Vanessa Shippy, a three-time All-American, two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and an Academic All-American during her career at Oklahoma State, graduated after last season. Now an assistant coach at Syracuse, Shippy is rooting on her alma mater in their run through the postseason and the Women’s College World Series.
Speaking to JWOS, Shippy talked about Kenny Gajewski’s commitment to changing the culture of the Cowgirl softball program. Since his arrival in Stillwater back in the fall of 2015, Shippy said that Gajewski’s sights were set on establishing the family culture of Oklahoma State softball.
“He is exactly what you see on TV, on social media, and an interview with him,” Shippy said. “As real as it comes and one of the best people I’ve ever been around. I’m so thankful to have played under him and so thankful to have him as a mentor now in my coaching career. He encourages a family atmosphere. People joke around and call him dad and people actually embrace it. He takes care of everyone and he’s like a dad away from your own family. Everything that coaches say they want to be, he is. When he sells OSU to you, it’s not just a sales pitch.”
Following her senior season in an Oklahoma State uniform, Shippy made her way down to Houston, Texas for her rookie year with the Scrap Yard Dawgs. Later last summer, Shippy married and then left two days later for her new assistant coaching position at Syracuse. On her coaching perspective, the first-year assistant coach talked about how being in the dugout is more nerve racking than her experience on the field. Vanessa values the development and relationship building to “not only help the [players]become better athletes, but better students and people.” “I’m loving this side of it,” she said. “It’s a whole different ballgame.”
When asked about the fruits of her labor and the time that she put into her success on and off the field while at Oklahoma State, Shippy recalled a moment in the fall of 2015, her freshman year, when her entire class discussed what they wanted to accomplish the next four years. Each of them agreed that their primary goal was to continue to build upon a solid foundation for the players to come through this program. Maddi Holcomb, Jessi Haffner, Randee O’Donnell, and Shippy all agreed that they “wanted to make a difference. We are here to set this path up for anyone who comes after us and have a goal of doing something big, not just being there and being passive.”
Even though her class failed to advance past the regional round of the NCAA tournament during the 2016, ’17, and ’18 seasons, Shippy felt as though the program was set back on track of consistent success they had had in the past. Entering her freshman year, Shippy received several offers from established programs with national championships or consistent appearances in the WCWS. On choosing OSU, Shippy said that it was really important for her to be part of a program that had not arrived on the big scene just quite yet. She wanted to go in and make a difference in a big way.
Shippy did exactly what she set out for, earning an array of prestigious awards. In addition to the trio of All-American honors, Shippy was a three-time Academic All-American, was twice named the Big 12 Player of the Year, a three-time first-team All-Region, top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and two-time Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Shippy was also named a top-30 finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year across all NCAA sports, the first athlete from Oklahoma State to be up for the award.
The Cowgirl record books were rewritten by the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho native who now holds twelve different school records, including consecutive games started, career on-base percentage, and career walks. Shippy recorded a career batting average of .404, .532 on base percentage, and .585 slugging percentage, also breaking the career doubles record during the NCAA Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2018. The previous record holder, Jamie Foutch, had held the mark for two decades.
According to the Syracuse assistant coach, there are several active vCowgirls players that deserve recognition, and also could be key producers for Oklahoma State through the remainder of their postseason run.
- Sydney Pennington – “Numbers wise, she hasn’t shown exactly what she’s wanted to but that kid is really, really good. She has the potential to be really good and big this week for them. She has all the tools and it’s just a matter of when it clicks for her; it’s going to be scary. She’s a great person on and off the field.”
- Madi Sue Montgomery – “She’s been incredible all four years. She tore her ACL in between freshman and sophomore year, and that kid probably shouldn’t have been playing her sophomore year, but wanted to and toughed through it. Montgomery has been a really big staple in the lineup her entire career.”
- “Kiley Naomi is going to be really good not only this weekend, but in the coming years. She’s All-American potential, not only because of her speed and her power, but her hands in the infield are some of the best I’ve ever seen.”
- “Sydney Springfield could come up big for them all year and I think she’ll come in clutch moments. She’s been there before and I don’t think post season affects her at all.”
- “Cheyenne Factor is a stud. The fact that kid is a freshman and plays the way that she does and handles herself the way she does is just incredible.”
- “Obviously, Taylor Lynch has a great story [playing on a torn ACL for the 2019 season]. It was fun to play with her, she’s super competitive, and just wants this team to to win no matter what. She just wants what’s best for the team.”
- “Logan Simunek will be a huge part if the Cowgirls try to make any sort of run. She doesn’t get any of the glory, but Logan is a stud and she just kind of flies under the radar but is a competitor. The kid wants to win just as bad as anyone on the field. She’s a really good pitcher and comes in at the biggest and most stressful moments and comes through for the team. If OSU has any shot at this [national championship], she’s going to need to pitch well and I think she will.”
Obviously, Shippy is rooting for the Cowgirls to make a deep run at the national championship title. During the year, she’s kept up with this squad and the noise they’ve made on a national level. For her, it’s obvious about the relationships built between the coaching staff, players, and alumni. “Kenny and his staff have done an incredible job building this culture back up,” she said. “They are the most energetic team I’ve ever watched play softball and I think that’s why they’re winning. They play for each other… they play with so much energy, passion, and love for the game of softball. I think that’s why they’re winning.”
