Wednesday, May 31, 2023
NCAA Tournament Notebook: Cowboys face familiar foes in Stillwater Regional weekend. OSU takes on ORU in its first game of the regional Friday at 6 p.m. Competing in the Summit League and Conference USA Daniel Allen doesn’t often bode well Staff Reporter for a team’s RPI. In one instance this season, the Golden Eagles swept Midweek games conference foe Western don’t usually have as Illinois, yet dropped 10 much of a grasp on spots in the RPI. So, a team’s season as a midweek games can weekend series. matter more to non-Power In OSU coach Five programs. Josh Holliday’s mind, In both matchups midweek contests are with this year, DBU opportunities to dig deep started occasional into the pitching staff and weekend starting pitcher, find some hidden gems. Zach Heaton. Oral Simultaneously they Roberts started Joshua can expose flaws within Caravalho, a young arm it ahead of a weekend who has fluctuated in series. and out of the weekend On Monday rotation for the Golden morning, the Cowboys Eagles. were given the No. Having Big 12 11 seed in the NCAA weekend series on the Tournament, and weekends, the Cowboys Washington plus two often opted for a bullpen of OSU’s midweek game in the midweeks – opponents -- Oral Roberts a catalyst in OSU’s 1-3 and Dallas Baptist combined regular season -- make up the rest of record against DBU and the four-team field in ORU. Stillwater Regional at O’Brate stadium this See NCAA on page 4 Juan Figueroa State Sen. Royce West, center, D-Dallas, chatted in the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Austin on Thursday, May 4, 2023. (Juan Figueroa/ The Dallas Morning News/TNS)
Texas Legislature focused on culture issues, less on bread and butter, some lawmakers say Gromer Jeffers Jr. The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN, Texas — Despite a near $33 billion budget surplus, the Texas Legislature failed to reach agreement on what was described as the biggest property tax cut in history. Lawmakers didn’t come together to give pay raises to public school teachers or significantly improve access to health care. Instead, legislators used the 140-day session that ended Monday to pass a broad array of legislation that some lawmakers
argue are related to culture wars sweeping the nation — a set of wedge issues rooted in conflicting cultural values. They approved bills aimed at regulating transgender people, including dictating the sports in which they participate. Bills banning gender affirming medical treatment and regulating drag shows passed the Legislature. Texas became the largest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses. Lawmakers stepped up their efforts to override policies developed by local jurisdictions and made voting illegally a felony.
Though the session will be defined by Saturday’s dramatic impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton, the most impactful legacy could be the prolific passing of legislation that builds on what Republican lawmakers accomplished in 2021. “I see this as a very conservative session,” said Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, a top lieutenant of House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont. “We passed some very conservative legislation that every single Republican can be proud to take home to their districts.” See Texas on page 6
WCWS preview: A look at the rest of the field, history with OSU Tessa Dorrell Staff Reporter
File Photo The OSU baseball team will host an NCAA Regional at O’Brate Stadium, with the Cowboys’ first game on Friday at 6 p.m. against ORU.
defending national champions, looking for their third-straight national championship. Oklahoma has won five national championships in the The stage is set 60 miles last six seasons. The Sooners south of Stillwater. (56-1) set the all-time Division I The Division I softball record for consecutive wins this season will come to its apex in season with 48. This is their 11th Oklahoma City at USA Softball appearance in the WCWS in the Hall of Fame Stadium, where the last 12 seasons. The Sooners have Oklahoma State Cowgirls head made it to the WCWS 15 times into the Women’s College World and have been ranked for 406 Series as the No. 6 seed. consecutive weeks. OSU starts play against No. The Cowgirls went 3-seed Florida State on Thursday winless against the Sooners in at 7 p.m. The Seminoles are just this season’s Bedlam series in one of seven teams standing in Stillwater. OSU has not defeated the way of a Cowgirl WCWS title. OU since playing in the Big 12 Here’s a look at the rest of Championship last season, when the field at the WCWS, which the Cowgirls took the conference runs from Thursday until June 9. title in a 4-3 victory. With the No. 1 Oklahoma Cowgirls and Sooners on the The Sooners are the opposite side of the bracket, the
only Bedlam rematch would come in the finals. Oklahoma begins its run Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against Stanford. No. 3 Florida State Florida State has a rich history when it comes to softball. The Seminoles have appeared in the WCWS 11 times, with championships in 2018 and 2020. FSU (55-9) is one of nine schools to make an NCAA Regional every year since 2000. The Cowgirls played the Seminoles earlier this season in Stillwater. OSU won the first game 3-2 and the second game 9-1. The Cowgirls have not faced the Seminoles in the WCWS since 2021, when FSU eliminated the Cowgirls, 4-2. See WCWS on page 3