CONWAY, Ark. – Hosting the highest-ranked team ever to see Farris Field on Wednesday, the Central Arkansas softball team welcomes No. 2 Oklahoma State to Conway. With a 6 p.m. first pitch, the Cowgirls are the second top-10 opponent of the year for the Bears.
 
Central Arkansas enters the week 15-6, having split a pair of games at Kansas' Jayhawk Invitational last weekend. After falling to South Dakota State to start Friday, the Bears unloaded against Kansas, defeating the Jayhawks 13-0 to close the day. It marked the best offensive output of the season for the Bears, who posted 15 hits against the Kansas pitching staff. Three Bears hit doubles, and Morgan Nelson bombed her third home run of the season, a three-run shot in the second inning.
 
The win on Friday also saw a number of contributors at the plate, with six Bears driving in runs, five go for multiple hits, and eight players cross home plate. For Kayla Beaver, it marked her ninth win in the circle, a one-hitter that saw the hit stand only after video review. The Jackson, Tenn., native struck out five in five innings, and was her fourth shutout of the year.
 
Wednesday's game marks the second top-10 matchup for the Bears, who previously defeated No. 6 Arkansas earlier this season. Over the last two seasons, Central Arkansas has gone 2-6 against top-25 teams, with wins over LSU and Arkansas over that span.
 
Despite the batting against the Jayhawks, the strength of this season's Bears has been their pitching, with two aces in the circle. Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson have been two of the best pitchers in the ASUN and country this season, racking up wins and strikeouts galore. The duo has the Bears top-two in ERA (1.39), shutouts (6), and win percentage (71.4%).
 
The Cowgirls are a different style than the Bears, however. Coming in at 21-2, Oklahoma State has excelled on offense this season, ranking near the top in several offensive categories, averaging 7.82 runs scored per game. The lineup also boasts one of the ten players in Division I hitting .500 or better; Rachel Becker is third in the country at .534.
 
Oklahoma State also excels at the long ball, with 24 hits going over the fence so far this season, the fourth-most in the Big 12. Ten Cowgirls have had a home run in 2023, with six players hitting multiple homers. In 22 games, ten have ended via the run rule, with the Cowgirls leading by at least eight after five innings.
 
With 21 wins this season, Oklahoma State has compiled quite the resume to find itself ranked second in the country. Most recently, the Cowgirls picked up a series win over No. 5/6 Florida State, taking two of three against the Seminoles. But across the season, Oklahoma State has captured ten wins over nine teams that are ranked or receiving votes.
 
First pitch against the Cowgirls is set for 6 p.m. at Farris Field. The game will be ticketed, with tickets available at our Ticketing Site. Wednesday's game will also be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats are available here.