Cloer joins Oklahoma State Cowgirl softball coaching staff
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State softball has added Whitney Cloer to its staff as the program’s new hitting coach, head coach Kenny Gajewski announceds.
“I’m really excited to add Whitney to our staff,” Gajewski said. “Her experience and knowledge will be a big asset to our program as a whole and especially to our student-athletes. More importantly, her values and work ethic will be an integral part of our program trying to take the next step of winning a national title.”
Cloer comes to Stillwater from Colorado State, where she most recently spent five years as an assistant coach with the Rams.
“Oklahoma State is a special place, and it didn’t take long after joining the softball staff this season to understand that what makes it so unique are the people who are part of the University and the Athletic Department,” Cloer said. “Our leadership, our fans, our student-athletes. That’s what sets OSU apart from others.
“I am incredibly grateful to Coach Gajewski for the opportunity to be a part of his staff. I believe in his leadership, vision, and direction for this program, and I look forward to doing all that I can to help the studentathletes pursue their aspirations both on and off the field.”
During her tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado, Cloer helped produce 13 All-Mountain West honorees, including a Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in Hayley Hutton in 2017, as well as a Mountain West
Player of the Year in Amber Nelson in 2019.
In 2019 she helped the Rams to new heights as they won the second Mountain West Conference title in program history. Colorado State won 20-consecutive games in 2019, a streak that most notably included including a perfect record in the month of March and an upset victory over then-No. 16 OSU.
CSU also led the the country in doubles per game after knocking 103 during the season and hit 63 home runs — the third most in program history. The Rams dominated in league play in 2019, winning a program record seven series, three of which were series sweeps.
In each of her seasons with the Rams, she has helped improve both the offense and defense. In 2018, she helped guide CSU to one of its best starts in program history with a perfect 7-0 record, its best start since 1997. During the season, the Rams also won four conference series, their most since 2014.
Cloer came to CSU after serving as the assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Scrap Yard Dawgs of National Pro Fastpitch. Her roles included coaching players and managing player personnel.
She also aided in signing Monica Abbott to a sixyear, $1 million contract which was believed to be the largest by an American female athlete in a professional franchise at the time.
Prior to working for the Scrap Yard Dawgs, Cloer was an assistant coach at Troy University for one season and helped the Trojans to a 32-23 record. Cloer assisted in improving the Trojans batting average from a .215 to a .260 mark and their slugging percentage from .312 to .433.
Cloer started her coaching career in 2011 as a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater Arkansas before heading to Oklahoma as a volunteer assistant coach in 2013.
While she was in Norman, the Sooners were named Big 12 Champions and went on to play in the Women’s College World Series. Cloer player her role for a staff named NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year in 2013.
A standout softball student-athlete in her own right, Cloer played at Arkansas from 2005-09, starting 215 games in her career, including every game during her sophomore and senior years.
She finished her playing career as one of the Razorbacks’ top offensive weapons, totaling a .335 batting average with 54 hits, 37 RBI and 10 home runs during her senior season. During her time as a Razorback, Cloer earned four varsity letters and served as team captain her junior and senior seasons.
Born in Edmond, Cloer graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2009 with a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology before earning her master’s in exercise science in 2012.