Why OU pitcher Karlie Keeney is a 'wonderful example' of a team player
NORMAN — All of Oklahoma's pitchers had their struggles against Oklahoma State last weekend.
Except Karlie Keeney.
Whether in relief or as the starter, the fifth-year senior had success against an OSU offense that hit home run after home run against the rest of the pitching staff. In the first two games, Keeney pitched 3.1 innings and didn't surrender a hit or a run. That earned her the trust of OU coach Patty Gasso, who opted to start Keeney in place of usual-starter Kierston Deal in Game 3.
Keeney was nearly flawless, pitching 6.2 innings and surrendering just four hits and zero runs while striking out four batters. She was only the pitcher to not surrender a run to the Cowgirls over the weekend and was pivotal to the Sooners' bounce-back win on Sunday.'
It was an important weekend for Keeney, who has been used sparingly since conference play began.
"It was kind of the first time that I felt like my old self before the injury happened," Keeney said when asked by OUInsider on Tuesday. "I think just being able to put all my trust and confidence in that, not have something in the back of my head of, 'Oh well, maybe.' No. This is my pitch. We're going for it. So to have that trust going into postseason is really good."
For the most part, this season has been about regaining that confidence.
Keeney suffered a pinky injury shortly after transferring from Liberty last fall. That injury, which required surgery, kept her out of the circle for much of the fall, and the recovery continued through postseason practices.
The Sooners have leaned more heavily on Kelly Maxwell, Nicole May and Deal throughout the season, especially against conference opponents. But when Keeney's been in the circle, she's been solid. She has a team-best 1.50 ERA in 23.1 innings in conference play while surrendering just 14 hits, five runs and limiting opponents to a team-best .169% batting average. That's been no surprise given her success as a four-year starter at Liberty.
But for Keeney, the road to recovery has included some physical and mental hurdles.
"I think at the beginning it was definitely physical, but it was also giving myself grace and mentally being like, 'OK yeah, realistically I did really only have surgery six months ago.' So kind of giving myself grace to work back into it. It's a struggle because I'm used to not struggling like that.
"So I really tried to focus on being a good teammate and cheering on my other pitchers and not caring about how I was doing and just getting in the bullpen and working as hard as I could and trusting in the process that it's gonna come back to me because I'm working hard and every day I'm healing more and more in the process."
What has stood out the most to Gasso has been Keeney's patience and ability to be ready when her number's called.
"She’s just a program guy," Gasso said. "She’s just very in tune with what’s going on. She handles her work like a professional. And she’s a team person. She’s just always in it. She’s not pouting and boo-hooing and (saying), 'I should be this or that.' She’s just waiting for her turn and she’s just a wonderful example of a good team player and a hard worker and everything you would want out of a pitcher or just an athlete.
"It was almost kind of a matter of time when this was going to be her time and she grabbed it. She shined and gives us some great options going forward."
Keeney feeling more like herself is a great sign for the Sooners, who head into the Big 12 Tournament this week. They play the winner of Houston-Kansas at 1:30 p.m. Thursday (ESPN+).
The Sooners stumbled a bit to end the regular season, dropping two games to Oklahoma State before a much-needed win to end the series. Still, expectations are high for No. 2-seed Sooners (46-6) in their quest for a fourth-straight national championship.
Keeney's experience and veteran presence could prove key. And her ability to succeed both as a starter or out of the pen gives the Sooners another solid option, and she proved it against the Cowgirls.
But her only focus is only on helping the team.
“I don’t really get too high, I don’t really get too low,” Keeney said. "I feel I ride a pretty constant wave.”
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