Tag: Kelly Maxwell

A look back on Kinzie Hansen’s time with the Oklahoma Sooners

Kinzie Hansen always seemed to come through in the clutch for the Oklahoma Sooners, helping lead OU during a historic career.

If “attitude reflects leadership,” as Julius Campbell from Remember the Titans once coined, then the Oklahoma Sooners were a reflection of one of their captains in 2024.

[autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag]’s career had some ups and downs. She dealt with injuries in the 2022 season before getting healthy enough to play a huge role in that year’s title run. The Sooners’ catcher has been the epitome of toughness and resilience over her five seasons at Oklahoma.

She played in 243 games for the Sooners. After playing just 24 as a true freshman, Hansen averaged 54.75 games a season and started 49.5 games each of the last four years. In her career, Hansen hit .390 with 60 home runs and 268 RBIs.

If you take out the 2022 season, where she battled injuries throughout, Hansen hit .416. In four of her five seasons at OU, Hansen hit over .400. Statistically, 2021 was the best of her career, hitting .438 with 24 home runs and 66 RBIs.

While the power numbers might not have returned, Hansen’s proclivity for clutch hitting and heroics remained. She was as good as anyone in the country with two strikes and earned a reputation for coming through when the count was stacked against her.

There’s no greater example than Hansen’s game-tying home run against Clemson in the 2023 super regionals.

Chasing history, the Oklahoma Sooners were down 7-4 to the Clemson Tigers. At one point, OU was up 4-0 before the Tigers rattled off seven unanswered runs.

Valerie Cagle, one of the best players in the game, was on the mound, battling to tie up the super-regional series with Oklahoma. It was the moment that every kid playing diamond sports daydreams about. Oklahoma had two on with two out, and Hansen dug in at the plate as the tying run.

After falling behind in the count 0-2, Hansen connected on a pitch up and away and pulled it deep to left field and beyond the bleachers of Marita Hynes Field.

With one swing of the bat, Hansen tied the game to send it to extra innings, where [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] put OU ahead in the ninth to win the game. The win gave the Sooners their 48th straight victory, passing Arizona for softball’s longest winning streak. It’s a streak that extended into the 2024 season and finished at 71 games.

The game doesn’t get there unless Hansen comes through in the seventh. It was an at-bat that Sooners fans and the softball world will remember forever.

That was Oklahoma’s final game at [autotag]Marita Hynes Field[/autotag], a place they called home for more than 20 years. In a poetic moment, Hansen also had the walk-off home run to beat Miami (OH) in Oklahoma’s first game inside Love’s Field.

And while her work at the plate will be remembered for years to come, it’s important to acknowledge her role in managing the pitching staff over the last five years. In each of the Sooners’ four national titles, Hansen caught a different frontline starter to win the national championship. In 2021, it was [autotag]Giselle Juarez[/autotag]. In 2022, [autotag]Hope Trautwein[/autotag] took the ball in key moments. 2023 was [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]’s season of dominance. And in 2024, it was [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag].

In 2023, Hansen was named a first-team All-American. She was also a first-team All-Big 12 selection each of the last two seasons and has been selected for multiple national team appearances. In 2024, she was the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 selection.

Hansen’s toughness, resiliency, and propensity to come through in clutch situations made her a fan favorite over the last five years. And with the announcement that she’ll continue her softball career locally with the WPF’s Oklahoma City Spark, Sooner fans have the opportunity to continue to watch K-9 do her thing on the diamond.

Oklahoma’s senior class pulled off the unthinkable with four-peat

Five of Oklahoma’s seniors earned four national title during their time with the Sooners. An absolutely unbelievable run.

Winning one championship in sports is difficult. Winning two straight puts you in the history books forever. Winning three in a row means you’re a legend. But winning four straight? That’s unheard of in team sports, only being accomplished by a small handful of times throughout history.

“People say, ‘Let’s go win one,’” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “You’re like, ‘OK.’ It’s not like that. It’s very difficult. Everything has to go right. The thing about them is they’re resilient. They have a lot of pride in that.

The 2024 senior class for the Oklahoma Sooners softball team will finish their college careers not knowing how it feels to walk away from a season without a championship.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] now have four rings. They’re joined in this senior class by [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag], [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag], [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], all transfers who started their careers elsewhere.

“This one was the hardest one that I’ve ever had to work for in my life,” Jennings said via The Oklahoman. “This team, the adversity that we went through, we did it and we overcame everything.”

Oklahoma’s senior class finished with as many national championships as [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] loses, as OU finished off Texas on Thursday night. It was an 8-4 victory in Game 2 of the [autotag]WCWS[/autotag] final to win championship number eight, tied for the second-most all-time.

The Sooners won their unprecedented fourth-straight championship, giving [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] a record-tying eight rings. Half of them have now come in succession.

The Sooner seniors wowed many inside and outside the world of sports with a career sweep of national championships, but a quote from their head coach tells their story better than anyone else can.

“This is the best senior class that has ever played the game, and I’ll stand behind that as long as I live,” said Gasso of their incredible run.

Patty Gasso has built a historic dynasty in Norman, and this senior class has pulled off something few imagined could ever be done. And we may never see another run like this again. But given what Oklahoma’s done, who’s to say they can’t run it back.

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Kelly Maxwell saves Sooners to earn her first national title

After transferring to Oklahoma from Oklahoma State, Kelly Maxwell was there for the Sooners when her team needed her.

Oklahoma Sooners pitcher [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] received a lot of backlash for her decision to cross the Bedlam lines and transfer to OU last fall.

She faced immense pressure following her decision to move to Norman from Stillwater. Maxwell also stepped into the unenviable role of replacing [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag], a dominant pitcher who was a legend in the crimson and cream.

Maxwell shouldered some of the blame when the 2024 edition of the Sooners didn’t always measure up to previous championship iterations.

But make no mistake about it, the Sooners don’t finish off their four-peat if Maxwell stays in Stillwater instead of moving to Norman. She was instrumental in making history happen. It was an emotional roller coaster of a season and the emotions came to a head on Thursday night.

“Just gratitude,” Maxwell said after helping the Sooners win their unprecedented fourth consecutive WCWS title. “Just thankful for everything that I’ve been through and all that I’ve gone through and just being able to have a team that loves me an supports me — all the glory to God — and I think just being able to fight for them as they had my back too.”

Maxwell’s incredible week included shutting out UCLA in a 1-0 win on Saturday, rescuing the Sooners from elimination in a marathon win over Florida on Tuesday, and winning Game 1 against Texas on Wednesday on no rest.

All of this happened before [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] called her in to seal the deal in Game 2 against the Longhorns on Thursday night.

The game teetered in the balance, as the ‘Horns were making a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. Maxwell, normally a starting pitcher, was brought into the game with two outs and two on to save the day. Maxwell got OU out of the inning with the lead, then finished off Texas 1-2-3 in the seventh to get the sweep.

Maxwell’s performances earned her Most Outstanding Player honors for the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag]. She was 5-0 with two saves and a 1.88 ERA, etching her name in history following a gutsy three week display of excellence.

When the book is written about the Sooners Dynasty, let’s all make sure we save a chapter for Kelly Maxwell. Championship number eight doesn’t happen without No. 28 refusing to back down and rising to the occasion to earn her first national title.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s national championship win over Texas

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Oklahoma Sooners beat No. 1 Texas 8-4, win 4th straight national championship

The Oklahoma Sooners made history as the first team to win four consecutive national championships with their 8-4 win over the Texas Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners made history in their 8-4 win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners won their fourth-straight national championship, and this senior class capped off the most successful run in softball history.

The Texas Longhorns got the scoring going in the top of the second on Kayden Henry’s RBI single. But [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] answered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to put the Sooners up one.

The Longhorns tied the game up in the third off of starter [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag]. [autotag]Peytn Monticelli[/autotag] came in with the bases loaded and kept the game tied 2-2. Texas then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Sooners began to take control. Consecutive singles by [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag], and [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] set the stage for [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag]. Sanders proceeded to launch a double to the right-center gap to clear the bases and put Oklahoma up 5-3.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] took over in the fifth and had a dominant outing with a 1-2-3 inning and got two outs in the sixth before [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] came in with runners on second and third. Maxwell induced a ground ball by Mia Scott, and a Texas run scored to make it 5-4. But Scott got caught off the bag, and [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] flipped the ball to Sanders to get the final out of the inning and leave a runner stranded on third.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Sooners ran away from the Longhorns. Boone earned a one-out single, Sanders walked, and Hodge was hit by a pitch to load the bases. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] added to the Sooners lead with an RBI single through the right side of the infield. With two outs in the inning, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] continued her incredible postseason with a two-RBI single to put Oklahoma up 8-4.

In the top of the seventh, Maxwell went up against the heart of the Texas lineup. Maxwell got Viviana Martinez to fly out and struck out Big 12 Player of the Year Reese Atwood before getting Katie Stewart to ground out to [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], who made a perfect throw over to Sanders to get the final out and send the Sooners into the record books.

Maxwell earned her second save of the NCAA Tournament and earned Most Outstanding Player, going 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to the national championship.

It’s the Sooners’ eighth national title and their seventh since 2013. With four straight national titles, Oklahoma is the only program to accomplish this feat. The Sooners move into a tie for second with the Arizona Wildcats for most national titles.

Seniors [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] will go down as the most decorated class in softball history, with four national championships in their career.

With eight national titles, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] is now tied for the most in the history of the sport.

It was an incredible run for the Oklahoma Sooners, who lost just one game during the postseason, dating back to their Big 12 tournament title run. In the two games against Texas the Sooners outscored their Red River Rivals 16-7 to win the national title.

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Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners came out swinging in their game-one win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners collected three home runs and three doubles to power past the Longhorns to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] got things going with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and Oklahoma got back-to-back home runs from [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] in the third inning and never looked back.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw another complete game, recording eight strikeouts. She allowed just four hits and four walks to arguably the best offense in the country.

Now the Sooners are just one win away from capturing their fourth-straight national championship. But the Texas Longhorns won’t go quietly into the Oklahoma City night. The Sooners will be challenged in game two tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns.

More: Social Media reacts to Oklahoma’s 8-3 win over Texas in WCWS

Oklahoma Sooners beat Texas Longhorns 8-3 in game one of WCWS Final

Sooners hit three home runs and Kelly Maxwell pitched another great game to lead Oklahoma to an 8-3 win over Texas in game one of the Women’s College World Series championship.

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a hot start and never looked back in their game one matchup with the Texas Longhorns, taking the opener of the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] championship 8-3.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] picked up right where she left off on Monday when she threw 148 pitches over eight innings and threw another gem. Through five innings, the Texas Longhorns had only mustered one run, a solo shot in the first inning. Though Texas did some damage in the sixth, Maxwell allowed just one earned run in her complete game.

The Sooners got going offensively early in this one. Jayda Coleman was hit by a pitch, and [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] hit a two-run home run. It was the 98th home run of her career and 11th in the Women’s College World Series.

Texas cut the deficit in half on a Mia Scott home run to right field. Maxwell settled in to limit the damage and had a 1-2-3 second inning. And the Sooners rewarded her with some insurance in the top of the third.

[autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] led off the inning with a single, and with one out, Kinzie Hansen drove a 2-1 pitch to left-center field to give Oklahoma a 4-1 lead. True freshman [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] followed it up with a home run of her own to extend the lead to 5-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Sooners added to their lead when Hansen doubled, and Pickering forced an errant throw on a close play at first base, allowing Hansen to score to make it 6-1.

Pinch-hitting in the top of the sixth, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] was hit by a pitch, and [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] was brought in to pinch run. Hodge took second on a wild pitch and then third base when Reese Atwood lost track of how many outs were in the inning and lobbed the ball up in the air. That became a huge moment in the inning as Jennings singled to bring Hodge in for the 7-1 lead.

Texas made things interesting in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs and threatened for more before Maxwell locked it down to limit the damage.

The Sooners went ahead 8-3 in the top of the seventh when [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] doubled and then advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Atwood got aggressive again and tried to pick Brito off at third base, but the ball hit the Sooners third basemen. Brito scored to extend the Sooners lead.

Maxwell locked in and earned a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final two hitters, including a called strike three on Viviana Martinez to end the game. Maxwell earned the 23rd win of the season and put Oklahoma one win away from capturing their fourth-straight national title.

She allowed just one earned run on four hits and four walks and recorded eight strikeouts for the second straight day. It was another fantastic performance and the Sooners offense provided more run support against a really good Texas pitching staff.

Jennings led the way on her birthday with a 2-for-4 effort with three RBIs. Parker and Hansen each had two hits as well.

More: How to Watch Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns in the Women’s College World Series Championship

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Kelly Maxwell shows resiliency in extra-inning win over Florida Gators

Kelly Maxwell showed the heart of a warrior in her 148 pitch complete game effort to beat the Florida Gators in extra innings.

For the first time since 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners faced an elimination game in the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag]. In their winner-take-all game against Florida, Oklahoma faced an early deficit.

Sooners starter [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] gave up home runs in each of the first three innings, and the Sooners trailed 5-2 after three. But that’s where the scoring stopped for Florida as Maxwell took her game to another level and shut down the red-hot Gators offense over the final five innings, allowing zero runs.

“I think I took it personally, honestly,” Maxwell said. “I knew this team was going to fight back.”

It wasn’t a crisp performance, as Maxwell allowed five runs on four hits and five walks. But she recorded eight strikeouts and threw an incredible 148 pitches to lead the Sooners to a win.

About her performance, Maxwell said, “I flipped a switch, chose my fight, and went to war.”

That she did. She was a warrior for the Sooners, overcoming a tight strike zone on a day when her drop ball wasn’t consistent.

But it was an effort to remember. She’s been everything the Oklahoma Sooners could have hoped for from the circle as the veteran ace of the staff. She’s been cool, calm, and collected throughout. Even yesterday, Maxwell kept an even keel as she continued to battle through Florida’s lineup.

And now she gets an opportunity to play for a national championship. The Sooners will take on the Texas Longhorns in the championship series starting Wednesday night.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 6-5 extra-inning win over Florida

Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 6-5 walk-off win over the Florida Gators in extra innings.

The Oklahoma Sooners needed all the magic they could muster in their 6-5 extra-inning win over the Florida Gators.

True freshman [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] had a huge day, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Her final RBI of the day tied the game at five after driving in [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag]. Hodge was 2-for-4 and had the double that set up Parker’s game-tying RBI. [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], who hit just her second home run since April 16, came through with a two-run bomb to pull the Sooners within one.

And then it was [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] providing the extra-inning heroics with her walk-off home run. It was Coleman’s 13th home run of the season and the first time Oklahoma had a walk-off home run in the Women’s College World Series since 2016, according to ESPN.

And it was all the more possible because [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] rebounded from a sluggish start. Maxwell allowed five runs, all via home run, in the first three innings. She showed incredible toughness to then hold the Florida Gators scoreless over the final five innings.

Now, the Sooners move on to the championship series, where the Texas Longhorns await. Oklahoma’s looking for its fourth-straight national title.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Florida Gators in extra innings.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma Sooners walk-off win over the Florida Gators

Oklahoma Sooners beat Florida 6-5 on walk-off home run

The Oklahoma Sooners rallied to beat the Florida Gators 6-5 in extra innings on Jayda Coleman’s walk-off home run.

The Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators put on a power display in their semifinal elimination game, but it was the Oklahoma Sooners who came out on top 6-5 on a walk-off home run from [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] in the bottom of the eighth inning.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] got the start for the Sooners and gave up two run home runs in the first and second inning and a solo shot in the third. But then she held the Gators scoreless for the remainder of the game to keep the Sooners in the game.

After the two-run homer allowed in the first, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] came through with a two-run bomb of her own to tie the game. Oklahoma didn’t score again until the fourth inning when [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] added her own two-run bomb to put the Sooners down one.

Despite opportunities in the fifth inning to tie the game, Oklahoma was held at bay and Maxwell continued to battle, keeping Florida from cashing in with runners on in the top of the sixth inning.

Then, in the bottom of the sixth, [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] reached on a one-out double. Parker came up clutch again with an RBI single to tie the game.

Oklahoma had a chance to end it in the seventh after [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag]’s double, but the Sooners left her stranded.

Maxwell threw a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth and then Jayda Coleman came through with the heroics to lead off the bottom of the inning with a home run to end the game. The home run was Coleman’s 13th of the season and arguably the most important of her career.

Prior to Coleman’s walk-off home run, it was a day for Ella Parker and unsung heroes Avery Hodge and Cydney Sanders. But now the most decorated group of seniors in softball history has a chance to add another title to their already illustrious career.

It was a resilient effort for Maxwell, who recorded eight strikeouts in her eight innings of work. She battled throughout, showing off her veteran mettle and keeping the Sooners in the game. It was her 22nd win of the season.

Now, the Oklahoma Sooners move on to face the Texas Longhorns in the championship series. It’s a rematch of the series two years ago. The two sides split four games in 2024, with the Sooners winning in the Big 12 tournament championship.

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Best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners win over UCLA Bruins

The best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners thrilling win over UCLA 1-0 in the Women’s College World Series.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved on to the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series with a thrilling 1-0 win over the UCLA Bruins. [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw a game for the ages, with 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] provided the only offense the Sooners needed with a solo home run in the third inning. It was her 23rd of the season and fourth of the NCAA Tournament. In a game where the Sooners were able to get runners on base but couldn’t cash in, Jennings’ home run was just what the doctor ordered.

UCLA’s defense took away hits from [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] that likely would have gone for extra bases and scored runs. Instead, the Bruins kept the Sooners from pulling away.

But it didn’t matter as Maxwell was masterful throughout the game. Even when she did get in a little bit of trouble, she found a way to work out of the inning. She’d been great for the Sooners in 2024 but took her game to another level in the win over the Bruins.

“Kelly decided to throw one of the best games of her life today,” Gasso said. “There was no way we would be pulling her after the job she was doing.”

Maxwell was absolutely phenomenal in the win, stifling a UCLA offense that was red-hot coming into the game. The Sooners are now one win away from the championship series.

Here’s a look back at the Oklahoma Sooners win over UCLA in our latest photo gallery from the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag].