Kelly Maxwell not looking 'in the rearview mirror' ahead of Bedlam series

NORMAN — Last August, Kelly Maxwell made headlines by announcing her transfer from Oklahoma State to Oklahoma State.

This weekend, nine months since making the Bedlam switch, Maxwell and the Sooners will square off against her former school.

The No. 2-ranked Sooners and the No. 4-ranked Cowgirls are set to do battle this weekend in Norman, marking one of the more highly-anticipated series in softball this season. Not only are both teams ranked in the top five, but the Sooners lead the Cowgirls by just two games at the top of the Big 12 standings. Plus, this marks the final regular-season series matchup between the two teams before the Sooners join the SEC.

There's a ton of storylines heading into the weekend, and Maxwell facing off against her former school is at the top of the list. But for OU coach Patty Gasso, that hasn't been a discussion with the veteran pitcher.

"She has really grown so much since she’s been here," Gasso said during Tuesday's media availability. "She has not looked in the rearview mirror. (She's) looking out the front window and what’s in front of her. She’s the most professional-style pitcher. She’s a solid young lady, very mature and professional and intelligent. There’s a lot of wonderful things about her. That will be celebrated this weekend."

A big reason why her four-year tenure with the Cowgirls is in the rearview mirror is due to how she's pitched this season for the Sooners.

After a highly-decorated career at Oklahoma State, Maxwell arrived in Norman and immediately established herself as the team's ace pitcher. The fifth-year senior leads the Sooners in innings pitched (101.0) while recording an earned run average of 1.66, totaling 107 strikeouts and surrendering just 60 hits and 24 earned runs. In conference play she's been even better, boasting an ERA of 1.59 in 66.0 innings while allowing just 39 hits and 15 earned runs.

Her Sooner tenure have been on pace with the numbers she posted at Oklahoma State, when she emerged as one of the standout pitchers in softball. But what's been most impressive, OU catcher Kinzie Hansen said, is how she's fit in seamlessly in Norman despite transferring in the school's Bedlam rival.

"One of the things that I most appreciate about Kelly's journey here is just her ability to get comfortable with the team and really come out of her shell," Hansen said. "Even the past month, we've seen so much growth. I'm sure it's not easy coming from a rivalry school, coming to the University of Oklahoma, somebody who you've pitched against the last four years or however many. So just being able to build that friendship and that camaraderie has been really, really fun.

"I love Kelly. I've played with her in Japan as well with Team USA. So being able to just go from that, just a week playing with her there and really enjoying the battery aspect of it there, but also getting to be friends here and kind of growing through that and everything, it's been really fun and I'm really, really excited for her for this weekend."

Outside the noise of Maxwell's reunion with the Cowgirls, the Sooners are simply going to need another big weekend from her.

The Cowgirls (42-8) have been one of the most consistent teams in the country. They rank 20th nationally in scoring offense (6.26 runs per game) and 11th in ERA (1.92). Lexi Kilfoyl has been one of the best pitchers in softball this season, and her 1.16 ERA ranks seventh nationally.

The play of true sophomore pitcher Kierston Deal — who leads the Big 12 in ERA — has been a revelation for the Sooners (45-4) as of late, but Maxwell has been the go-to pitcher in conference play. She's thrown 33 more innings than any other OU pitcher in conference play, and the Sooners haven't been afraid to pitch Maxwell more than once in a given weekend.

But this weekend, she's likely to face an emotional atmosphere against her former team. Gasso is emphasizing the need for Maxwell and the Sooners to block out the noise and focus on closing out the regular season as they look towards the postseason.

"We haven’t talked about it," Gasso said. "It’s in the rearview mirror. She’s just looking forward."

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