For The Record, McGowan Doesn't Think About Them
By Bob Rodman
The Register-Guard
Published: Saturday, March 31, 2007
Not around the
"We don't talk a lot about stats and stuff," said Kirk Walker, in his 13th season as the OSU coach.
Others do, however. Because what Brianne McGowan is doing to the
McGowan has worked wonders in the circle for the 17th-ranked Beavers, who began Pac-10 Conference play with a 2-1 loss to No. 14 Stanford on Friday as OSU chases a ninth straight postseason appearance.
There are the records broken and those about to be, if not this weekend - against Stanford and
A 6-foot-2 senior right-hander from Reno, Nev., McGowan has 90 career victories and is just two wins away from becoming the school standard bearer in that category.
Her 32 career shutouts has equaled the OSU record. Her 11 saves is two off setting the
And there is the team, which McGowan covets more than any record.
"We got to the (College Women's) World Series last year," she said of the OSU program's first such trip, "and we're trying to get there this year. But I did nothing by myself. Everything we did, we did as a team."
As for the records, "That stuff just goes with the game," said McGowan, insisting she pays little or no attention to the individual statistics or accolades.
"They don't mean anything. It's the team and the team wins. I'd trade all of the stats to win the World Series."
There would be a lot of trading.
Career records notwithstanding, McGowan also owns six single-season records, including wins (36), strikeouts (346), complete-game shutouts (12), complete games (34), innings (299 2/3 ) and games pitched (54) - all set in 2005.
The two-time all-Pac-10 player also possesses the OSU record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game (16), also set in 2005.
"Brianne has taken us to another echelon,"
Mia Longfellow, a senior shortstop for the Beavers who is nearing the career hits record, said "everyone knows the records are there.
"Everyone expects the records to be broken by her, and it's great for Brianne. But she knows she's one piece to our puzzle, a big piece but one piece.
"She's nothing without us, and we're nothing without her."
The records and the statistics,
"At the end of a career, that's when you can celebrate. Too many people spend too much time talking about stats. No team wins because of records.
"Stats are fun for the media and fans to watch and follow, and are a wonderful measure of success at the end of a career but have no bearing on the game."
McGowan, who resonates a kind of reserved power, arrived at
"Her style and her strengths have changed over her four years here,"
"But when the need is there, Brianne has been able to step up and get the strikeout, get an out."
McGowan's pitching goal game in and game out, she said, "is to get the batters to hit ground balls, or pop-ups. Just to get outs and then let the defense do its work."
That defense, which set a school record with a .976 fielding percentage in 2005, has considerable confidence with McGowan pitching.
"We play the batter based on what the pitcher is throwing," said Natalie Johnson, a senior outfielder for OSU. "Bri is consistent and very reliable."
She stays focused, shows no fear.
"You can't afford to show emotion to anybody," McGowan said. "You give them the momentum if you show you're flustered."
Longfellow said McGowan "brings a presence" to the circle. "The defense is more confident. We know what she is capable of doing and we just play our game."
The 22-year-old McGowan, with a major in exercise and sport sciences and a 3.0 grade-point average, swings a mean bat, too.
Currently the team's fifth-leading hitter with a .313 average, she has career totals of 28 home runs and 107 runs batted in.
"But what makes Bri so good," Johnson said, "is that she does not pay attention to any of that stuff. Honestly, I doubt that she even knows half of it. She just goes out and plays every day, and has a great time with it."
Said Longfellow, "Brianne has a big name behind her, but she's the same person every day."
And that, the Beavers said, is a record they will discuss any time.
RISING THROUGH THE RECORDS
Career victories
Name Year Wins
1, Tarrah Beyster 1997-2000 91
2, Brianne McGowan 2004-present 90
3, Monica Hoffman 2001-04 75
Career shutouts
Name Year Shutouts
1, tie, Joan Harvey 1982-85 32
Brianne McGowan 2004-present 32
3, Tarrah Beyster 1997-2000 31
Career saves
Name Year Saves
1, Monica Hoffman 2001-04 12
2, Brianne McGowan 2004-present 11
3, Amy Warner 1994-97 9
Career strikeouts
Name Year SO
1, Crystal Draper 1999-2002 809
2, Brianne McGowan 2004-present 790
3, Monica Hoffman 2001-04 774
