OSU Softball: Kelly Maxwell Helps Sooners Win Fourth Straight National Title
She couldn’t get it done in four years in Stillwater, but a former Cowgirl is a national champion.
On Thursday, former Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell closed the final game of the Women’s College World Series to help Oklahoma win its fourth straight national title. Maxwell earned the honor of Most Outstanding Player for her performance in Oklahoma City.
In her lone season with the Sooners, Maxwell helped them dominate all season, finishing with a 23-2 record. This season, she struck out 164 batters in 155.1 innings with a 1.94 ERA.
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Maxwell’s transfer to OU was a hot topic for most of the preseason, especially considering the bad blood between the schools. Although both parties have moved on in the following months, the sting left by her departure was not something OSU and coach Kenny Gajewski took lightly.
“My only disappointment for Kelly is that she went to OU, because now she’s lost everything here that she’s ever done,” Gajewski said. “And as long as I’m here, it’ll be hard for her to come back here. That’s just the way it is.”
Before the transfer, Maxwell was a superstar at OSU for four seasons. Making the All-Big 12 First Team three times, Maxwell was a dominant pitcher for the Cowgirls.
In 2022, Maxwell earned numerous First Team All-America honors while finishing as a Top 10 finalist for Collegiate Player of the Year. As Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year, she pitched 189.2 innings with a 1.57 ERA and struck out 313 batters.
In her final season at OSU, she had a slight drop from her junior season but still led the Cowgirls to the WCWS.
Although it burns for OSU to see a former player win it all with OU, Maxwell’s time in Stillwater helped her become the national champion she is today.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.