Two-time All-American softball pitcher to be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame
After a tremendous two-year career as a pitcher at Cowley College, Jessica Seay will be inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on February 7, 2026.
Seay started playing machine-pitch softball when she was seven years old and began pitching at age eight. Besides playing for Harrah (OK) schools, she also played on a summer team each year. In 2007, her team won the Triple Crown World Series Tournament in Park City, Utah.
She went on to help Harrah High School reach two state tournaments. Seay was an All-State selection her senior year and graduated in 2012 with a 4.0 GPA.
"Jessica was one of my two biggest 'finds' among my All-American pitchers," Former Cowley head softball coach Ed Hargrove said. "Finding Jessica while watching another player I was recruiting. The other was Ashly Bright, and both ended up being two-time All-Americans."
Seay was also glad to find Cowley as her first collegiate stop.
"Cowley had a successful softball program that I was excited to join," Seay said. "Ark City gave me a charming, historic, small-town feel that I loved. After touring the campus with Ed (Hargrove) and Jenny (Hoyt), I knew Cowley would be a great fit for me."
Seay had a memorable freshman season at Cowley College, going 28-1 with an earned run average of 1.66. She struck out 144 batters and walked only 25. She was named a First Team All-American.
She helped the 2013 Lady Tigers repeat as Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division champions and achieve a ranking as high as No. 4 nationally. Along with her All-American honors, Seay was named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year.
"Jessica was the ultimate competitor, as tough-minded as they come, and there was never a time in her two years where I didn't expect us to win with her on the rubber, regardless of who the competition was," Hargrove said.
As a sophomore, she went 24-9 with a 1.67 ERA. She struck out 174 in 175 innings as she was once again named a First Team all-conference and All-American. Seay helped Cowley finish 43-14 and place seventh at the 2014 national tournament. Aside from softball, she was named a Student Athlete of the Month as a sophomore.
Her 52 career wins rank fourth all-time at Cowley.
"Cowley was the highlight of my softball career," Seay said. "I had the time of my life. Success began with our coaching staff. Ed and Jenny made sure we outworked every other team. Daily, pitchers and catchers would arrive an hour before the rest of the team to work with Jenny on their pitching skills. We conditioned and practiced hard, but most importantly, we had a lot of fun. Our team was like family. If I struggled on the mound, my teammates would help even the score the next at bat. We had each other's backs, always. It was a beautiful thing."
After Cowley, she played two seasons at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
As a junior, she went 16-10 with a 3.72 ERA. She tossed 173 1/3 innings, which included eight complete games and two shutouts, as she was named an Honorable Mention all-conference selection.
She would go on to finish 14-10 with a 4.69 ERA as a senior. She struck out 112 batters in 136 1/3 innings pitched.
She received her bachelor's degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State in December 2016. Afterwards, she decided she needed some adventure, so she completed an internship working with baby moose in Alaska during the summer of 2017.
In 2020, she obtained her real estate license and spent five years working in administration for the research department at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center.
She married her husband, Dylan, in June 2022, and the couple had their first child, a son named Rush, in March 2025. The couple resides in Cashion, OK.
Seay is humbled by her selection for induction into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.
"I could not have done it without the support of my teammates, coaches, and parents," Seay said. "This is an honor of a lifetime!
I want to thank my coaches. Pitching coaches Nancy Teehee and Steve Gault. Team coaches David Shannon, Wayne, and Amber Gorman, Mandy Fulton, Ron Faubion, Courtne St. Clair, and weight training coach Carmen Caputo. I also thank my dad for making me practice and catching me day in and day out. I also thank my mom for being my biggest fan. Thank you to all my teammates who made me look good along the way. A special thanks to Coach Ed Hargrove for taking a chance on me! Finally, a huge thank you to Coach Jenny Hoyt for working with me daily, refining my pitches, and helping me take my game to the next level. I would not be receiving this award without all of you."
