May 16, 2022

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Monday, May 16, 2022

Guy, New York Philharmonic, highlight McKnight Center season lineup

Adam Engel Co-Editor-in-Chief

Branson Evans The McKnight Center promises another exciting year of performances.

Some of the nation’s most popular orchestras are coming to Stillwater. The New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy headline The McKnight Center for Performing Arts’ 2022-23 season. The center’s fourth season begins in September and features 24 performances ranging from familyoriented plays to traveling Broadway

musicals. “It’s thrilling each year to curate a season that includes legendary artists and new stars,” said Mark Blakeman, The McKnight Center’s Marilynn and Carl Thoma Executive Director. Country music singer-songwriter artist Sara Evans opens the season on Sept. 9. The New York Philharmonic performs Sept. 23-25 as part of the orchestra’s recent partnership with the McKnight Center. Guy plays on Oct. 7. Tickets for the season will open to the public in August, according to a press release. For more information, visit McKnightCenter.org. See the full list of the 2022-23 season on page 3 news.ed@ocolly.com

In the books

Abby Cage

After extra innings against OU, OSU won the Big 12 Championship title.

OSU beats No. 1 Oklahoma for first Big 12 Championship title the Big 12 Tournament championship to set up a rematch. Senior pitcher Morgan Day (11-4), who came on in relief of junior Kelly Maxwell in the fourth inning, was stellar. After a complete game, one-run outing against Texas the day before, Day Sam Hutchens pitched five innings and allowed one Staff Reporter run. Day transferred to OSU (41-12) Coach Kenny Gajewski used the from Illinois State after last season with night before Saturday’s Big 12 Champi- aspirations of making a deep postseason onship game to listen to a book. run. She got OU third baseman Jana It was titled “Read This Book To- Johns on a groundout to end the game. night To Help You Win Tomorrow.” “I look back a year ago today and The title wasn’t bogus. I played in the Missouri Valley ConferNo. 7 Oklahoma State beat No. 1 ence tournament. Lost, and went home. Oklahoma 4-3 in extra innings to win Was done for the season,” Day said. the Big 12 Tournament title. The game “And today I get to leave here with my at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium team as a Big 12 champion.” in Oklahoma City was between the Big Day was named the Big 12 Tourna12’s top-seeded teams. ment’s Most Outstanding Player. GajewIt is OSU’s first Big 12 title. ski said pulling Maxwell from the game “I actually listened to the whole early was the plan, so OSU could change book,” Gajewski said. “It took me an OU hitter’s timing. Day, whose excited hour and fifteen. It was so powerful that yells punctuated good OSU plays, said I sent it to all our kids in their GroupMe she enjoyed OSU’s unique approach to (chat).” the game that the book heightened. It focused on the importance of “I’m really glad that we’re startgaining and developing a mental edge ing to touch on the mental side of the in sports — something OSU displayed game…just having fun and playing prominently against OU. After being softball,” Day said. swept by the Sooners in the regular The Cowgirl’s mental edge showed season, the Cowgirls clawed their way to when the Sooners (49-2) punched first.

In the bottom of the third, Tiare Jennings hit an RBI single. OU scored an unearned run three batters later when Grace Lyons hit a pop fly to first base that second baseman Brianna Evans, who was staring directly into the sun, had pop out of her mitt. That made it 2-0. “You’ve got to play softball,” Gajewski said. “You can’t give (OU) free stuff. They will punish you with free stuff. That’s what good teams do.” And yet, after the botched inning, the Cowgirls did not fold against the nation’s top-ranked team. OSU got two back in the next inning with a Hayley Busby single and Taylor Tuck sacrifice fly. Senior Chelsea Alexander, who was one of four Cowgirls named to the All-Tournament Team, scored a run in the fifth. The 3-2 lead she gave OSU was quickly nullified when OU’s Jocelyn Alo, the NCAA’s all-time home run hitter, blasted a ball over the wall in left field. The blast got the Big 12 tournament record crowd of 5,410 —made up of mostly OU fans — roaring. “Today’s environment was really, really great,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “It was as close to feeling like you’re in the College World Series as you can get. Both teams benefit from

that.”

The Cowgirls mustered a go-ahead run in the eight when shortstop Kiley Naomi drew a bases-loaded walk off Nicole May. Day shut the Soonerd down in their half of the eight, making the Naomi walk enough to trigger a hearty Cowgirl dogpile. This season, Gajewski has tried to keep his team’s mentality of being the chaser intact. He has fallen back on the fact that OSU, which had previously never won a Big 12 Tournament championship, has nothing the Sooners or any other program want. Now, with a trophy, Gajewski said nothing changes. “We need to be sustainable with (OU),” Gajewski said. “And that’s tough. They’re the standard.” With the win, OSU essentially cemented a top-eight ranking for the postseason. It is a strong contender to host regional and super regional games in its bid to return to OKC for the Women’s College World Series. “I feel really good,” Gajewski said. “I think we’ve done what we needed to. Played the schedule that we needed to. We’ve played the top teams in the country.” sports.ed@ocolly.com


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