By Bruce Miles

STILLWATER – One of college softball's most decorated two-way athletes is coming to Oklahoma State. Miranda Elish – a two-time NFCA All-American and the 2020 Softball America Shortened Season National Player of the Year who ranks top-10 on Texas' career strikeout, strikeout per innings and ERA lists – has joined head coach Kenny Gajewski and the Cowgirls for her final year of eligibility. "I couldn't be more blessed with the opportunity I have been given by Coach G and his staff to represent Oklahoma State Softball," Elish said. "From the moment I spoke to Coach G, I knew he was who I wanted to finish my playing career for. The love he has for his program, his girls and this city is evident and contagious; I couldn't help but fall in love the moment I arrived. I am humbled to be welcomed into the great family and culture that those on the team now and in years past have created." Elish opted out of the 2021 season because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Elish was among the nation's elite two-way threats. She posted an 11-3 record with a 1.25 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 84.0 innings pitched. As as hitter, she boasted a .370 average with 20 hits – including four homers – and 19 RBI in 54 plate appearances. As a junior at Texas in 2019, she added a handful of notable accolades to her resume: NFCA third-team All-America honors, Softball America Honorable Mention All-America honors, NFCA first-team All-Central Region and All-Big 12 Conference first-team selections. Her work from the circle during the 2019 season was highlighted by an 18-10 record with a 1.81 ERA in 37 appearances – including 29 starts, 20 complete games, 11 solo shutouts and 226 strikeouts over a team-high 185.1 innings pitched. She batted .315 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI and a .928 OPS, while managing 11 multi-hit and eight multi-RBI performances. "Any time you can add a player of this caliber to a team and a program that's moving forward with a lot of talented players already on the roster, it's an exciting addition," Gajewski said. "There's a lot of work for everyone here to get done in order for her to have the success that she expects, on our end and on her end. That being said, we're excited about this addition but know there's a long road to go." More on Miranda Elish: Pitcher | 5-8 | Senior | Crown Point, Ind. | Crown Point HS | Oregon/Texas Honors and Awards2017 Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman2017 NCAA Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team2018 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year2018 First Team All-Pac-12 Conference2018 NFCA Second Team All-American2018 Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year2019 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year2019 NFCA National Pitcher of the Week (March 26)2019 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (March 26)2019 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (April 9)2019 First Team All-Big 12 Conference2019 Softball America Honorable Mention All-American2019 NFCA Third Team All-American2020 Top 50 Preseason Watch List for USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year2020 NFCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 11)2020 Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (Feb. 11)2020 Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 18)2020 Softball America Shortened Season National Player of the Year2020 Softball America Shortened Season First Team All-American 2019 (Junior at Texas)Earned NFCA third-team All-America, Softball America Honorable Mention All-America, NFCA first team All-Central Region and All-Big 12 First Team selections after going 18-10 with a 1.81 ERA over 37 appearances with 29 starts, 20 complete games, 11 solo shutouts and 226 strikeouts over a team-high 185.1 innings pitched... Was also a double threat at the plate, batting .315 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI and a .928 OPS, while managing 11 multi-hit and eight multi-RBI efforts... Went 7-4 with a 1.56 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 72.0 frames in Big 12 contests... Tossed her second career no-hitter (vs. Iowa State on March 22), four one-hitters and posted at least 10 strikeouts in 10 starts with a high of 14 during a win at No. 15 Arizona State on March 1... Registered pitching wins over NCAA teams Boise State, California, Tulsa, Ole Miss, No. 15 Arizona State, Lipscomb, No. 21 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Texas Tech (two wins), Texas A&M, Sam Houston State and Houston (two wins)... Fired a remarkable 440 pitches over three days, including 429 over the final two days, while going 4-0 with a 0.47 ERA over five appearances to help Texas climb from the loser's bracket to win the NCAA Austin Regional... Blasted a key solo homer in the fourth inning of an eventual 4-3 win at No. 21 Oklahoma State... Tossed her second career no-hitter and also went 2-for-4 with the game-ending grand slam and five RBI to down Iowa State on March 22 on the way to being named the NFCA National and Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week... Reached base safely in 11 straight games from March 13 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to March 29 at Oklahoma State... Blasted her first career Texas home run as part of a 2-for-3, double, home run, three-RBI effort in a 5-1 victory over Florida Atlantic at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational... Tossed a one-hit shutout in her first Longhorns pitching action to down Boise State. 2018 (Sophomore at Oregon)A 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second team All-American Elish posted a pitching record of 37-2 overall to go along with a 1.42 ERA, 17 solo shutouts, 29 complete games and 347 strikeouts over 280.2 innings of work while limiting opponents to a miniscule .189 batting average during her two years at Oregon... The 2018 All-Pac-12 first team and NFCA All-Pacific Region first team selection helped lead the Ducks to the Pac-12 regular season title and a berth in the Women's College World Series as a sophomore by posting a 25-2 mark with a 1.20 ERA, 12 shutouts and 249 strikeouts in 175.0 frames... Along the way, Elish tossed Oregon's first ever seven-inning perfect game and struck out a career-high 16 during an April 3 win over Portland State, hit double-digits in strikeouts 11 times during UO's 53-10 campaign in 2018 and registered high-profile wins over a list of teams including LSU, Texas, Florida State, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington and Kentucky. 2017 (Freshman at Oregon)Elish went undefeated in her rookie campaign at 12-0... In 105.2 innings pitched, she posted a 1.79 ERA, good for third on the team and fifth in the Pac-12... She also saw time at the plate, hitting .276 in 58 at-bats with 10 runs scored, 16 RBI and a homer... Helped the Ducks open the season with 35 straight wins, matching the NCAA record... Ranked sixth in the Pac-12 by averaging 6.5 strikeouts per seven innings... Was part of the Oregon pitching staff that ranked fifth in the NCAA with a 1.41 team ERA... Tossed five shutouts on the season, including a one-hit shutout in a five-inning run-rule win against Wisconsin on May 21 in regionals... Had a season-high nine strikeouts in a five-inning win against Pacific on March 11... Hit her first collegiate home run on March 10 against Hofstra... Drove in three runs in her collegiate debut against Virginia on Feb. 9, going 2-for-3. High SchoolComing out of high school, Elish was listed as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by FloSoftball... A 2016 MaxPreps first team All-American, she was also a three-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year as well as the 2014 MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year (went 24-1, 0.31 ERA, 223 strikeouts, 18 walks, 137 innings as a sophomore)... As a high school senior, Elish registered a 15-2 record with a 0.41 ERA and 196 strikeouts over 103 innings while batting .505 with seven homers and 26 RBI.

By Bruce Miles

By Bruce Miles

The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved expanding the Women's College World Series to a nine-day event, beginning with the 2022 championship (June 2-10).

The softball community is mourning after the loss of Coach Bill Hicks.

By Bruce Miles

OKLAHOMA CITY – The National Softball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be honored in Oklahoma City this October during a special evening recognizing their accomplishments, history-making moments, and milestones that helped shape the sport of softball. The group of nine inductees includes Olympians Natasha Watley and Lovieanne Jung, former Slow Pitch greats Doug Roberson, Carl Rose, Cecil Whitehead and Curtis Williams, Men’s Fast Pitch All-Americans Terry Muck and Bill Pfeiffer, and long-time USA Softball leader Phil Gutierrez.USA Softball will officially enshrine the group of legends at the newly opened Oklahoma City Convention Center located east of beautiful Scissortail Park. Set to be held Saturday, Oct. 23, the 40th Annual National Softball Hall of Fame Ceremony will begin with a happy hour reception followed by dinner and the program at 6 p.m. CT. For those not able to attend, the program will be live streamed through USASoftball.com.Below is a quick look at the newest National Softball Hall of Fame class:Phil Gutierrez – Meritorious ServiceA career that spanned 44 years with USA Softball, Phil Gutierrez has played a significant role on numerous lives through the sport of softball. Gutierrez began his career with USA Softball as an umpire in 1975, finding success at the high school, collegiate and ASA National level. His passion continued beyond the field with the appointment to Commissioner of Southern California in 2007 where he led SoCal to become the top association annually for team, individual and umpire registrations. In 2011, Gutierrez was elected as President of USA Softball, representing USA Softball at International Softball Federation (ISF) meetings and events.Lovieanne Jung – Fast Pitch PlayerAn Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist as well as a two-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist and World Champion, Lovieanne Jung was one of the best and smartest infielders to ever play the game. As an eight-year team member of the United States Women’s National Team, Jung served as ‘quarterback’ of the U.S. defense, calling all coverages, and positioning the defense for opposing offenses. Her tremendous skill set combined with her knowledge of the sport allowed her to be the most proactive player on the field, always seeing things before they occurred in the game.Terry Muck – Fast Pitch PlayerTerry Muck was the premiere middle infielder of his time with a range that allowed few balls through the infield. Known for his small size and impressive speed, Muck encompassed the perfect attributes for a leadoff hitter while providing power that allowed him to occasionally shift to 3-hole in the Home Savings lineup. Aside from his outstanding skill as a softball player, Muck was better known as an outstanding individual with great integrity and character.Bill Pfeiffer – Fast Pitch PlayerA 15-year member of the Home Savings team in Aurora, Illinois, Bill Pfeiffer helped lead his squad to 13 ASA National Championship appearances. Pfeiffer was also a member of the USA Softball Men’s National team that earned a Silver Medal at the first-ever Pan American Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Following his retirement from softball, Pfeiffer took his same diligence he showcased on the field in becoming a Co-Founder of the Aurora Fast Pitch Softball Association. Pfeiffer continues to serve as a member of the Association in hopes to keep the game alive and well in the Chicago Metro area.Doug Roberson – Slow Pitch PlayerOne of the best outfielders of all time, Doug Roberson is considered to have had one of the strongest arms ever seen in slow pitch softball. Known as an absolute powerhouse on both sides of the field, Roberson slugged over 2,000 homeruns in his 14-year playing career, totaling a season high of 672 in his 1987 season. While his accomplishments speak for themselves, many refer to Roberson as a true ambassador of the game.Carl Rose – Slow Pitch PlayerWith a playing career that spanned over 15 years, Carl Rose collected 20 All-World Selections with two National MVP awards and one Defensive MVP award. Aside from his dominance on the field, Rose was an unselfish teammate that was well-known and well-liked on and off the field. Following his storied slow pitch softball career, Rose’s legendary power at the plate landed him a signature bat, the Carl Rose Lighthouse Bat –– a Worth best seller. Rose will posthumously be honored following his passing in July 2020.Natasha Watley – Fast Pitch PlayerA career with the United States Women’s National Team that spanned 9 years, Natasha Watley became an immediate gamechanger for Team USA. With the ability to hit for power and average while also using her speed in the short game, Watley was the true definition of a triple threat, making her one of the most feared hitters for any defense. After retiring from the sport in 2010, Watley has continued to be an inspiration and leader in her work with the Natasha Watley Foundation (NWF) bringing her knowledge, passion, and hope to the next generation of young ladies.Cecil Whitehead – Slow Pitch PlayerWith a playing career that spanned 14 years, Cecil Whitehead is known to be one of the top five outfielders of all time. A six-time All-American, Whitehead was a member of two Super National Championships, two Major National Championships and four Super National Runner-ups. Many consider Whitehead to be in the Top 5 of all-time greatest slow pitch softball players in the history of the sport.Curtis Williams – Slow Pitch PlayerCurtis Williams played the highest classification of softball for over 30 years, earning his first All-American award in 1977 and his last in 2000, the longest span between such awards in softball history. A 13-time All-American selection, Williams was a member of 10 National Championship teams throughout his storied playing career. His continued dominance in the game helped earn him 20 All-World selections with three National Defensive MVP awards.The National Softball Hall of Fame has honored over 400 individuals, welcoming a new group of softball greats annually – excluding 2020 when the USA Softball Annual Council Meeting and National Softball Hall of Fame Ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Softball Hall of Fame is the ultimate goal for any player, coach, umpire or administrator who aspire to greatness in the sport. Located in Oklahoma City, the National Softball Hall of Fame Museum is open to visitors year-round Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.For more information on the 2021 National Softball Hall of Fame Ceremony honoring the Class of 2020, visit USASoftball.com.