Carlson: What chasing foul balls may say about the Cowgirls' chances to win Bedlam softball, Big 12 title
Jenni CarlsonOklahoman
Morgyn Wynne sprinted toward the foul ball.
So did Julia Cottrill.
They collided, but once each of the Oklahoma State softball players realized the other was unharmed, they started laughing. They could hardly believe what they’d done, going so hard after the ball that they’d run into each other.
And it wasn’t even a live ball.
They weren’t trying to get an out. They were only trying to be the first one to pick up the foul ball.
“It was pretty funny,” Wynne said.
Competitiveness is something Kenny Gajewski has worked to instill in OSU's program since becoming the coach seven years ago. If teammates trying to beat each other to meaningless foul balls is any indication — it happens all the time, whether in practice or games — progress clearly has been made.
But as the Cowgirls prepare for a Bedlam series that will determine not only bragging rights but also Big 12 supremacy, their competitive spirit will be tested like never before. In OU, OSU will face a team some believe the best ever in college softball.
Gajewski knows the Sooners will bring the competitive juice.
“The thing I admire and respect about those guys is the way they play,” he said. “You give them an open door, they don’t go in it. They knock it down and say, ‘Here’s six runs on you just like that.’”
The Cowgirls have had moments of such ferocity, but Gajewski wants more. Not that he doesn't appreciate the improvement. OSU has made the last two Women's College World Series, and you don't do that without being willing to trade punches with an opponent.
Clearly, the players are listening when Gajewski talks about fight and tenacity. Or shows videos that illustrates what he wants. Or sends quotes and GIFs and anything else he can find to encourage competitiveness.
“But I do know that it still has to kind of ramp up,” he said.
Chasing those dead balls when they go foul is a sign the Cowgirls may not be far away.
Watch OSU play, and it won’t be long before you see players racing each other to snag foul balls. Where it lands determines who goes after it. Might be the pitcher and first baseman. Or the catcher and the third baseman. Or an outfielder and an infielder.
There are no prizes, no rewards.
“It’s purely pride,” Cowgirl outfielder Katelynn Carwile said.
When the Cowgirls started giving chase to dead-ball fouls isn’t exactly clear, but a few years ago, OSU was playing a team whose players did it. They were having fun with it. They were laughing and smiling and keeping the mood light.
The Cowgirls thought it looked fun.
“Last year, it was kind of here and there,” Carwile said of teammates trying to outhustle each other to foul balls, “but this year, Miranda just completely took it on and she loves doing it.”
Texas transfer Miranda Elish is a fiery competitor. She wants to win everything, no matter how big or small, and she doesn’t hide that desire. She has taken the foul-ball chase to another level.
But the rest of the team hasn't hesitated to join in.
Of course, the players chase foul balls that are in the air and live, trying to make an out, but they stay in hot pursuit even after a foul ball is a dead ball. It might bounce off the screen. Ricochet off some padding. Dribble into foul territory. There will be Cowgirls chasing.
“It’s hard because we’re all so intense,” Wynne said. “We’re trying to block each other out.”
Even the players in the dugout get into it.
“One time during the game, there was a scoreboard,” Wynne said. “It had the first baseman, pitcher, catcher and third baseman, and there were tally marks on who got them the most.”
She laughed.
“It becomes a whole team thing, and it keeps everybody engaged and not back on their heels.”
Engaged is what the Cowgirls will have to be this weekend in Norman. They'll have to attack and compete.
They showed they could do so in Bedlam last season. The Cowgirls won the first game of the series and forced the Sooners to win the last two games to claim the Big 12 title. But that’s what OU did.
The Sooners wouldn’t be denied. They set their sights on a goal, then beat the Cowgirls to the spot.
Can OSU be the one to win the race this time around?
“It all depends on us,” Cowgirl ace Kelly Maxwell said. “It’s got to be what we want and what are our goals and what we’re going after this year.”
Then, they have to go and take it. Work. Fight. Compete.
That's how it goes whether you're chasing foul balls or Bedlam wins.
