If Jordy Bahl’s departure via the transfer portal wasn’t stunning enough, Oklahoma State Cowgirls’ ace Kelly Maxwell announced via Instagram on Friday morning that she was looking for a new opportunity via the portal.
It’s a stunning move after four years in Stillwater, but as a graduate transfer, Maxwell has the opportunity to continue her career in a new locale.
“This was not an easy decision but one that I felt was best, for my own personal happiness,” Maxwell wrote. “Thank you for being there and supporting me as I made some of the best memories of my life.”
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The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson had this to say about the stunning development: “Shocking because she has been Oklahoma State softball’s ace for three years. Shocking, too, because of the timing; it’s been a month since her season was over.”
Maxwell was one of five unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selections in 2023, joining former Sooner Bahl and Sooners’ stars Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman and Baylor’s Shaylon Govan.
One would think it improbable for the Oklahoma Sooners to add someone from across the Bedlam rivalry lines. However, Trace Ford broke the ice this offseason when the defensive end transferred from Oklahoma State to Oklahoma. Making the jump as well was guard Lexy Keys, who, after playing in 71 games with 32 starts, opted for the Crimson and Cream in the transfer portal.
Maxwell is one of college softball’s best pitchers. She’s a six-time recipient of Big 12 Pitcher of the Week and was the 2022 Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year. She had a bit of a down year in 2023, finishing with an ERA of 1.91 and a 16-7 record. This after posting a record of 21-5 in 2022 with an ERA of 1.21 with 313 strikeouts.
In her career, she’s thrown 746 strikeouts and has a career ERA of 1.58 across nearly 500 innings of work.
While the Oklahoma Sooners have [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] returning and Patty Gasso is high on [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag], they’ve been active in the portal this offseason in their attempts to add talent in the circle. They brought in [autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] after her true freshman year for Wisconsin.
But if 2023 showed us anything, you can never have enough good arms in college softball. It certainly made a huge difference in the Sooners’ record-breaking winning streak and third straight national championship.
Maxwell will be someone that every team in the nation will want to add. You can bet as soon as her name officially hit the portal, either Patty Gasso or pitching coach Jennifer Rocha was in contact.
As the Sooners head into 2024 looking to extend their winning streak and run their national championship run to four straight, adding a talent of Maxwell’s experience and talent would be huge for Oklahoma.
Here’s a look at the best pictures of Kelly Maxwell’s time with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls