Oklahoma State baseball opened their season over the weekend, while Cowgirl softball was in their second weekend. Both found ample competition in early Invitational and Showdown events.

10th-ranked Cowgirl softball saw some top competition for the second weekend in a row at the Clearwater Invitational. Five games over three days netted a 3-2 result for the Cowgirls, putting them at 5-4 on the young season.

In Clearwater, the Cowgirls had three top-12 matchups against No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 12 Alabama. They managed walk-off wins over A&M and Alabama. They also added a win over No. 24 Kentucky, while dropping a 2-1 loss to Auburn.

Coach Kenny Gajewski has sought out top competition as he molds his team of newcomers with a few returning pieces. On opening weekend, the Cowgirls had another two matchups among the top 10, splitting two games with No. 9 Florida State.

It was much the same for 17th-ranked Cowboy baseball, where they opened their season in GlobeLife Park in Arlington, Texas for the Shriners Childern's College Showdown. The three-game set featured contests against No. 15 Clemson, No. 19 Texas and Louisville. The Cowboys dropped a close one in the season opener against Clemson, 6-5. They bounced back with a strong win over Louisville, where the offense came alive in a 12-3 win. The finale against former conference rival UT saw the Cowboys drop a 14-8 loss.

Despite the early 5-4 and 1-2 records for the Cowgirls and Cowboys, respectively, there is plenty of reason for optimism as both teams move into the main part of their schedule. Weather permitting, baseball stays in Arlington for a game with Texas State on Tuesday and then will host UT-Arlington for a three-game set, starting with the home-opener on Friday night.

The Cowgirls will continue in the invitational/tournament setting, heading to Conway, AR for the Michelle Short & Adam Brown Tournament. They'll see Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and host UCA twice, with a game against South Dakota State wedged in the middle.