The O'Colly, Friday, May 26, 2023

Friday, May 26, 2023

OSU Unified finishes school year with Special Olympics Summer Games

there is so much joy amidst a lot of friendly, but fierce competition. The difference this year is that our OSU Unified athletes and partners felt so connected because they’ve had the opportunity to compete all year long. OSU feels like home and everyone loves to get to play big games on their home turf.”

Last week, almost 4,000 Oklahoma athletes traveled to Stillwater for the 2023 Special Olympics State Summer Games. Oklahoma State University has served as host for the event for a long time, but this year’s games featured something different: A team of athletes and partners representing the university as OSU Unified.

Jennifer Jones, director of the OSU Center for Developmental Disabilities, said for athletes and their families the competition in the State Summer Games was the climax of a journey that began about a year ago.

“Having done Special Olympics for 21 years, Summer Games at OSU are my favorite three days of the year to be on campus,” Jones said. “The air is lighter,

The OSU Unified delegation included 12, two-person bocce teams (one Special Olympics athlete and one partner), two 3v3 basketball teams (each with three athletes and one partner) and four coaches.

In July, OSU became the Special Olympics Unified College Program in the state after broadening its partnership with Special Olympics Oklahoma. A collaboration between the OSU Department of Wellness and the Center for Developmental Disabilities launched unified intramural sports opportunities, allowing OSU students, faculty and staff to compete alongside Special Olympics athletes throughout the school year in bowling, bocce and cornhole tournaments, 6v6 volleyball, 5v5 flag football leagues and more.

See Olympics on 6

OSU gives up season-high walk total in loss to OU at Big 12 Tournament

seeded OSU’s 9-5 loss to seventh-seeded OU in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday evening.

an emulation of their team mantra ensued: “chaous” -- chaos with an ‘OU’ touch.

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

ARLINGTON, Texas

-- A tale of discrepancies would be a proper analyzation of the last four Bedlam baseball contests. OSU coach Josh Holliday acknowledged it as he sat at the podium in the conference room of Globe Life Field after second-

Through four regular season contests, the Cowboys outscored their in-state rival 43-16, producing a double-digit run total three times. This time, it was different.

“They were a different team,” Holliday said. “Not much else to say.”

Prior the Big 12 Tournament, the Sooners ranked 18th nationally in walks with 58. On Wednesday, OU produced 13. As a result,

“‘Chaous’ is about playing together as an offense and making it hard for (other teams) to get going,” OU coach Skip Johnson said. “I think Ted Williams said it best, ‘Get a good pitch to hit.’”

The Sooners (31-24, 11-13 Big 12) did just that, extending 17 at-bats to three-ball counts and forcing four of OSU’s five utilized pitchers to 39 pitches or more. None extended beyond 2 1/3 innings of work.

See Tournament on 3

‘She’s killing it; she deserves all the glory’

How former OSU pitcher helped Becker become a Cowgirl

Rachel Becker went out on a limb and sent the email.

Becker, who was in her fourth season at Purdue, entered the transfer portal in January 2022 and had been receiving emails from college coaches across the country that were interested in adding the All-American to their roster. What Becker had never done was send an email to a coach; usually they came flocking to her.

Despite her nervousness, Becker’s Boilmaker teammate and former OSU pitcher Gabby Sprang pushed her to reach out. She knew firsthand the caliber of program her teammate could be walking into.

“I think she was scared to reach out first,” Sprang said of Becker reaching out to OSU coach Kenny Gajewski. “But I was like, ‘The worst thing he’s gonna do is not reply to you; just reach out to him.’”

Becker hit send, and Gajewski didn’t waste any time responding; he was interested.

Now, over a year later, Becker has become a star on Gajewski’s team and is leading the Cowgirls heading into the Stillwater Super Regional against Oregon. It’s what Becker wanted—to be challenged, to play on the biggest stage—and she found it in Stillwater.

But she may not have ended up a Cowgirl if it weren’t for Sprang, who gave her all the inside information about Gajewski’s program.

Sprang transferred to OSU after her freshman season at Tennessee, looking for a team and a program that felt like a family. During her recruitment in middle school and high school, Sprang got close with Gajewski, who at the time was an assistant coach at Florida, and knew when she entered the transfer portal that she wanted to play under him.

“Honestly, it was just Coach G,” Sprang said on why she transferred to OSU. The whole atmosphere that he built, and he really makes you feel like

a softball player but also a human, I mean, I still text him... he still supports me, still writes letters of recommendation; he’s just the best guy.”

Sprang played three seasons at OSU before transferring to Purdue. She had 14 circle appearances her sophomore season but missed her junior season entirely due to a left elbow injury, ultimately pushing her further down the Cowgirl pitching staff, leading to only two appearances her senior season.

Following her third season as a Cowgirl, Sprang entered the transfer portal. It wasn’t because she was unhappy at OSU; she loved it there. It wasn’t even because of the injuries; it was just better for her education.

“I wanted to expand my education,” Sprang said. “I kind of wanted to try something new, go to school a little bit closer to home in the Big 10, and so I was able to get a master’s in one year at Purdue, which was not offered at most other schools, and it wasn’t offered at Oklahoma State.”

On the field, Sprang also knew she could have an increased role as a Boilmaker. However, her fifth-year production was limited after she re-injured her left elbow.

Despite her injury, Sprang thoroughly enjoyed her time as a Boilmaker, and loved being around her teammates, one of whom was her “locker buddy,” Becker.

Courtesy of OSU Oklahoma State University has served as host for the event for a long time, but this year’s games featured something different: a team of athletes and partners representing the university as OSU Unified.

Carson Toulouse

Just four days removed from a Bedlam series win, OSU lost to Oklahoma, 9-5, in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

Luke Tolbert

Rachel Becker’s seventh inning heroics helped earn the Cowgirls a spot in their fourth-consecutive NCAA Super Regional.

Ashton Slaughter

Assistant Sports Editor

Stephanie Landaverde

News and Lifestyle Editor

Duck hunting

Cowgirls look to continue momentum against Oregon in Stillwater Super Regional

Ashton Slaughter Assistant Sports Editor

Chyenne Factor rolled her eyes at her head coach’s remark.

Kenny Gajewski was recalling his ESPN postgame interview following a 5-2 OSU victory over Nebraska to capture the Stillwater Regional title, an interview that included several interesting accessories and objects thanks to his players.

An orange boa, a cowboy hat, a hard hat, multiple crawfish and the Cowgirls’ newest dugout mascot, Bullet (a stick horse wearing sunglasses and an OSU hat), accompanied and even crashed Gajewski’s interview. So yeah, it made some noise afterward.

What did Gajewski think about his players’ antics?

“I’m like a punching bag to these guys,” Gajewski said with Chyenne Factor to his right, rolling her eyes. “Have you ever heard of a bully?

That’s what these two (Factor and Kiley Naomi) do to me.”

The light-hearted, fun and energy-filled vibe from the Cowgirl dugout in last week’s regional round will look to be carried over to this weekend, where they host Oregon (3815) in the Stillwater Super Regional.

The Cowgirls (44-14) play at 8 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. Friday and will play a third game, if necessary, on Saturday at a time that is to be announced.

OSU faced the Ducks their first game of the season in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The Cowgirls came out on top, 3-0, but now, 57 games later, both teams have

made it to the final 16.

Oregon is coming off an upset regional title in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the Ducks defeated No. 11

Arkansas twice on their home field, going a perfect 3-0 on the weekend.

“Obviously, Oregon is swinging a hot bat,” Gajewski

said. “I’ve watched their three games now in Fayetteville twice... they’re going pretty dang good. Now, we’ll see if a different look with different arms that do different things (will affect) them.”

In the Ducks’ three games in Arkansas, they outscored their opponents 29-12, headlined by a 14-4 run-rule victory over the Razorbacks to punch their ticket to Stillwater.

But the Cowgirls have some momentum, too, and look like a completely different team than the one that closed the season on a 2-11 skid.

“I feel like our team’s in a really good spot,” Gajewski said. “I felt that same way last week; I’ve been feeling that way for a while.”

Melyssa Lombardi, Oregon’s head coach, and Gajewski have a longstanding relationship, adding to the competition aspect between these two teams. Although Gajewski wants to see his friend succeed, someone has to lose.

That’s what makes having friends in softball so hard.

I’ve known Missy for

a long time, back in our college days, so it’s pretty cool,” Gajewski said. “I know her family well.

“I don’t enjoy coaching against friends cause one of us is gonna lose. So, I hate that part of that. But I enjoy competing against people that do it the right way. I felt that way when she was in Norman (where she spent 21 years on Patty Gasso’s staff), I feel the same way at Oregon... I’ve known her and John, her husband, for a long time.”

On Wednesday, the Cowgirls added 2023 stickers to the right field wall and the wall under the press box at Cowgirl Stadium, joining the rest of the years that the program has made the Super Regionals. For Gajewski and Co., it serves as a reminder that they’re where they want to be in late May.

But they aren’t done yet.

“They were just putting new stickers up on our wall,” Gajewski said. “Want to do everything I can to make sure we get a couple more of those.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

Luke Tolbert

The Cowgirls are hosting Super Regionals for the fourth season in a row, excluding the COVID-canceled season in 2020.

Luke Tolbert

Kenny Gajewski feels like his team is in a good spot heading into the Stillwater Super Regional. “I felt that same way last week,” Gajewski said. “I’ve been feeling that way for a while.”

Often ‘under the radar,’ OSU pitcher Bogusz always stays prepared

“I just knew that everybody in the dugout, on the field, they were all behind me,” he said. “I just wanted to deliver for my team and for my teammates.”

He isn’t known for being the liveliest teammate. His father, Scott, can attest.

of his redshirt sophomore season, being heavily utilized out of the bullpen. He had high hopes for the 2023 season until shoulder surgery last fall kickstarted a lengthy recovery process. It was frustrating.

Continued from 1

“That’s the pitcherversus-hitter battle element of the game is one of the best facets of the game,” Holliday said. “That’s their offensive philosophy and they’re good at it. They stuck to it, played it well.”

OSU starting pitcher Carson Benge -- responsible for a team-high 2 1/3 innings -allowed a season-high seven earned runs. It was an atypical performance for the redshirt freshman, who hadn’t exceeded five earned runs in his last five outings.

Two leadoff walks – both of which were extended to full counts – set up OU star shortstop Dakota Harris for a two-RBI single up the middle, giving the Sooners a lead they wouldn’t give back.

“That was huge,” Johnson said. “It busted the bubble a little bit. We’ve talked about making sure we’re aware of where we are present and he (understood the situation). Him coming out and getting a hit in the first inning was big.”

a deep flyout to the warning track by catcher Chase Adkison ended an opportunity to trim OU’s lead to two runs or less, and the Cowboys never garnered any offensive fluency after. The OSU bullpen displayed good moments, surrendering just two runs – both coming in the top of the seventh – through the ensuing 6 2/3 innings following Benge’s departure. But it wasn’t enough. OU junior southpaw reliever Carter Campbell pitched 4 innings, striking out two batters and surrendering just one run, which came in the bottom of the ninth. With the loss, OSU will face thirdseeded West Virginia – who the Cowboys lost a series to in April – on Thursday. With OSU’s RPI intact at No. 24 nationally, even after the loss, its chances of hosting a regional are on edge. All OSU can do now is win some games, and most importantly, not lose Thursday.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Ryan Bogusz was in a challenging situation.

Not only because Texas had runners on first and second base with no outs at last year’s Big 12 Tournament, but because Bogusz was on the mound in the first inning rather than later innings as a relief option for OSU.

It was new, but he had to adapt, with his team – short on available arms – on the verge of elimination. He did just that, retiring the ensuing three batters and escaping the early jam. As he trotted off the mound, his facial expression was stone-cold, as it often is, even after a big moment.

Bogusz hasn’t always been a primary bullpen option for the Cowboys. But he hasn’t faltered. He has grit, and he lets it and his high-octane work ethic carry him, wherever he’s needed. As OSU heads to Arlington for the Big 12 Tournament, he could be asked to do it again.

The Cowboys’ hopes of a title remained alive that day, largely due to the eight-inning heroics Bogusz displayed in a career outing. After the win, his response was simple.

“To be honest, he can be kind of a boring guy outside of baseball,” Scott said. “He’s a great kid and has a good heart but, honestly, there’s not much outside of baseball.”

Not everything has come naturally for Ryan. At Lone Star High School, he was considered a “glue guy” by coach Joey Franke.

Even with an 11-0 record, 0.79 ERA and 145 strikeouts with the Rangers, he watched as his teammates garnered offers from Big 12 schools. Ryan received offers from smaller schools, such as UT-Arlington, Abilene Christian and UTSA.

He could have gone to one of those and attained immediate playing time, but he wanted more.

Late in his senior season, Ryan heard from OSU. He didn’t hesitate to commit and sign his national letter of intent when he received an official offer. He gambled, and it paid off.

“I think he’s just super determined,” said his mother, Barbra. “He’s really that way in everything he does. Literally, everything. He’s always been that under-the-radar guy who has proven everyone wrong in the end.”

Ryan held a sub-2.0 ERA for most

“It hurt me not seeing him out there because I know he wants to be,” Scott said. “But I know once he gets another opportunity, he’ll make the most of it as he always does.”

In nine appearances this season, three of which were for at least three innings, Ryan has shown flashes of being the pitcher he was in Arlington last May. He owns a 2.60 ERA across 17 1/3 innings.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m., No. 18 OSU is back at the Big 12 Tournament against Oklahoma. OSU coach Josh Holliday admitted Ryan isn’t where he was a year ago; however, he noted Ryan is available. Could another opportunity present itself?

“A lot of the time, (Ryan) and I wonder the what-ifs,” Scott said. “What if he would have gone to UT-Arlington? What if he had gone to Abilene Christian? What if he would have gone to Sam Houston State and had the opportunity to be a starter? We’ll never know. But he stuck to his gut, went to Oklahoma State, and it’s paid off.

“He’s never been a sexy option, but he’s been a feasible one and a good one, and his grit is one of, if not his best attribute.”

OU plated all seven of Benge’s earned runs through the first three innings to take a 7-0 lead.

The Cowboys (37-17, 15-9) attained their best opportunity for a rally in the bottom of the third with three consecutive oneout base hits, highlighted by an RBI double from center fielder Zach Ehrhard. OSU plated two more that half inning with a two-out, two-RBI single from Benge, who also played the designated hitter role.

However,

“We’ve had our fair share of victories and we know how to respond to a defeat,” Holliday said. “That’s the game of (baseball). That’s how the big boys do it. You’ve got to be able to rest quickly and have a good, short memory of processing this game and then move on.

“We’ll show up in the right head space tomorrow for the second round of the (Big 12) Tournament.”

Chase Davis

Ryan Bogusz turned down offers from small schools where he could have gotten more playing time, but he chose OSU.

Daniel Allen Staff Reporter

Continued from 1

It was there, in the Purdue locker room, that Becker started asking Sprang questions about OSU and the transfer portal. Becker didn’t know collegiate softball outside of West Lafayette, Indiana, but Sprang did.

“She kind of just gave me more inside information,” Becker said. “It’s easy for somebody on the team that’s been there to be like, ‘You’ll fit in right away; it’ll be great; the team will welcome you,’ because they haven’t actually done it themselves. But when

you’re actually talking to somebody who’s kinda taken a leap of faith and left their school to go to a new one, I feel like they actually understand.”

Sprang had nothing but positive things to say about Gajewski’s program and her time in Stillwater. This prompted Becker to reach out to Gajewski, who expressed his interest right away, which led to them having conversations right after the Cowgirls postseason was finished.

Gajewski knew Becker would fit as a Cowgirl, there was no doubt. He also knew she’d shine in the biggest moments, much like her go-ahead hit in the seventh inning against Nebraska last weekend in the Stillwater Regional.

CheckouttheOriginalHideaway!

“I can remember recruiting her

SINCE 1957,

and telling her, ‘This is going to happen, and you fit here,’ I can see it just in the talks,” Gajewski said.

Becker ended up committing to Gajewski and his program, the program that Sprang had left but still loved and the program that she wanted her teammate to be apart of.

When Becker told Sprang that she was going to be a Cowgirl, Sprang was ecstatic and told her she couldn’t wait to visit, which she lived up to when she came to Stillwater for homecoming this past fall.

It was full circle. She was back in Stillwater with her former teammates, but now her Purdue “locker buddy” was in orange and black.

“Seeing her in orange and black, I

was like, ‘Wait a minute, this is so full circle for me,’” Sprang said.

Now Sprang is following along as her friend and former teammate leads her alma mater to postseason success. It’s what Becker wanted, and it’s what Sprang and Gajewski both envisioned—Becker leading this team on the biggest stage.

“She’s such a good player, and people are seeing that now,” Sprang said. “I wanted her to be able to experience postseason and hosting and hopefully going to the World Series, and just things that a lot of players don’t get to experience.

“She’s killing it; she deserves all the glory.”

sports.ed@ocolly.com

230 S. Knoblock St. Stillwater, OK 74074

Mia Ledbetter

Rachel Becker may not have ended up a Cowgirl if it wasn’t for Purdue teammate and former OSU pitcher, Gabby Sprang. “I think she was scared to reach out first,” Sprang said of Becker reaching out to OSU coach Kenny Gajewski. “But I was like, ‘The worst thing he’s gonna do is not reply to you; just reach out to him.’”

Maple syrup, a new Oklahoma industry

Stephanie Landaverde News and Lifestyle Editor

Maple syrup production is a $132 million industry, and Oklahoma State University researchers are hoping to tap into it by exploring production in Oklahoma.

The U.S. produces almost 4.5 million gallons of maple syrup annually, but the industry is nonexistent in Oklahoma.

So, Lu Zhang, OSU assistant professor of horticulture, and her colleagues are spending the summer visiting maple groves across Oklahoma.

“There is a large maple production industry in the northern part of the U.S., but not here, so we wanted to look at whether maple syrup collection was possible here,” Zhang said.

Five maple tree species are indigenous to Oklahoma: sugar maple, red maple, silver maple, boxelder and Florida maple. Sugar maple, the maple species most commonly used to produce syrup, and silver maple are found in at least 15 Oklahoma counties. Sugar maple syrup can be harvested, and the other four Oklahoma species have potential for being harvested, according to Zhang’s preliminary research data.

“The potential taps in Oklahoma for the five maple species are 5.8 million,” Zhang said. “It is important to explore the potential of alternative maple species for syrup production in different geographic locations.”

OSU researchers and Extension specialists will visit maple groves in Idabel, Talihina and Quapaw this summer to establish them as sap harvesting locations for research through a $500,000 U.S. Department of Agricul-

ture grant. Oklahoma Native American tribes traditionally collected sap from sugar maple trees. Zhang and colleagues Bob Heinemann, superintendent of the OSU Kiamichi Forestry Research Station, Mike Schnelle, OSU professor and Extension ornamental/ floraculture specialist, and Lu Zhai, assistant professor of natural resources, have formed a working relationship with the Choctaw Nation to explore syrup production. “We will determine how much maple sap can be collected seasonally from the five maple species using traditional buckets/bags, gravity-based tubing systems and high-vacuum tubing systems,” Zhang

said. “This project will answer the basic questions landowners ask before investing in maple syrup production. This could be the start of a maple syrup industry in Oklahoma.” Zhang said the other part of the project is letting people know about the potential of syrup production. Researchers will create and share information through a regional maple tapping network that uses standardized tapping techniques for sap collection and data recording. Schnelle will establish maple production workshops this fall to share the research findings with potential syrup producers.

“Over the next two years, I will be providing outreach

to landowners,” Schnelle said. “I want to work with people already blessed with large trees and people who are just starting out. For those who aren’t established, they can start up for the future. If people are willing to wait years for pecan and chestnut trees to come to full term, they should be willing to do so for maple trees.”

Schnelle wants to encourage people to grow dualpurpose maple trees for syrup production and ornamental use as well as encourage encourage landowners with maple trees who do not want to harvest syrup to lease their land to others who want to do so.

Schnelle and his colleagues will bring in Michael

Farrell, an expert from New Leaf Tree Syrups, to train the research and Extension specialists in maple tapping. Initial planning for fall workshops is underway for the Idabel and Talihina areas.

“Right now, we are staying with indigenous maples, but I could see us expanding to other maples in the future,” Schnelle said. “This could be a great long-term project. We’re excited with what we are seeing and hearing so far with people’s interest. This whole idea of Oklahoma-made syrup is exciting. I think people could make a good living out of this, especially as a side business.”

File Photo

Five maple tree species are indigenous to Oklahoma: sugar maple, red maple, silver maple, boxelder and Florida maple.