OSU Softball: Kenny Gajewski Says OKC Hosting Olympic Softball in 2028 is 'Big-Time'
Los Angeles is set to host the 2028 Olympics, but not every event will be on the West Coast.
On Thursday, it was announced that the 2028 softball and canoe slalom events will take place in Oklahoma City. With a 13,000-seat capacity, the IOC decided to move to Devon Park in Oklahoma City instead of converting stadiums in Southern California to accommodate the expected spectator demand.
Oklahoma City has become the center of the softball world over the past few decades, with the Women’s College World Series taking place there every season. There are not many teams more familiar with Devon Park in recent years than Oklahoma State, which made its fifth straight WCWS this season.
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With OSU coach Kenny Gajewski at the helm, the Cowgirls have become one of the premier programs in college softball. With the Olympics coming so close to Stillwater to showcase softball on the international stage in 2028, Gajewski seems excited about what it means for Oklahoma to be recognized for its support of softball.
“Olympic softball coming to Oklahoma City is big-time,” Gajewski said. “The level of support here is special, and this is the latest example of how our state has become the true epicenter of the game. I know OKC will do a great job hosting and further cementing itself as the softball capital of the world.”
2028 will also be the next Olympics that features softball, with the sport not included in the Paris Olympics later this summer. Since 1996, softball has been featured in the Olympics five times, with the US earning at least a silver medal each year, including gold medals in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
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IVAN WHITE
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.