OSU Softball Named Regional Coaching Staff Of The Year

News9.com

Stillwater, Oklahoma — After its first Women's College World Series appearance since 1998, Oklahoma State's Cowgirl softball team has been named the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year, by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Head coach Rich Wieligman along with assistant coaches Clarisa Crowell and Tom Gray led the Cowgirls to a 42-20 record this season which included the squad's third-straight NCAA tournament appearance.

This season was also OSU's second-consecutive 40-win season. Oklahoma State defeated No. 5 Tennessee in back-to-back games on the Volunteers' home field to advance to its first NCAA Super Regional. A pair of victories over the Houston Cougars in Stillwater advanced the Cowgirls to the WCWS in Oklahoma City.

Crowell, the pitching coach, just finished her fifth season at Oklahoma State while Gray, who works primarily with hitting instruction and the defensive infield, just completed his third season at OSU.

OSU rounded out the year with a No. 8 ranking in both the final NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.

NFCA 2011 Coaching Staffs of the Year:
National — Arizona State
Midwest Region — Oklahoma State
Central Region — Baylor
Great Lakes Region — Syracuse
Mid-Atlantic Region — Fordham
Mideast Region — East Carolina
Northeast Region — Albany
Pacific Region — California
South Region — Alabama
Southeast Region — Florida