May 13, 2022

Friday, May 13, 2022

Gajewski confident entering postseason following losses Gabriel Trevino Sports Editor A haircut is not the only change for Kenny Gajewski this week.

There’s a shift in mindset, too.

“It’s a different season now,” Gajewski said. “Everything is in our hands again. We want to play well in the Big 12 tournament and host a regional. It’s something we can control.”

Even with five straight losses to close the regular season, Gajewski, OSU’s softball coach, believes his team is in an adequate position heading into the postseason after facing the teams that they did.

Two weeks ago, the Cowgirls traveled to Tallahassee, Florida, to face off with No. 4 Florida State, where they fell twice. A week later, OSU went to Norman to duel with No. 1 Oklahoma, who defeated the Cowgirls thrice in a row. Gajewski knowingly scheduled top five ranked opponents in

a row, on the road, to prepare his team for the last month of the season.

“I feel great,” Gajewski said. “We’re in a no-lose situation. That is what it is going to be like.

We had to harden ourselves so when adversity hits in the postseason, it’s nothing new.”

With the conclusion of the regular season, OSU finished with a record of 38-12, and earned the second seed in the Big 12 tournament.

A few Cowgirls collected conference honors, including Kelly Maxwell sharing the honor as the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year with OU’s Jordy Bahl, and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors.

Outfielders Katelynn Carwile and Chyenne Factor, along with infielders Sydney Pennington and Kiley Naomi were also all named to the All-Big 12 Second Team, but Gajewski made sure with his team the regular season stats and accolades no longer matter.

“I don’t care if you are named All-Big 12.

This is a new season, and nobody really cares,” Gajewski said. “If you’re not doing good, it’s a fresh start and winning solves a lot of problems.”

Although the Cowgirls will enter the postseason as one of the top ranked teams in the country, they still may be without their First Team All-Big 12 pitcher and hitter Miranda Elish — well at least half of her skill set.

Elish injured her right bicep in the seventh inning of her start against Texas in late April. Gajewski said he is highly doubtful Elish will return to the circle this weekend, she will continue to hit in the top of OSU’s lineup.

Gajewski preached the importance of starting fresh before the postseason but still remembering the losses and how to recover from them. While the five losses are a stain on the Cowgirls schedule, Gajewski said he believes they aided in his team’s growth.

“We found where we broke down,” Gajewski said. “Our losses came down to execution. They did and we didn’t. We’re gonna go back out there and get better. We just didn’t play well, but we didn’t get blown out. We had a chance to win those five games, it’s just the little things.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

Branson Evans Coach Kenny Gajewski said he feels good about where his team is at heading to the postseason.

Strange Surprise Courtesy Tribune News Service

The newest Doctor Strange film, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” is the newest addition to Marvel’s series and is now in theaters.

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" review Connor Gray Staff Reporter

Summer is officially here with the release of Marvel Studios’ newest blockbuster project, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

Do not let the 126 minute runtime deceive you because this movie is packed from top to bottom with loads of content and the flavorful direction of Sam Raimi. Now in company with a select few other MCU films, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” feels entirely like the director’s vision as if Raimi were told to just run with it and do as he pleases.

This directing style can lead to some of the best shots and sequences in any Marvel movie, but also occasionally falls into the category of too much

Raimi cheesiness for me.

The movie is a visually appealing film with great usage of colors, CGI that is not all that bad and a multitude of creative transitions, montages and other shots.

Doctor Strange 2 is also, without a doubt, the goriest Marvel movie and at times leans hard into the horror element aspect of Raimi’s directing style, but I think this helps separate the film from other MCU projects and enhances the experience. This is certainly a movie that I would advise being cautious about

taking young kids to see in the theater.

The actual plot of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” at its core is about being your own worst enemy and having to break that mold. The writing throughout the story has its ups and downs for me as at times I found myself thoroughly enjoying an exchange between characters, but then on the flip side there were also moments where the script felt just goofy. The performances during the film all were fine, but the true standouts for me were See Strange on 4

What’s Inside

Hunt for provost Page 3

OSU continues to interview their final three candidates for provost.

Season Finale Page 4

Final review of the Disney+ series “Moon Knight”.

Catch up with Malcom Page 7

The O’Colly caught up with Malcom Rodriguez after his sixth round NFL draft pick.

Page 2 Friday, May 13, 2022

O’Colly

Quietly distinct sports

Trenkle’s demeanor separates him from the field Braden Bush Staff Reporter

Amongst a team featuring tattooed heavy hitters, enthusiastic ace pitchers and a former Savannah Bananas infielder, one OSU baseball player stands out.

No, not because of a trademark look or flamboyant disposition on the field. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.

Call him a quiet difference maker.

Stationed in center field, Caeden Trenkle is a cornerstone of the OSU lineup, having played in 46 of the Cowboys’ 48 games. He doesn’t attract attention with flashiness or colorful antics. A beard is his only distinguishable feature. But don’t be fooled.

“Caeden’s the man,” said first baseman Griffin Doersching. “He doesn’t talk a lot, but when he does, he’s hilarious.

He’s definitely a key part of this team, and I’m glad he’s with us.”

Trenkle, a junior from Hillsboro, Texas, likes to keep a low profile and focus on taking care of business first. Even as a child, Trenkle said he was quiet and kept to himself, something that’s just part of his personality.

He was raised to be humble and work just as hard in private as in public. He’s never been one to seek attention, but instead he’s committed to being a player that’s concentrated on the team.

“My parents raised me the right way, I like to think,” Trenkle said. “So I’m just kind of always hard working, but just doing it subtly to where I’m not real flashy with everything.”

But his performance is

Party/Semi-formal Pageant/Performace Wedding

flashy. Trenkle has been nearly flawless in the outfield this season, recording 87 putouts in 88 chances, with only one error.

And though not a traditional slugger, his offense is consistently effective. With a .267 batting average and 31 RBIs (fifth-most on the team), Trenkle offers timely contributions at the plate, such as a twohome-run, seven-RBI performance in a comeback win over Arizona State in March.

OSU coach Josh Holliday has seen new confidence in his center fielder this season, and Trenkle’s work ethic and demeanor makes the success sweeter.

“Caeden is just such a great kid,” Holliday said. “He’s so quiet and so low maintenance that sometimes you have to force yourself to go over to him and keep moving him along because he’s just a hard worker.

He’s a great kid, he’s always here and he’s always doing the right things.”

Recently, Trenkle’s game has jumped levels even further, a testament to his labor. Over the last 10 games, he’s batting at a mark of .355 with seven runs and nine RBIs. Even more impressive, this proliferation of success has come against marquee opponents such as TCU and Texas.

In the series against Southeast Missouri State last week, Trenkle recorded a double, triple and home run, showing his all-encompassing ability. But peaking in crunch time might be part of his calling card.

“Hopefully his best baseball is in front of him,” Holliday said. “You look back to last year, he played his best that last month of the season. I’m kind of

Karisa Sheely Caeden Trenkle’s quiet demeanor is an outlier on a team full of characters.

banking on him being a MayJune guy.”

Indeed, a year ago, Trenkle put up similar late-season numbers. With a .268 season average in 2021, he hit .333 over the final eight regular-season games, including 12 runs and 6 RBIs. These end-of-year

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awakenings are a trend that the Cowboys hope to continue into the postseason.

And if it does, don’t expect to see too many outward celebrations from Trenkle. Outbursts of screams aren’t really his thing. He doesn’t care much about any talk. His performance

says it all.

“I like to do my talking with my play, not with my mouth,” Trenkle said. “That’s just kind of the mentality I take into it.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

Friday, May 13, 2022 Page 3

News

Search for provost Lee Cohen and Joyce Alexander

Courtesy Texas A&M Joyce Alexander was Dean for the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M until stepping down in 2021.

Courtesy University of Mississippi Lee Cohen is one of three finalists for the Oklahoma State provost. He holds a degree from OSU.

Attending OSU for his master’s, Cohen said he has a special connection to OSU and the people here.

“When I think of academics I think of research, I think of teaching,” Cohen said. “I was a student here, so I think the students here are great.”

Teyte Holcomb As the current Dean of the ColNews Editor lege of Liberal Arts, Cohen said his experience makes him a good fit to unLee Cohen is the Dean of the Col- derstand what students want and need lege of Liberal Arts at the University on campus. From his research, Cohen of Mississippi. Dr. Cohen’s Ph.D. is in has received more than $1.5 million clinical psychology from Oklahoma in funding from agencies like the U.S. State University, and has served as the Department of Health and Human Serchair of the Department of Psychologi- vices, the National Science Foundation cal Sciences at Texas Tech University, and the National Institutes of Health/ and has researched the behavioral and National Institute on Drug Abuse. physiological mechanisms around niconews.ed@ocolly.com tine use and dependence.

tion at Indiana University Bloomington.

Alexander has published research dating back to 1994, and has studied the longitudinal analysis of the relationship between interests related to science as well as the effects of goal setting and self-efficacy on children development.

Teyte Holcomb Her research interests focus on child deNews Editor velopment, motivation and self-interests in children.

Joyce Alexander began serving as While at Indiana, Alexander Dean for the College of Education and received the Indiana University TeachHuman Development at Texas A&M ing Excellence Recognition Award, the University in 2015, stepping down from Outstanding Junior Faculty Award and the position in August of 2021. She was the American Psychology Association the sixth individual to hold the role in Division 15 Outstanding Dissertation Texas A&M University’s history.

Research Award.

Alexander received her master’s As the potential new provost degree as well as a Ph.D. in educafor OSU, Alexander said she wants to tional psychology from the University “make sure it’s worthwhile for students of Georgia. Prior to serving at Texas to get an OSU degree.”

A&M, Alexander served as Executive Associate Dean in the School of Educa- news.ed@ocolly.com

WHEN IS LITTLE MUCH?

There is a short chorus that has encouraged me many times. “Little is much if God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown and you can win it. If you go in Jesus’ name.”

The woman, who poured the precious ointment on Jesus just before he was crucified, was criticized for “wasting” this expensive item. Yet, Jesus said everywhere the gospel is preached this woman’s action would be told. (Mk 14:3-9) Little things mean a lot as we are willing to serve the Lord. Paul mentions many in Romans 16 who helped him. The Good Samaritan stopped to help the man beaten and robbed.

(Lu.10:30-37) Paul writes as you have opportunity, do good to all men, especially to other believers.(Gal.6:10) When the poor widow dropped the two pennies, all that she had, into the temple offering. Jesus said she gave more the large offerings given. Her “large giving” was in relation to what she had. (Mk.12:41-44)

Many people may plan to give when they receive a great amount of money, but that large amount of money may never come. We may plan to give time or talent to a project when we have more time, but that perfect time arrangement may never happen. Again, the apostle Paul encourages us “as you have opportunity, do good to all men.”

We never know when a little gesture of kindness, with money, or helping in an area of service, spending a little time with a person, a word of encouragement, will be just the action that will be a great help to someone. These can be practical ways of living out the Lord’s challenge to love one another. This is the fulfilling of the many commandments in the Bible: loving people by word and action.

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Page 4 Friday, May 13, 2022

O’Colly

Lifestyle

"Moon Knight" finale review

Generic plot weakens season’s final episode

Courtesy Tribune News Service “Moon Knight” has reached the conclusion of the first season on Disney+.

Connor Gray Staff Reporter We have finally reached the end of “Moon Knight” season one and it exceeded my overall expectations, but the finale itself feels like it fell flat to me.

Episode six gave us the final showdown between Marc Spector/Steven Grant and Arthur Harrow, as well as the gods they serve in Khonshu and Ammit, but I truly did not find myself having much enjoyment throughout the episode. About 3/4 of the episode felt like the generic climatic showdown that occurs with all Marvel projects and this time around it did not do it for me.

Most of this massive showdown is nothing that incredible to me in terms of choreography and feels underwhelming whenever Moon Knight and Layla finally take down Harrow. While all this is occurring, you also have a CGI mess of a battle between Khonshu and Ammit which just looks like a silly giant alligator fighting a

giant chicken skeleton.

I desperately want to say that this episode is beautiful and looks fantastic because we have seen what the creators are capable of, but I cannot say there is anything that stood out to me from a visual standpoint.

Putting the things I did not like to the side, there are still some things in the episode that I liked a lot and that felt like the rest of the season to me. The character moments between Marc and Steven and their total unification with each other was done beautifully and as always, Oscar Isaac absolutely killed his scenes.

From a character standpoint however, Layla was the real standout for me and getting to see her evolve into a full-blown hero and inspiration was done wonderfully.

Now that the show is all said and done, I think Layla has made a mark as one of the staple characters for the MCU and is right up there with Wanda, for me, as one of the better female representations in TV and film.

Another thing I enjoyed from this episode was the places that we found our characters placed in following the conclusion. It feels as if there is a lot of freedom for the characters to go anywhere from this point and have several stories stemming from this series in various other Marvel

projects.

The post-credit scene was certainly a highlight of the episode for me as well because it finally answered the question of who the person was taking control of whenever Marc and Steven were both unaware. The answer that is given sets up the possibility for an even more interesting dynamic between Oscar Isaac and the multitude of characters he plays.

Now that “Moon Knight” has reached its conclusion, it is without a doubt one of the best additions to the MCU that Marvel has put out despite not having a finale that personally satisfied me entirely.

Expanding from only Marvel projects as well, I would consider “Moon Knight” to just be a great TV show in general, which is packed with content that is enjoyable to fans of all genres.

With incredible acting, direction, sound design, editing and writing, “Moon Knight” checked all the boxes for me in terms of a series.

I would highly recommend watching “Moon Knight” in its entirety now on Disney+ to see where this new hero may appear next in the larger Marvel Universe.

entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

Strange...

Continued from 1 Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.

Olsen picks right back up from where she left off in “WandaVision” and she absolutely thrives in this more villainous role where you can see and understand the conflict she is experiencing due to her past. Gomez was a pleasant surprise and did a fantastic job as the young actress held her own with some of Hollywood’s heavy hitters.

It is easy for films to make younger characters come across as annoying or pointless, but I enjoyed America Chavez a lot and am excited to see where she appears next for the MCU. A final point to note is that seeing as this is a multiversal movie, many people expect to see a multitude of cameos.

There are in fact cameos in the film, but if you go into the movie with expectations of only cameos you will be greatly disappointed as this is a film that has chosen to put the actual story first and foremost. I greatly appreciate and respect the film for taking this route as it would have been incredibly easy to just go the route of throwing in fan-favorite characters. With that being said, there is plenty of joy to be had with what is in the actual film.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride of a film that delivers on the promises of being fun, actionpacked and scary, but also drops the ball in a few points in terms of the plot. Marvel’s newest cinematic addition is one of the better movies that has been put out and while being in my top half of the MCU, I do not think I would quite let it crack my top five.

Go see “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” in theaters now. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

Friday, May 13, 2022 Page 5

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Serving quality pizza and more since 1957.”

Church Meetings Join the New Covenant Fellowship for service every Sunday at 10am and share in our passion for Jesus Christ!”

FOR RELEASE MAY 13, 2022

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Steinbeck surname 5 Russian assembly 9 Overdoes the fandom, in slang 14 Liqueur that water turns cloudy 15 NASDAQ newbies 16 Convent outfit 17 Inadequate Wikipedia entry 18 “Cool it!”

19 Things 20 Play about the shortcomings of capitalism, abridged?

23 Capital of Iran 24 Stately tree 25 YA series about an insecure preadolescent, abridged?

32 Nutrition bar marketed to women 33 Acorn trees 34 University of Pennsylvania swimmer Thomas 35 “Love __ Open Door”: “Frozen” duet 36 See 46-Down 38 Savor the sun 39 Poke tuna 40 Garment worn with a choli 41 Annoys 42 Film about a crime in a small town, abridged?

47 Sci-fi aviators 48 Apple gadget 49 Novel about a Japanese entertainer, abridged?

56 Nursery supply 57 SALT weapon 58 Bubbly name 59 Hunter-gatherer diet 60 Hill partner 61 Craftsy etailer 62 “Hacks” Emmy winner Jean 63 “Preach!”

64 Gratify

5/13/22

By Stefan Fatsis

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” e.g.

5 Consternation 6 Rise in pitch that can make a statement sound like a question 7 Apollo theater?

8 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” snakes 9 Claressa who is the only American boxer to win consecutive Olympic gold medals 10 Woven floor mat 11 Lie for, say 12 “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of __” 13 D and C in D.C. 21 Sample 22 Newsroom bureaus 25 Chinese martial art 26 “... bombs bursting __” 27 Ancient Greek region 28 Black Hills terr.

29 Chili rating unit DOWN 30 Like junk bonds 1 “You Had Me” 31 Shaggy singer Stone 2 “I’m __ here!”

Himalayan locals 3 Un color primario 32 Payne of One 4 El Diablo of Direction

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

36 “Don’t __ my mellow!”

37 Rolling Rock openers?

38 Closed ecosystems 40 Basket made without weaving?

43 Severe cold remedy?

44 Agile 45 Zaius, Thade, et al.

5/13/22

46 With 36-Across, “Big” star 49 Island in Micronesia 50 Fashion designer Emhoff 51 Turturro of “The Sopranos” 52 Con job 53 Whit 54 Take ten 55 Ocular malady 56 U.K. lawmakers

Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes Today’s Birthday (05/13/22). Dreams can come true this year. Career opportunities flower with persistence, patience and disciplined efforts. Personal breakthroughs illuminate this spring, before summer challenges require collaboration. Partnership flowers this autumn, inspiring a personal change next winter. Plan the steps for natural progression to realize your vision.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Clean messes and clear the space with your partner. Remove irritants like dirty dishes or laundry. Focus on here and now. Share something delicious.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Slow to avoid hidden dangers.

Maintain your workout and healthy eating routines. Focus on basic moves, rather than the tricky stuff. Nurture wellness.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is an 8 — Support someone you love through a transition. Compassion and empathy grow your own heart stronger. And it’s contagious. What you give comes back to you.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Make a domestic change you’ve been wanting. It may take a mess to make a lasting improvement. Paint provides an inexpensive brightening. Beautify your rooms.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — You can see what doesn’t work with a creative project. Edit and revise. Underline fundamental elements. Organize and clarify. Polish with illustration and design.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Monitor cash flow to maintain consistency and meet the budget. Adapt around an unplanned expense by shifting priorities. Prioritize basics and postpone the rest.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Pay extra attention to yourself. Eat, dress and rest well. Reconsider the direction to take. Choose upon reflection. Make a positive change.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Reflect upon the incredible changes going on all around. Give thanks for what you’ve got. Support and be supported with transitions. Make a spiritual connection.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Connect and listen. Support friends adapting to loss or changes. Lean on others with your own challenges. Share the load and the rewards. Nurture hearts.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Take one step at a time with a professional challenge. Ignore the big picture. Focus on one task and then the next.

You’ve got this.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Rest and study. Research and investigate. As your productivity rises, so does your heart and spirit. Recharge and do the homework. Explore possibilities.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate to adapt around a shared financial challenge. Shift the budget for new priorities. Disciplined efforts get satisfying results. Focus on short-term necessities.

Level 1

2

3

4

5/13/22

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

© 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Page 6 Friday, May 13, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Branson Evans In her first year in the U.S., Mhai Sawangkaew thrives in new environment.

Sawangkaew bringing Thai tennis to Stillwater Payton Little Staff Reporter

International recruitment is a common occurrence in college athletics, especially in tennis.

College tennis rosters are filled with players from all across the globe. With the sport having such a worldwide appeal, it is not hard to see why so many athletes are recruited from overseas.

The OSU Cowgirls have their fair share of international athletes. In fact, only three of the nine tennis players on the roster are American. With so many people being from so many different places, it may

seem like the language barrier could be a strong hurdle for these athletes.

A catalyst on court two, Mananchaya ‘Mhai’ Sawangkaew is a prime example of how teammates remain close despite difference in language.

Sawangkaew, a freshman on the Cowgirl tennis team, is originally from Thailand. She began playing tennis when she was four years old and played a stint professionally in Thailand before coming to Stillwater.

In the pros, she played against former Cowgirl Bunyawi Thamchaiwat, a native of Thailand as well, who played a crucial role in Sawangkaew’s journey to Stillwater.

“Mhai (Sawangkaew) is the third girl from Thailand that we’ve had,” coach Chris Young said. “Bunyawi and her actually went to the same academy so that made a difference, and for her just to see Bunyawi’s suc-

cess I think that made her feel more comfortable. Bunyawi was able to tell her that.”

Throughout the season, Sawangkaew grew exponentially in her ability to compete with the best the Big 12 had to offer.

She defeated opponents from juggernaut programs of the likes of Oklahoma, Pepperdine and USC. Young said he noticed the growth and he considers her skills to the likes of older players.

“She’s no longer really a freshman,” Young said. “She’s kind of been through it all, and she’s much more confident now.”

Even her teammates have noticed this progression throughout the season. Alana Wolfberg, a junior, spoke on the impact Sawangkaew has made on her ability to play tennis at the college level.

“I don’t really think it matters the age. I think we all learn from each other,” Wolf-

berg said. “The way that she keeps herself on court. She’s so skilled, one of the most skilled players on our team. Her technique is so sound, and I love practicing with her because I feel she’s always making me better because the ball is always coming back.”

Sawangkaew also bought in to the culture at OSU and the family aspect the university brought. She can often be found cheering on her teammates after she finished playing matches and celebrating in their victories. Off the court, she enjoys going to various places with the team such as Fruity Patootie’s and Nooki. Even with the language barrier, Sawangkaew still brings her positive and fun energy everywhere with the team.

“She came in and couldn’t say more than a few words in English and now she’s not afraid to mess up,” Wolfberg said.

“She’s not afraid to try. She makes these extremely subtle jokes that everyone’s like ‘Wait a minute did Mhai just say that?

Was that her who just said that?’

She’s a brilliant kid and if you give her the chance to talk, you’ll really enjoy your time with her.”

Sawangkaew will more often than not be seen playing tennis in a t-shirt, shorts, her signature ballcap, and sunglasses. It gives Sawangkaew her own sense of style that really encompasses what she is all about. Whenever she takes the court in the Greenwood, Sawangkaew can always be recognized by her tennis attire.

“It’s just her style, she has a nice swag,” Young said. “Mhai can pull a lot of things off that most people can’t, so I like seeing what she comes up with.

I think it works. That and the sunglasses” sports.ed@ocolly.com

O’Colly

Friday, May 13, 2022 Page 7

sports

McLean meshing into closer for OSU Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

and inconsistency on the mound, a polar opposite of what was on display over the first half of the year. Martin struggled to close.

On April 15, McLean earned his first save opportunity in a series opener at West Virginia.

He retired three of four batters faced to secure his first save of the season.

“I was nervous, yeah,” McLean said. “Being a closer is hard enough, much less trying to maintain a one run lead on the road. Yeah, it was hard at first. But a lot of baseball anyways is getting over the mental side of things and I think once I was able to do that, I was fine.”

In 17 appearances so far, McLean has had a far more productive season on the mound.

He struck out 31 batters in 19 ⅔ innings. Holliday isn’t shy of stating his admiration for closing pitchers. He says they have one of the more difficult roles on the team, especially when they get thrown into high octane situations at such a young age.

“I don’t even think he gets real nervous at all, which is remarkable,” Holliday said.

“I think he’s confident because of the fact that he’s armed with something that’s tough to deal with, and he’s been in that situation many times before.

He knows that if he had to hit against himself, it wouldn’t be a fun at bat.”

McLean said as nerveracking as being a closer is, much less becoming one in the middle of the season, it’s not nearly as important to him as winning.

“I’m just here to do whatever helps the team win,” McLean said. “Whether that be as a batter, or a pitcher. Whether that be as a starter or a closer, I don’t care. Being a closer is hard, yes, I’m not going to say it isn’t. But at the end of the day, all that matters is winning.

Sometimes you have to set aside all of the nerves that come with it and just play ball.”

OSU baseball coach Josh Holliday always had intentions of finding sophomore Nolan McLean a role on the mound.

He saw the potential for the former two-way standout out of Willow Springs, North Carolina. However, because of McLean’s role with the football program in 2021, Holliday was not able to develop McLean’s arm to the extent in which he intended to. As a result, McLean’s first pitching action occurred 37 games into the season against Texas. Now, aided by development, McLean has cemented himself as the Cowboys’ primary closer.

“We’ve always known that Nolan had this special talent on the mound,” Holliday said.

“We’ve seen that since his first day with us. We’re just getting to a point with him this season that we’ve intended to for quite some time.”

Holliday and his staff firmly believed they found their closer after sophomore pitcher Trevor Martin recorded two saves in two outings in a seasonopening, series win over then ranked No. 3 Vanderbilt. “(Trevor) got his first chance to win our first game for us out of the bullpen on (Saturday),” Holliday. “I’ll be darned if he didn’t come out on Sunday and do the same thing.”

Martin, who spent the latter half of the 2021 season as the set up man, felt poised and ready to take on the role.

Martin cruised through the first half of the season, recording a conference-leading nine saves early on. However, midseason struggles plagued Martin. His ERA surged past 4.00, involving two blown saves sports.ed@ocolly.com

Abby Smith Nolan McLean is finding a spot on the mound, adding to his baseball resume.

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Page 8 Friday, May 13, 2022

O’Colly

sports

Malcolm Rodriguez talks NFL draft, Detroit ago. He was in Norman, watching the OSU softball team play and told The O’Colly he learned of his selection at his grandmother’s funeral.

“We were at the graveyard, it just kind of happened,” Rodriguez said.

“You can’t make this stuff up. It was just Ben Hutchens out of nowhere. Thankful the family was Staff Reporter there, and I just tried to keep calm as long as I can cause I didn’t want to make Malcolm Rodriguez didn’t want a big scene, so it was a surreal moment.” to make a scene when the Detroit Lions It wasn’t the surrounding of family called him.

Rodriguez wanted, as he enters the next It would distract from the gravephase of his football career. Still, he side service. seemed to find peace in the moment.

Rodriguez, a former OSU All“My grandma’s watching front seat American linebacker, was drafted in the so I’m sure she’s happy and thankful for sixth round of the NFL draft two weeks the opportunity for me,” Rodriguez said.

“I’m just thankful and blessed to get the call.”

Rodriguez was one of three Cowboys selected in the NFL draft along with Devin Harper, to the Dallas Cowboys, and Christian Holmes, to the Washington Commanders. Several Cowboys signed on with teams after the draft. Rodriguez said the communication has been great.

“It’s one of those things where OSU we’re going to get in there, make our mark and get our opportunities,” Rodriguez said. “I’m happy for those guys getting drafted and Holmes obviously getting drafted. They had good pro days so there’s no doubt that they should have gotten a shot.”

Rodriguez joked about getting a tan standing in the sun for a couple hours watching softball, saying there wouldn’t be many opportunities to do so in Detroit. He will join the Detroit Piston’s Cade Cunningham as the latest former Cowboy to make the 524-mile move northeast.

“I haven’t talked to Cade yet,” Rodriguez said. “Might be one of those things when I get down there he’s got to show me some good spots around there so it’ll be fun.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Abby Smith Former Cowboy Malcolm Rodriguez made an apperance at the 2022 spring football finale.

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