STILLWATER — You don’t have to tell Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski how good fourth-seeded Nebraska is.
Not only did his team play the Cornhuskers in a pair of one-run games in February, with each team winning once, but Gajewski has been keeping a close eye on them recently as a voter in the coaches’ rankings.
“I voted them No. 1 the last couple weeks,” Gajewski said Sunday after his team’s 11-5 defeat of Stanford to win the Stillwater Regional and secure its spot in the Lincoln Super Regional against the Huskers next week.
“I think they are that. They’ve been doing everything they’re asked. They’ve played as tough a schedule as anybody. I know their league may not be the highest rated league, but they walked through that league.
“They played a tough schedule in the beginning and they came here when they didn’t have to. They’ve done things and played well. I can’t wait to go compete there.”
The best-of-three Lincoln Super Regional opens at 8 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
Ruby Meylan vs. Jordy Frahm — again
The Lincoln Super Regional will be decided by much more than the pitching matchup.
But that will be the storyline of the week.
OSU’s Ruby Meylan, an Omaha native, and Nebraska’s Jordy Frahm, who is from Papillion, not far outside Omaha.
Two of college softball’s best pitchers, who spent one summer as travel ball teammates during high school.
The Cowgirls and Cornhuskers played twice at Cowgirl Stadium in late February, with OSU winning a 2-1 duel in 11 innings. Then Nebraska took a 4-3 win in the second game.
Meylan went 10 innings in the opener, while Frahm was pulled after seven, and neither factored into the decision despite putting on a show.
Both pitchers entered in relief in the fifth inning of the second meeting, with Frahm picking up the win after Meylan was tagged for two unearned runs in the sixth.
Last year, the two dueled it out in a game at Wichita State, each going the distance in a 1-0 OSU victory, thanks to a Megan Bloodworth home run.
“There’s gonna be a lot of storylines, let’s just put it like that, especially with Ruby and Jordy and that kind of stuff,” Gajewski said. “These are two programs that have had a lot of success but don’t get the credit that they deserve. So it’ll be fun.”
OSU offense clicking in postseason
Nebraska has an offense capable of putting up runs, though it is coming off a quiet weekend.
The Huskers scored seven total runs in three wins over South Dakota and Grand Canyon (twice). They had 16 runs in wins over Michigan, Indiana and UCLA to win the Big Ten Tournament.
That’s an average of less than four runs per game in the postseason.
On the other hand, OSU has scored at least seven runs in nine of its last 11 games, including all five in the postseason.
OSU hit seven home runs in its three Stillwater Regional games, while catcher Amanda Hasler went 7 for 9 with two homers, six RBIs and five runs scored.
“We’re different now than we were, and so are they,” Gajewski said, referencing the changes in the teams since their February meetings. “We’re getting to face another great team.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jordy Frahm, Ruby Meylan highlight Nebraska softball vs Oklahoma State