.
Graduation will leave three big holes to fill in the offseason for Gajewski, who is already hard at in what seems to be a busier-than-usual transfer portal.
The Cowgirls landed Washington transfer pitcher Ruby Meylan via the portal on Thursday.
New assistant coach added
With the moves Gajewski made on his coaching staff last December, the Cowgirls were left with an assistant vacancy that was filled on an interim basis during the season, but now has a permanent addition.Gajewski announced the addition of Greg Bergeron, who spent the last three seasons as the recruiting coordinator as well as the infield and hitting coach at Cal State Northridge.
He’s a 29-year coaching veteran who spent most of his time in college baseball, working at respected programs like UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Tennessee and Washington State.
“I’m excited and this is like a dream come true,” Bergeron said in a release. “What Kenny has been able to do from the start till now is awesome. I'm excited to hit the ground running and get to work.”
Gajewski sees Bergeron as an ideal blend with his current staff of pitching coach Carrie Eberle and hitting coach Vanessa Shippy-Fletcher.
Cowgirl Stadium upgrades coming
Gajewski slipped in the news of upcoming improvements to Cowgirl Stadium during a postgame interview after a super regional victory against Arizona last month.LED lights and a video board were the primary talking points, both of which are at the top of the list for current improvements while the program works to raise funding to rebuild the primary seating area and team facilities.
The benefit of the video board is two-fold.
Aside from its own boost in the aesthetics of the park, the video board will be placed in center field, which means the current scoreboard in right field can be taken down.
That will open more space for additional seating beyond the right field fence to increase the capacity beyond the current number of about 1,700. Space already exists in foul territory down the right field line where extra seating could eventually be added as well.
“We won’t get it all done in one year, but the scoreboard and lights, from what I’m being told, I think that’s gonna happen,” Gajewski said. “And there’s a lot of things we’re gonna do that will subtly enhance the fan experience, but also enhance it for our team.”
