Duck hunting

Cowgirls look to continue momentum against Oregon in Stillwater Super Regional

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

Chyenne Factor rolled her eyes at her head coach’s remark.

Kenny Gajewski was recalling his ESPN postgame interview following a 5-2 OSU victory over Nebraska to capture the Stillwater Regional title, an interview that included several interesting accessories and objects thanks to his players.

An orange boa, a cowboy hat, a hard hat, multiple crawfish and the Cowgirls’ newest dugout mascot, Bullet (a stick horse wearing sunglasses and an OSU hat), accompanied and even crashed Gajewski’s interview. So yeah, it made some noise afterward.

What did Gajewski think about his players’ antics?

“I’m like a punching bag to these guys,” Gajewski said with Chyenne Factor to his right, rolling her eyes. “Have you ever heard of a bully?

That’s what these two (Factor and Kiley Naomi) do to me.”

The light-hearted, fun and energy-filled vibe from the Cowgirl dugout in last week’s regional round will look to be carried over to this weekend, where they host Oregon (3815) in the Stillwater Super Regional.

The Cowgirls (44-14) play at 8 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. Friday and will play a third game, if necessary, on Saturday at a time that is to be announced.

OSU faced the Ducks their first game of the season in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The Cowgirls came out on top, 3-0, but now, 57 games later, both teams have made it to the final 16.

Oregon is coming off an upset regional title in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the Ducks defeated No. 11

Arkansas twice on their home field, going a perfect 3-0 on the weekend.

“Obviously, Oregon is swinging a hot bat,” Gajewski said. “I’ve watched their three games now in Fayetteville twice... they’re going pretty dang good. Now, we’ll see if a different look with different arms that do different things (will affect) them.”

In the Ducks’ three games in Arkansas, they outscored their opponents 29-12, headlined by a 14-4 run-rule victory over the Razorbacks to punch their ticket to Stillwater.

But the Cowgirls have some momentum, too, and look like a completely different team than the one that closed the season on a 2-11 skid.

“I feel like our team’s in a really good spot,” Gajewski said. “I felt that same way last week; I’ve been feeling that way for a while.”

Melyssa Lombardi, Oregon’s head coach, and Gajewski have a longstanding relationship, adding to the competition aspect between these two teams. Although Gajewski wants to see his friend succeed, someone has to lose.

That’s what makes having friends in softball so hard.

I’ve known Missy for a long time, back in our college days, so it’s pretty cool,” Gajewski said. “I know her family well.

“I don’t enjoy coaching against friends cause one of us is gonna lose. So, I hate that part of that. But I enjoy competing against people that do it the right way. I felt that way when she was in Norman (where she spent 21 years on Patty Gasso’s staff), I feel the same way at Oregon... I’ve known her and John, her husband, for a long time.”

On Wednesday, the Cowgirls added 2023 stickers to the right field wall and the wall under the press box at Cowgirl Stadium, joining the rest of the years that the program has made the Super Regionals. For Gajewski and Co., it serves as a reminder that they’re where they want to be in late May.

But they aren’t done yet.

“They were just putting new stickers up on our wall,” Gajewski said. “Want to do everything I can to make sure we get a couple more of those.” sports.ed@ocolly.com