Oklahoma State Softball Makes Coaching Staff Change Ahead of Season

Oklahoma State Softball is right around the corner, but it made some news on Thursday.

OSU parted ways with hitting coach Whitney Cloer on Thursday, after serving as the hitting coach last season for the Cowgirls. 

Cloer last season led the offense to a .324 batting average and a .498 slugging percentage.

 OSU head coach Kenny Gajewski issued a statement to Dugout Digest.

“I decided that this hasn’t gone like I wanted it to or thought it would, and I decided to make the change now instead of a future move lingering over the season. There’s nothing incendiary, nothing that Whitney has done wrong – I just decided to make the change.”

Cloer also issued a response to Dugout Digest.

“I’m grateful for my time in Stillwater and I’m proud of all that the team accomplished last season. I was surprised by both the timing and outcome of Kenny’s decision to move in a different direction. I wish the team continued success in their upcoming season.”

This comes as a surprising move from Gajewski, for Cloer helped the Cowgirls reach the Women’s College World Series for the fourth consecutive season.

With a vacant spot on the staff, a number of potential replacements are possible for the Cowgirl staff.

Vanessa Shippey is the obvious choice for next season, for she has already spent time as a hitting coach, and this will be her fifth season on the coaching staff.

Video analyst Madi Sue Simpson is another option. She has returned to Stillwater as she has spent the last two seasons at Tulsa.

Simpson already knows the Cowgirl way, for she played for OSU from 2016-2019, including being on Gajewski’s first WCWS team at Oklahoma State.

Gajewski and Oklahoma State are now looking for an assistant coach who can help lead the Cowgirls to a fifth straight WCWS.

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