NORMAN — Ella Parker knew several weeks ago that her leg injury would likely bother her for the rest of the season.
However, there was a mental aspect of the injury, too.
As Parker dealt with the pain, her usual brilliance on offense began to slip. The typical power hitting from Parker — who blasted 13 bombs last season as a true freshman — were replaced by a lot of strikeouts and ground outs as the Sooners hit the meat of their SEC schedule.
But over the last couple of weekends, Parker has regained her form. The pain is still there, but her approach has been different.
"I think just being able to play free," Parker told OUInsider Tuesday. "I feel like the past couple weeks (there) has been a lot of pressure I've just been putting on myself. So being able to kind of get that added pressure out of my head and just being able to think kind of very small and take each at-bat for what it is has been really helping."
The difference has been significant.
Parker struggled mightily to open conference play, logging just two hits in her first 35 at-bats against SEC opponents. The true sophomore stayed in the fight and forced 13 walks during that stretch, but the Sooners' offense lacked explosiveness without Parker's consistent base hits.
But over the past month, Parker has turned a massive corner. She's logged 16 hits in her last 29 at-bats to go with 11 hits and nine RBIs, recording a batting average of .551 over the last three conference series.
She's been doing everything for the Sooners. In addition to the timely base hits, Parker blasted four home runs across six games against Texas and Florida.
It's the type of power hitting that only Parker can provide for the Sooners.
"I think she's just kind of melted into it a little bit," OU coach Patty Gasso said. "I know that it's hurting her. There's nothing you can do to make it feel better except keeping her off of it. So there are times when … I’ll be like, ‘I need you to run for me.’ I'll ask her, because she still runs pretty well. So I'll ask her if she wants me to run for her. And usually, she says no, but later in the game, she might ask for it.
"She knows she's trying to help this team the best way she can. So she is going into the training room, doing all the things she has to do, doing the right thing to help stay on field."
Parker's resurgence comes at the right time for the Sooners as they enter the postseason. They begin their SEC Tournament run at 10 a.m. Thursday against 9-seeded LSU (SECN) as they look to add some extra wins before Selection Sunday.
For the Sooners to hit their ceiling, Gasso knows it has to start with Parker being a spark offensively.
"It's big for us," Gasso said. "You can watch her swing and tell when it's her swing and when it isn't, and her swing is back. It definitely is. So I think that brings a lot of comfort to this team, because we need her back lineup so she's been swinging well."
The injury continues to nag Parker, who has found ways to deal with it for most of conference play. But the biggest development has been Parker rediscovering her comfort and patience at the plate. If she can continue to do that, the Sooners will again be a dangerous team in the postseason.
"Just taking it one pitch at a time," Parker said, "and really understanding I'm not going to make any moment bigger than it is, and just keeping things simple, really."
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