NORMAN — It might seem like there wasn't much else for Kelly Maxwell to learn about softball.
The fifth-year senior established herself as one of the best pitchers in Stillwater. She appeared in 107 games and pitched 494.2 innings during her four seasons as a Cowgirl, recording an ERA of 1.58 while recording 746 strikeouts and allowing a batting average of just .158.
It turns out when she arrived in Norman last summer, there was still plenty for her to learn.
Maxwell began working closely with OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha to work on all facets of her game. That included utilizing film study, a concept that was pretty unfamiliar to Maxwell.
"I think Jenn and Kelly, they kind of started from ground zero and Kelly hadn’t really looked at numbers," OU coach Patty Gasso said during Tuesday's media avaliability. "She didn’t look at a lot of video. There was a lot of exploring, a lot of learning. Kelly has learned a lot from Jenn Rocha. It’s really starting to stick and it’s really starting to show in her pitches. She was really sharp and she was very … I just felt her very confident. I can’t see that she’s been extremely overconfident while she’s been here because she had to keep facing that lineup. Think they were all relieved to see someone else.
Maxwell concurred, saying she's noticed a big difference in her understanding of the game after working with Rocha.
“It was very different from where I came from," Maxwell said. "I’ve never really watched much film and never really took the time to study other hitters. So having this new knowledge is really elevating my games and I think it’s going to help me in the long run."
That was evident during the Sooners' opening weekend last week at the Puerta Vallarta Classic in Mexico.
Maxwell made her first start as a Sooner against No. 9-ranked Duke. It wasn't the perfect start, as she surrendered a single and hit a batter in the first inning. However, it was smooth sailing from there — she retired her next 11 straight batters, helping the Sooners build a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth inning.
She was even better in the following game against Washington. With the Sooners locked into a 3-3 tie with the Huskies, Maxwell came in as a relief pitcher in the bottom of the sixth inning and pitched the rest of the way, surrendering zero hits or runs, striking out two batters and walking just one batter in the Sooners' 4-3 win in extra innings.
Maxwell finished the tournament allowing just one hit, zero runs and two walks while striking out four batters in 7.2 innings, earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
"I was pretty nervous the first game," Maxwell said. "(It) probably showed a little bit, but I settled in. I felt like the Washington game, that was me and that was who I've been all these years."
That's been the other side of it for Maxwell. In addition to more film study, Maxwell has been getting adjusted to a new environment and having Gasso's rock-solid defense behind her.
"I think you can attack the hitter more," Maxwell said. "Just trust your pitches, spinning them through the zone rather than always trying to nibble at the corners or trying to go for the strikeout, just let your defense work behind you.”
The other adjustment? Joining a pitching staff with a ton of depth, including veterans Nicole May and Karlie Keeney along with younger talent like Paytn Monticelli and Kierston Deal.
Gasso has seen Maxwell make that transition pretty smoothly.
"I feel her really confident and one thing that we talked about as a team, we can win without any one of you," Gasso said. "Take any of you away, we’re still going to win. So you don’t have to be the big hero. You don’t have to pitch the perfect game. You don’t have to hit a home run or over-swing. You don’t have to be that athlete. I think some of them understand that.
"I think Kelly was really start to hit her stride towards the end of January, so I was really excited to see her up against someone else. She was cool and calm and money. It was really enjoyable to watch."
While it was a really solid debut for Maxwell, she knows there's still a lot of ways she can grow in her lone season as a Sooner.
“It’s definitely a learning curve," Maxwell said. "I think we have a lot to learn from by playing those types of teams this early on. Just being able to know what we need to work on here on out and just using that to keep moving forward.”
Maxwell and the Sooners continue their season this weekend at the Cowgirl Classic in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Sooners kickoff the tournament against Central Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. on Friday (ESPN+).
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