NORMAN — Kelly Maxwell stepped inside the circle at Marita Hynes Field on Wednesday.

It’s something she’s done plenty of times before. But this time, she wasn’t wearing orange and pitching against the Sooners as Oklahoma State’s ace. She was wearing crimson and pitching for the Sooners.

The veteran pitcher made her fall debut for her new team during the first OU Battle Series’ game, pitching three innings while allowing a single, a home run and a walk. It was a significant moment for Maxwell, who transferred to the Sooners in August after four seasons with the Cowgirls in a move that sent shockwaves across the college softball world.

Wednesday marked just over two months since Maxwell decided to become a Sooner.

“It’s been good so far,” Maxwell said after the game. “I was grateful enough that these girls opened their arms to me and made me feel welcome from the start. It’s very competitive here. I would use that word as the difference (compared to) my last fall.

“It’s getting better day by day. It was weird at first. But I’m feeling more comfortable and getting to know these guys a lot better now.”

Sitting next to her after the game was OU coach Patty Gasso, who brought Maxwell in to help add experience and depth to the Sooners’ pitching staff. That was particularly important after ace pitcher Jordy Bahl departed for Nebraska shortly after the Sooners won their third-consecutive national championship. The Sooners also lost Alex Storako to graduation.

Maxwell wasn’t the only pitcher that Gasso added to the Sooners’ staff. Gasso also added Paytn Monticelli from Wisconsin and Karlie Keeney from Liberty, who both also made their fall debuts on Wednesday. The three players were added to a pitching staff that already included veteran Nicole May and promising underclassmen Kierston Deal and SJ Geurin.

“We all bring different aspects to the staff and I think we’re going to work really well together and all share some time,” Maxwell said. “And we’re all good friends so it’s cool to be able to get along and have those guys behind me.”

The Sooners will have a few more opportunities this fall to get the new players adjusted before the season begins in February. But one thing’s clear — the Sooners are glad Maxwell is no longer pitching against them.

“I love playing behind her more than I do hitting off her,” OU senior Tiare Jennings said with a laugh.

— The Sooners totaled three home runs as a team during the Battle Series. Freshman Kasidi Pickering smacked a two-run home run off Kierston Deal, fellow freshman Maya Bland hit a two-run homer off Nicole May and Alyssa Brito added a solo home run off Maxwell.

It was an impressive showing for the freshmen class.

“They’re athletic,” Gasso said of the freshman class. “They’re nervous as all get out. I could feel that in some of the newcomers. But they were hitting balls over the fence, making diving plays. They were really showing their athleticism. And they’re fighting for spots. And that’s really what we talk about. We’re taking stats. We’re taking everything that they’re doing so we can document it and show you what it looks like in the end. And they hear that and they’re really trying to run some numbers up and do some good things. So I was really excited about that.

And I’ve talked to them. I had dinner with them last night. And I’m telling them, ‘you four are leading us into the SEC.’ So they took that very pridefully and I felt that tonight.”

— With Grace Lyons gone, it was Jennings who played short stop during the game. Jennings, who has primarily played second base during her Sooner tenure, has some experience playing short stop during her prep days.

It’s been fun," Jennings said. "Obviously played it my whole life growing up, so it was obviously really cool to learn from Grace Lyons and get to be mentored by her, so it feels pretty comfortable because she’s kind of taught me her ways."

— Gasso discussed the ongoing construction at Love’s Field, which will be the Sooners’ new stadium starting in the spring.

“I think I told you guys this — every day you get reminded that you started over at Reaves Park and now you’re here in the duplex with the popcorn ceilings and now we’re going to a palace and it’s just hard to comprehend. But it’s what has been built from the ground up and (there are) so many athletes a part of it so it’s really everybody’s new palace and I can’t wait to bring all of the alums back in so they can be part of it and watch these guys just shine on that. It is plush, it is going to be plush. I can’t wait for all of you to see it.

“I don’t think softball will have seen anything like this — not just the seating now, we’ve got it moved up to I think 4,200, which will be I believe the most capacity of any stadium so that is happening but what you won’t see is underground and that’s what the athletes’ amenities is going to be a wow factor and I can’t wait for them to see it. We walked through the framing of it.

“They got to see the places where it’s going to be but there’s nothing there yet and I remember just hearing Rylie Boone walking out the hype tunnel out on the field and like, ‘This is like the Gladiator arena,’ and it’s like, ‘Let the lions loose, let’s go.’ There was all kinds of talk all around. It was really, really cool. I am thrilled about this and I know Jenny Love and the Love family is as well.”