26,301 acres burned. 123 homes affected. 98 homes lost. Stillwater, Payne County and the state of Oklahoma were hit with historic wildfires March 14. Pages 4A and 5A have our coverage from an event that has left the Stillwater community reeling while pulling it closer together.
HAYDEN ALEXANDER NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Amid the bustle of the lunch hour in Oklahoma State’s Student Union, a group of students sat quietly.
On Wednesday afternoon, members of Students for Justice in Palestine (OSU SJP), held signs that read “Free Palestine” and were decorated with Palestine’s flag and colors.
Spencer, who asked not to use her last name because of safety concerns, said the sit-in is a part of a weeklong nationwide “Week of Rage” protesting the violence and war in Gaza. Universities, organizations and activists nationwide are participating in demonstrations, culminating in a march in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
“It’s a really tense time, especially for Palestinian students and for immigrant students, and we want to remain visible and make sure that those people know that there are
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people on campus who have their backs,” Spencer said.
The sit-in is different than OSU SJP’s typical protests, but Spencer said this quieter form of defiance offers more opportunity for safe and productive conversation.
“We feel that this is the best way to keep our members safe (and) to keep things from escalating,” Spencer said.
Spencer said the sit-in would be a success if OSU SJP could change even one mind or start a dialogue. She hopes that students can find ways to open their hearts and relate to the people of Palestine.
“Their homes are being destroyed,” Spencer said. “In Stillwater, we can relate to that. Our homes were reduced to little to nothing” by wildfires last month.
OSU SJP released a statement Tuesday demanding that OSU fly the Palestinian flag at the Wes Watkins Center for 24 hours, provide transparency on the university’s investments and divest from partnerships with companies including Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
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when we have the dogs in there, they are right next to the cats, and they’re all stressing each other out.”
The new layout includes redesigned catteries and dog kennels, expanded office space and a new meet-andgreet area, among other upgrades.
Stillwater’s animals will soon have a new home.
Payne County voters approved a proposition Tuesday to finance $8.75 million for a new Animal Welfare center. The new center, which will be located near the airport, is planned to be 12,200 square feet. The proposition received 75% of the vote, as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
In January, the City Council heard a presentation for the new facility.
City Director of Engineering Candy Staring said the project was designed to “meet the community’s needs and space and functionality.”
The existing facility, located along South Main Street, is about 40 years old and has insufficient space, Staring said.
“Whenever we run out of space for the dogs, they set up temporary kennels in the garage,” Staring said in January. “The garage is also the cattery, so it’s really a cat garage, and
The city contracted with Barrett L. Williamson Architects to redesign the Animal Welfare facility.
The proposition is spread over 15 years and will increase property owners’ annual tax payments about $60 a year for homes valued at $240,000.
In a press release Friday, spokeswoman Dawn Dodson said residents logged 4,760 calls for service.
“A new Animal Welfare facility would allow the City and the Humane Society to each have their own facility and the ability to take in more animals, provide greater services, and continue coverage of all areas of town,” she said. “The City looks forward to continued partnership with the Humane Society, and discussions and efforts to strengthen avenues for progress that will benefit the entire community and surrounding areas.
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STAFF STAFF REPORT
Red “Make America Great Again” hats dotted the crowd, and signs of protests and support stood out among the sea of hundreds of students who swarmed International Mall Lawn Tuesday afternoon to see Charlie Kirk debate with students.
Kirk, founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, stopped at OSU as part of his “The American Comeback Tour.” The conservative political activist and media personality rose to social media stardom through viral videos of him debating college students, and he’s a regular speaker on Fox News, CNBC and at political conventions.
He made a last-minute stop in Stillwater, with OSU’s Turning Point USA Chapter announcing his visit only five days before. Kirk was scheduled to speak from noon to 3 p.m., but students gathered at the tent labeled “PROVE ME WRONG” hours before Kirk assumed his post behind the mic.
“Everyone’s worked their butts off for all this,” said Michaela Tucker, a member of OSU TPUSA. “Hats off to all the amazing execs and all the volunteers that have done all this work.”
One student, Stone Lambert, heckled Kirk with a megaphone before the debates even began, while others cheered as Kirk entered.
“I was hoping to drown out the voice of a Nazi sympathizer,” Lambert said.
Two signs depicting Kirk as the devil stared down a “Jesus Loves You” sign, a juxtaposition of the personalities that came to hear Kirk speak.
“He’s supporting a rapist, first off, the president of the country,” said Kayleigh, whose name is being withheld by The O’Colly for safety concerns, with the Kirk-devil sign in hand.
“And this crowd should be used to push things that are gonna be good for campus, not this guy who comes out and just causes issues for the students.”
The event was free to attend, and it attracted more than students. Pam and David Oakes, 71 and 72 respectively, searched the area for a place to set down their blue lawn chairs and enjoy the debate.
“This is awesome, because sometimes you think college kids just are still going with just the flow, the way the woke is going,” Pam said. “So we are very, very, very excited.”
Lambert didn’t go with the flow, but he didn’t support Kirk, either.
He disagreed. Loudly.
As Kirk made his way through a cheering crowd and spoke into the microphone for the first time, Lambert spoke into his as well, insulting Kirk and making crude jokes.
Lambert said he was almost ashamed of himself for attending the event because he didn’t want to give Kirk attention. He said Kirk is a Nazi sympathizer because of what he says and does, and he said he believes Kirk, though he was on campus to debate, has never changed his mind about anything.
“Quite frankly, he said the only thing he ever changed his opinion on was the death penalty, which is hilarious, because he is now pro-death penalty, despite being against abortion and even rape cases,” Stone said. “So it’s f*****g asinine. It makes no sense.”
Another student made his beliefs heard from the crowd, but he didn’t use a megaphone, and his message wasn’t about Kirk’s visit.
William Gibson stood toward the outside of the crowd holding a sign that said “Jesus Loves You,” which earned him both dirty looks and fist bumps.
Gibson holds the sign outside Edmon Low sometimes, too, as an invitation for conversations about his faith and to remind others of Jesus. He said he agrees with Kirk and asked to talk with him.
“Their response was like ‘If you agree with him, you’re probably not gonna be able to go on the mic because he’s here to debate, he’s not here to agree,” Gibson said.
Chris, whose name is being withheld by The O’Colly for safety concerns, wandered the crowd with a sign, too, but he wasn’t a supporter.
As he held his “I’m scared for our future” sign, he remembered a time he was targeted for his views. As he strolled down The Strip wearing a rainbow pride bracelet, a pickup truck chased him down the block. He was terrified.
He said he has to fear for his life at school, especially because human rights
are being depicted as a legal issue. He said he saw a video of Kirk debating college students, and he went down a rabbit hole. He said Kirk hates gay people, wants abortion to be illegal and depicts Black people as violent criminals.
“For a man that acts like that with literally a creepy smile, for a man that walks around with this big ego, he sure has a lot of hate in his heart,” Chris said.
Logan Evans, a deaf ASL professor, approached the microphone with several of his peers. He conversed with Kirk through an interpreter. Evans asked about Kirk’s beliefs on equal information access.
“Do you believe everyone in this crowd has access to equal information?” Evans asked. “Should they have that?”
Kirk said yes, but Evans called back to Kirk’s post during the California wildfires, complaining about an interpreter on screen during news feeds and claiming that closed captions worked well enough.
“You said that closed captioning works for everybody, but you have to understand that American Sign Language is a critical point for the deaf community to access a language, and the entire deaf community lost a lot of respect for you when you said get the interpreters out of the way,” Evans said.
Evans said that interpreters saved lives during the California wildfires and are needed in life-threatening situations, like the wildfires Stillwater experienced on March 14.
“Without interpreters you can loose lives… it’s super important that we’re giving the information because you’re going to lose a life, you have to understand that.” Evan said.
Kirk admitted to a misunderstanding of his post and said he later addressed the issue in an episode of his podcast.
“I was educated on the difference between ASL and closed captioning and that for some deaf people, it’s a first or primary language,” Kirk said. “I never meant to offend you; it wasn’t meant in that way.”
The interaction ended positively, with Evans giving Kirk a sign name.
Despite Kirk’s sometimes volatile debates and social media posts, many
OSU students maintained a respectful discourse. Nevan Hunter debated Kirk on the separation of church and state. Hunter said the conversation was good but doubts he changed Kirk’s mind.
“I think he was being very respectful, but in my personal opinion, it could just be my personal bias, but from what I’ve seen in his interviews and with the conversation I had with him, I personally do not think he’s very receptive to information,” Hunter said.
Hunter said that OSU was an easy stop for Kirk given that a large part of the student population agrees with his policies.
“We live in a purely Republican state, and since we live in such a small town, a small college town, the majority of people automatically agree with him,” Hunter said.
Kirk answered questions and listened to statements from multiple supporters, including Oklahoma University’s Turning Point USA chapter president. Kalib Magana wore an OU polo in a sea of orange.
“I can surpass the colors of orange and red; the war we’re fighting is much deeper than that, the fight against spirituality, religion and republicanism,” Magana said.
Another group of students made the trip from Oklahoma Christian University to see Kirk speak. Lillian Harden, Jeremiah Delcour and Castle Robertson helped found OCU’s Turning Point Chapter and were excited to hear Kirk speak.
“I’m out here because I’m trying to rally our generation,” Delcour said. “I want lifelong politicians to know that their seats aren’t safe anymore because our generation is coming back with a vengeance.”
One student put politics aside to ask Kirk a more personal question. Cason Wright took the microphone and asked Kirk to share his testimony with the crowd.
“Everybody who came out here wants to hear what Charlie has to say, whether it be political or divisional,” Wright said. “I just wanted to use this opportunity for him to share the gospel and share his story.”
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TRUST THE LORD! (Part #2)
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Is.30:15 NIV)
This is what God was saying to his people, but their reaction was to reject his counsel, then struggle and try to work out their troubles in their own way.
God was telling them to turn to him (repentance), stop your fretting, quiet yourselves and look to me; trust me! Let God be the objective of your faith. God never gets tired, but he strengthens the tired and weary. (Is.40:28-29) It is so easy to go the way of his ancient people; trying to work things out ourselves.
When we talk of quieting ourselves; this is not passiveness or inactivity, but a turning in our thoughts to the one who has promised so much to those who will
trust him. Look at Ps.123:2, “As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master...so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy.” How about Ps.131:1-2 “...I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child with its mother.” Our activity is turning and quieting ourselves before the one who is truly our helper.
Returning to Is. 30; verse 18: Here is God’s attitude toward us; “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.” Isaiah finishes by saying; “Blessed are all who wait for him!” God is good toward us because of Christ. He wants to take action, so He says stop! (seems contrary) Spent some time with him and trust him in the challenges of life. He will lead and work his way! Trust him; you will not be ashamed! (Ro.10:11)
with the community.
Multiple businesses in the Stillwater community rallied last weekend to raise money for first responders, their families and others who were affected by the March 14 wildfires through a two-day concert series called Stillwater Strong: Red Dirt Rising.
Local Red Dirt artists gathered their instruments and warmed up their vocal cords for a fundraising weekend. More than 40 artists performed at multiple venues across Stillwater, including The Twelves, Bad Brad’s BBQ, Finnegan’s Fighting Goat, The Dirty Rooster, The Salty Bronc Saloon and White Buffalo Tavern.
Organizers sold T-shirts, hats and stickers featuring the newly designed Stillwater Strong: Red Dirt Rising logo. In conjunction with the performances, a live and silent auction were held. The event came together after a group of local business owners decided they wanted to help those affected by the fires.
Missy Hunter, co-owner of The Salty Bronc Saloon, has seen her fair share of disasters. As an insurance adjuster, she often meets with people who have lost everything.
“I see the heartbreak and the panic,” Hunter said. “That day I saw it in my own town.”
Hunter started making calls, and the number of businesses grew. As plans formed, Okie Records reached out to Hunter, and they quickly developed a line up of artists.
“We called each other, and we’re like, ‘Oh we’re doing something,’” Hunter said. “We started planning.”
When Megan Stephens Courtney got the call from Hunter, she jumped at the opportunity to help. Stephens Courtney is a co-owner of The Twelves, an agritourism company in Stillwater. Stephens Courtney was driven by her past experiences to help.
After moving back to Stillwater in 2023, Stephens Courtney was caught in a wind storm that blew the roof off her home with her still inside. Stephens Courtney said the response from the community warmed her heart.
“There were so many people that I had never met, people that I’d met in passing and put everything back together,” Stephens Courtney said. “This is the little piece that I can help give back.”
The Twelves became a family-friendly spot for the weekend, offering good music and food for everyone to enjoy.
Stephens Courtney said she and other business owners had to hustle to make the event come together. She said they were inspired by other locales across Stillwater, such as Top Hand Ag Equipment, which collected supplies for first responders, and Lena’s Little’s Play Cafe, which became a clothing donation center overnight.
“I think there is something to be said for Stillwater,” Stephens Courtney said. “Everybody kind of stepped up and said, ‘Hey guys, we’re here for you.’”
The Twelves invited multiple volunteer fire departments to meet and talk
Brianna Pruitt stood outside The Twelves venue conversing with firefighters around a group of trucks. The captain of the Perkins Fire Department fought the wildfires on March 14. Pruitt said she was thankful for the opportunity to engage with the community and her fellow firefighters.
“Normally, we’re doing it from the back of a fire truck, so we don’t really get to sit here and have conversations and catch up with each other,” Pruitt said.
Chief Zach Sales also engaged in conversations with firefighters from other departments and his own team from the Ripley Fire Department. He was excited to give back to the community that rallied behind his department and many others following the wildfires.
“They’ve all gathered around us after Friday (March 14) and all the major fires and they’re still trying to pay us back so we’re out here to support them like they have supported us,” Sales said.
Sales said the biggest issue facing his team and others is the lack of resources like water and food.
“Our guys get hungry, they get thirsty, they get dehydrated,” Sales said. “When that happens,, we don’t get to do our job safely.”
Volunteer firefighters are not paid for their work; they’re employees, students and family members. Oftentimes they pay for resources out-of-pocket.
“You hear about these volunteer departments that lost trucks, that lost major pieces of equipment and they’re volunteer fire departments that don’t have the funds to replace it,” Stephens Courtney said.
Sales said the money doesn’t matter; it’s all about helping people.
“They’re crazy just like I am,” Sales said. “They come out. They love doing this.”
Firefighters gave their time to serve and protect on March 14, and music artists in the area wanted to pay it forward by giving their time for the two-day concert series.
“None of the artists are getting paid,” Hunter said. “They’re all donating their own time.”
One of the bands performing at The Salty Bronc Saloon, the Waxie Dargles, played their Celtic tunes for those affected, including two of their band members. Lead singer and acoustic guitarist Craig Miller was happy to return to the stage where the band got its start four years prior.
“It’s just a good cause to be out here making some music, calling attention to it and providing an environment so that we can essentially bring the community together to raise money,” Miller said.
“We’re just happy to be a part of it.”
Stillwater Strong: Red Dirt Rising brought students, Stillwater residents and those affected together to help those in need through music and connection.
“It’s heartwarming,” Stephens Courtney said.”You never want to live through that kind of trauma, but knowing that this is the community you live in, the people have your back, that’s got to give you at least a little piece of mind.”
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‘Stillwater the Brave’: Local musician recovers after losing home to wildfires
find her bearings. Her friends asked her how she could go back so quickly, and Brittany said that teaching her students and supporting them brought her peace.
“It’s my home away from home,” Brittany said. “Those are my kids.”
Less than 24 hours after fires ravaged his home, Scott McKinley picked up his only surviving possession, his bagpipes.
On March 14, fires broke out across Oklahoma, damaging more than 500 homes and businesses. In Stillwater, a fire destroyed 98 homes, including the McKinleys’.
In a now-viral video, McKinley — standing amid the smoldering remains of the home — played “Amazing Grace” on his pipes. The video became a rallying cry for the resilience of the fire victims, but for McKinley, it was a moment of peace and acceptance.
“It was kind of therapeutic in that moment because literally all I had was the clothes on my back and a set of bagpipes,” he said.
McKinley began playing the bagpipes about 15 years ago after a World War II veteran and piper showed him a documentary. McKinley’s Scottish heritage on both sides of his family also influenced his interest.
“It became my life’s passion,” McKinley said. “I love the music. I love learning new tunes.”
Fighting the flames
Scott and his wife, Brittany McKinley, spent hours attempting to fight the fires. After dropping off their two kids and dogs at their grandparents, the McKinleys saved what they could before the fires became too intense.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, (fire) came out of the south and the flames were as high as the treetops, and it was raining ash,” Brittany said. “In that moment, there was no fight in that and so we left.”
While the McKinleys lost their home, their efforts saved others. When they returned, Brittany said that a few of the houses they had doused with water survived the flames.
“It kind of at least makes us feel like what we did wasn’t in vain,” Brittany said. “It helped someone.” Brittany said that she never could have imagined something like this happening to her family.
“You know, you never think, that’s not a thing that happens to you; that happens to other people,” Brittany said. “You never think it’s really going to happen.”
Playing a new tune
The McKinleys didn’t let what they lost in the fire define them, and music helped them find joy in an impossible situation. As members of the Waxie Dargles, Stillwater’s resident Celtic band, the pair quickly found its stage.
The band members played at Finnegan’s Fighting Goat for St. Patrick’s Day and fully reunited at The Salty Bronc Saloon on March 30 as part of the Red Dirt Rising benefit concert series. Scott also played the pipes at a charity event at Bad Brad’s BBQ. During his performance, he played his rendition of “Scotland the Brave,” renaming the song “Stillwater the Brave” to honor first responders and victims.
“We both looked at each other, you know, (and realized) being sad about it is not going to change anything,” Scott said. “Let’s go do what we love to do; maybe that will help us out a little bit.”
Class is back in session
Returning to her classroom at Stillwater Middle School helped Brittany
Brittany teaches history to seventh and eighth graders. She said it was odd to be on the other side of the history pages.
“I’m usually the one telling about other people’s misfortunes and tragedies going on in the world,” Brittany said.
Stillwater Strong
The McKinleys love giving back to their community through their music, and they have seen the compassion returned tenfold.
“Friday night, we had zero things, and two weeks later, we’re moving into a rent house,” Brittany said. “That’s because of community outreach. Anything we thought we needed, it would just show up.”
The McKinleys said they appreciate the support but want to make sure that everyone affected is getting the help they need.
“There are so many people in the community that are having the same experiences,” Brittany said. “Keep showing up… It’s going to be a long road. There’s going to be needs that come down the road.”
The Oklahoma standard Brittany is an Oklahoman through and through. She was born and raised in Stillwater and met Scott, a thirdgeneration OSU student, in college. Their roots are here and they are proud of it.
“I’m super proud to be Oklahoman and to come from a place that is willing to put on their boots, get their hands dirty and get done what needs to be done,” Brittany said.
Stillwater has seen major tragedies over the years, but Brittany and Scott said the city always finds a way to prevail and come together.
“It’s just a testament to Stillwater,” Brittany said. “Stillwater’s had so many tragedies. We’ve had two plane crashes. We’ve had a crash at a parade… and this is just how Oklahoma responds.”
From the ground up
The McKinleys are ready to rebuild. They are working daily to put their lives back together. Brittany is back in the classroom and Scott is preparing to play with the OSU Pipes and Drums at OSU’s 2025 commencement ceremony.
The McKinleys’ two daughters are also ready to rebuild, and Brittany said they have handled the aftermath of the wildfires with understanding and resilience.
“They haven’t dwelled on the things they’ve lost,” Brittany said. It’s a long road, but Scott is ready. He is already preparing to shoot a new video with his pipes in front of the McKinleys’ new home, a happier tune for a happier time.
“We’re going to rebuild in the same spot,” Scott said. “We may have lost our home, but that’s still our home, and that’s just the way that we’re going to do things.”
While Scott’s pipes may have been the only tangible item to survive the flames, the McKinleys are safe with a path forward and the support of a community behind them.
“It was just stuff,” Brittany said. “Our memories are still ours. We’ll make new ones.”
throughout Oklahoma on March 14.
As the sun went down and the lights on The Strip began to burn brighter, a familiar face found a stage close to home.
Wyatt Flores, a Stillwater native and chart-climbing Red Dirt musician, performed an acoustic set to a small crowd at The Dirty Rooster last Friday night.
The ticket and merch proceeds from the show were donated to wildfire relief efforts. Several wildfires ripped across the state on March 14, and Stillwater was one of the main areas affected. Noe Flores, Wyatt’s father, stood proudly in the audience and said Wyatt has always seen the values of a strong community in Payne County.
“This kid, he’s seen it when he was little… through the storms, tornadoes and wildfires,” Noe said. “That’s every year that you have tornadoes and wildfires; it’s just part of it. So he’s learned how that works, and for him to be at this level, to give back to the community… there’s a lot of people that can’t do that.”
Wyatt was playing shows in Australia when a wildfire burned 26,301 acres and 98 homes, along with affecting 123 others. Within a few days, he was selling T-shirts with 100% of the profits going to the Red Cross of Oklahoma and the United Way of Payne County. But that wasn’t enough for him.
Wyatt planned three acoustic shows — Friday in Stillwater, Saturday at Ponyboy in Oklahoma City and Sunday at the Mercury Lounge in Tulsa. The goal of each show was to raise money to help those in need.
“It shows he’s proud of his hometown; he wants to give back to where he started in Stillwater,” said Nate Becker, a fan and regular concert-goer of Wyatt’s.
The shows were announced last Tuesday and quickly sold out. Wyatt wrote in a post on X that with the merch sales and ticket sales, he raised more than $50,000 for the Red Cross and United Way.
Those in attendance ranged from fans of Wyatt, like Becker, to first responders who fought the wildfires
Garret Standefer, a wildland firefighter for the Osage Nation and attendee of the Stillwater concert, fought fires in Osage County. He said he remembers hearing Payne County was getting hit hard.
“Stillwater’s my hometown too,” Standefer said. “I grew up here. I live just like three minutes outside of here now.”
Seeing the community come together was surreal for Standefer, and as a fan of Wyatt’s music over the past few years, it meant even more to be inside The Dirty Rooster.
“I love my hometown, so for him, it’s got to be great… a really good feeling to be able to play for his hometown,” Standefer said.
Andy Blackfox was also in attendance. He was a member of a task force sent from Delaware County to help fight fires in Stillwater on March 14.
“We got here about 10 o’clock that Friday night, and as soon as we got here, we took about 10 minutes to get our assignment, and then we started going into the neighborhoods and tried to clear hot spots,” Blackfox said. “And it was for real. There was no power anywhere. You could see the glow in the fire, but you couldn’t really see the fire; it was in different spots.”
Blackfox saw houses in flames next to homes untouched. Against orders, he and a few other firefighters put out some house fires along the way. Wyatt coming back to support Stillwater after several hardships shows the kind of person Wyatt is, he said.
“It definitely shows he wants to support his town,” Blackfox said. “He was in a different country doing concerts and came back from this to raise money for Stillwater.”
Alongside Wyatt and his guitarist Austin Yankunas, Eleanor Balkcom from the country music trio The Castellows performed at the Dirty Rooster. Their performances were in an effort to help Stillwater recover, not only financially but also emotionally.
“It’s what humans do… help each other out,” Noe said. “Here in Payne County, anyway.”
Bryson Thadhani contributed to this report.
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THOMASON STAFF REPORTER
Edgar Escalante was building a fence as the winds began to pick up on the morning of March 14.
Escalante, who has lived in Stillwater for 15 years, ended his work day early and returned home as warnings of wildfires began.
Through the evening of March 14 and the morning of March 15, Stillwater experienced historic wildfires that burned 26,301 acres. Ninetyeight homes were lost, and an additional 123 homes were impacted as the fires raged on the southwestern side of the city.
When he arrived home, Escalante monitored the situation through updates posted to the City of Stillwater and Stillwater Fire Department Facebook pages. Although his first instinct was to drive to the impacted areas and help people evacuate, he heeded advice from officials, who asked residents to stay away from the fire zones.
Instead, Escalante took to Facebook, translating emergency updates into Spanish.
As the son of immigrant parents
for whom he was often an interpreter growing up, translating comes naturally to Escalante. He is also a certified court interpreter.
“Here in the States, with immigrant parents, a lot of the times we didn’t even know there was an emergency happening in town because they couldn’t read English or they didn’t understand English,” Escalante said.
He began sharing the information on the “Latinos de Stillwater/Perkins/Cushing” page first. After two hours, he saw the posts weren’t getting much feedback. Escalante said he pivoted to posting the Spanish translations in the comment sections of the original posts, in hopes of reaching more people.
Escalante translated for 12 hours, going to bed at 3 a.m. March 15. At one point during the night, Escalante said he translated about 20 posts at the same time. He resumed at 6 a.m., updating information throughout the day. He posted on Facebook pages for the City of Stillwater, Stillwater Fire Department, Stillwater Police Department, Stillwater Emergency Management Agency and Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce.
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CONTRIBUTOR
Stepping on to campus as a freshman, Alaura Hatton had aspirations of working in the field of veterinary medicine.
However, like many college journeys, it would take a drastic turn in the years to come. In fact, it is a path that stretches more than 6,000 miles across the globe, and it all started in Stillwater.
In 2022, Oklahoma State began teaching its first ever accredited Korean course. A grant specifically allocated for teaching the Korean language was designed to kickstart the program. Eventually, it offered a minor in the language.
In the beginning, students who signed up for Korean I would be given the opportunity to take a handful of other Korean classes as interest developed. While the interest was there for Hatton to take the course as an elective, she felt a bit intimidated.
“I thought it looked too hard,” Hatton said. “I knew nothing about it when I came into it.”
Being such a new course at OSU, the Korean department only had one professor, Dr. Hwahyun Lee. However, one person can make all the difference.
“Even though I felt kind of behind, my teacher just worked really hard with me so I can get where I am today,” Hatton said. “... She is the most supportive person I have met, and she’s like a mom to all of us.”
Through Lee’s teaching and support, Hatton decided to make a pivotal change in her college career. Instead of pursuing veterinary medicine, Hatton switched to English professional writing in hopes of one day teaching English to students in South Korea.
The past few years, the Korean department has seen quite a bit of growth in class enrollment. Any student looking to take Korean at OSU now has the option to start in Elementary Korean, before working their way up to Intermediate and Advanced Korean. However, this was not always
a foregone conclusion.
Earlier this month, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) was faced with a budget dilemma. Korean classes were being funded through grants given by the Korean Foundation specifically to foster the growth of Korean at OSU. The grants were nearing its end, and when it came time to look at the budget for CAS, a magnifying glass was put on the Korean program.
“I was shocked because I thought the class was starting to get more popular, but it was also really sad because it just became a minor,” Hatton said.
“We just had all these things come up. We just made OSU an official testing site for the language exam topic.”
Had the budget not been fit for the program, the class that started Hatton’s freshman year would be the only ones to have a minor in Korean at OSU.
Knowing this, the students on campus made their voices heard.
A petition was made with more than 250 signatures to keep the courses in Stillwater. Students made sure OSU saw how important Korean classes were to them. One student claimed it helped them communicate with their Korean relatives, something that at one point would not have been possible.
Thanks to the efforts of students and support of staff, Korean classes will remain on campus at OSU as a part of the main CAS budget. Erik Ekman, the department head of Languages and Literatures at OSU, ensured that Korean is not going anywhere.
“In general there is a lot of interest in Korean, so we think it will continue to grow,” Ekman said. “OSU Global is also working on additional study abroad and work abroad opportunities in Korea. I think we’ll be able to offer Korean as long as people want to take it.”
As the growth of Korean continues on campus, so will the fostering of its language, culture and ideas. Students within the program are hoping to continue the cycle of those wanting to broaden their horizons with the power of language, giving others food for the Seoul.
JOCELYNE PEREZ O’COLLY CONTRIBUTOR
Oklahoma State Hockey Club hosted a fundraiser at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity basketball court last Saturday.
The event featured eight fraternities and the groups raised money for the Wishes for Water Foundation.
The foundation finds accessible water sources, which helps create equal access to education for women in the Hurungwe School district of rural Zimbabwe.
The event began in Nov. 2023 when Thomas Lambo, one of the team’s players, suggested the idea.
Lambo asked OSU’s Brand Squad to help out. The event gave OSU students a chance to gain real world-experience contacting and working alongside corporations.
With the help of the Brand Squad, the event garnered sponsorships from local companies such as Daylight Donuts, Hideaway Pizza, Visit Stillwater and Kona Ice.
Alex Lyles, a member of Brand
Squad, was brought back on to assist in the event after helping with the first one in 2023. With his background of securing deals alongside Brand Squad, Lyles was the man for the job.
“Being a part of the Brand Squad has taught me a lot about securing a deal and the work that goes into it,” Lyles said. “Patience and persistence are really the name of the game.”
Lyles approached potential sponsors with a strategy. Through emails and phone calls, Lyles learned lessons in business. After letting go of a partnership with a company, Lyles said he believes it was the right choice.
“I learned from this experience that it could be hard to let a deal go, especially when you want it to work out,” Lyles said. “... but if an agreement is so lopsided in one direction, it’s best not to go with it and move on to the next opportunity.”
Lyles said planning the event has helped him professionally and personally,
“I always look at challenges as an opportunity for growth, and this tournament has done just that and more,” he said.
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HOWELL ASSISTANT NEWS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR
A camping trip at Lake Carl Blackwell turned into a nightmare for the mother of a 34-year-old Elk City man.
Tyler James Lee Edwards attacked his mother with a metal extension cord reel during the pair’s stay at a campsite on May 31.
The campsite and lake are in OSUPD’s jurisdiction as Lake Carl Blackwell is owned by Oklahoma State.
A woman called OSU police and said children at the campsite told her they thought someone had been murdered, according to an affidavit. When OSU police arrived, Edwards assaulted two police officers.
He was transported to Payne County Jail, where he has resided since. On March 18, he pleaded guilty to a count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault and battery of a police officer. He was sentenced to three consecutive 30-year sentences.
When OSU officers initially responded to the scene, Edwards was swimming in the lake. On the patrol car’s PA system, officer William Patterson ordered Edwards to come to the shore, according to an affidavit. After 15 min-
utes of swimming around, he finally approached the officers.
Edwards punched responding officer Briana Page. After several officers took Edwards to the ground, Patterson asked Edwards if he was on PCP, and he confirmed he was. The officers began escorting him to the LifeNet ambulance when he headbutted Patterson.
Officer Patterson wrote additional notes of what he found at the scene once Edwards was detained.
“There was a large pool of blood laying next to one of the tents with an extension cord reel laying inches from it,” his statement read. “The extension cord reel had hair that was mangled/ entangled in it. I confirmed that the reel was used by Tyler Edwards.”
The state originally held Edwards on the count of assault and battery by means and force likely to produce death for his attack on his mother, but amended it to assault with a deadly weapon.
Judge Michael Kulling found that the crime was not a “50% crime,” which refers to an offense where the convicted person must only serve 50% of their sentence before being eligible to earn credits for time off the total sentence. The court instead classified it as a “violent crime,” which typically requires 85% of the sentence to be served before credits can be counted, according to Wirth Law Office in Tulsa.
news.ed@ocolly.com
JACOB SELLERS
CONTRIBUTOR
April through June is the peak of tornado season in Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service.
Located in the basement of University Health Services is Oklahoma State’s Emergency Operations Center. The OSU PD facility is equipped with weather surveillance technology as well as communication tools to provide quick messaging to students and faculty.
Captain Dan Ray leads the Emergency Operations Center. He and his staff work closely with several university departments — including athletics and residential life — to relay information about severe weather, especially during an immediate threat.
“During the wildfires we had, at minimum, two members of crisis communications and brand management teams down here, and at times we had even more than that,” Ray said.
Stillwater has not been significantly affected by a tornado in recent years, however the city is at a higher risk than the state and national averages for tornado damage.
Ray said Stillwater residents tend to grow less cautious of the threat of tornados the longer they live here, as tornado warnings become commonplace.
“We get numb to messaging fatigue or information fatigue,” Ray said.
Travis Eastman, the public safety communications supervisor for OSU PD, said it’s crucial that all students and faculty are aware of what resources are available in emergency weather scenarios.
“Know where you would go at any time,” Eastman said.
While the Emergency Operations Center monitors for a variety of potential threats to campus, multiple radar systems are monitored constantly.
One system utilized in the facility is primarily for lightning detection, while another software provides current and historic radar data. The team also has access to national weather forum, which is utilized by meteorologists across the country.
The team also works closely with the National Weather Service in Norman.
For more than 40 years, the Oklahoma School of Meteorology and OSU Agriculture have collaborated on gathering data for Mesonet, a public website that has weather information from soil temperatures to wind and atmospheric data.
The technology is only one aspect of understanding weather conditions. Interpreting the data, comparing interpretations among experts and effectively messaging that data must be done accurately and in a timely manner.
For Ray and Eastman, informing students of the appropriate action to take in case of a severe weather emergency is crucial for public safety on campus.
“I wish I could give every parent of students a tour of this facility,” Eastman said.
Eastman said he understands parents send their children here from out of state, so severe weather threats may look different for them. He believes knowledge of the resources the university has as part of the emergency communications center would put parents’ minds at ease.
“I always hope for not busy, but we’re always prepared for busy,” Eastman said.
Ray encourages students to visit the university’s public safety webpage, which includes a map for areas of refuge as well as tips on weather preparedness.
“It lists out what people should do and where to get information from, where the areas of refuge are on campus, all that stuff which is very important to make sure for when the storm hits that you look at,” Ray said.
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had to be below the knee, no spaghetti straps and definitely nothing revealing. Once she got to college, she formed her own dress code, though.
She thought the Bible was a dictionary. Now, she knows the Bible can be found in a person.
Isabella Lindsey, an Oklahoma State psychology major, grew up in an Episcopalian family, but she didn’t know Jesus. She barely knew the inside of her church.
Her family attended church on only Easter or Christmas, sometimes neither. On the occasions she found herself listening to a sermon, she counted down the minutes until she could leave. She was taught the Bible was like a dictionary — you used it to look something up, not to read like a book.
“I loved drinking, I loved smoking, I loved anything that would numb any pain that I was feeling, and I let that be my God for a really long time,” Lindsey said of her freshman year of college. “I let other people’s opinions of me be God, just anything but Jesus.”
After hitting rock bottom in college, Lindsey saw God for the first time, she said. It was in a friend from high school who invited Lindsey to her baptism, despite Lindsey wronging her in the past. She craved the light she saw in her friend.
And when she found it, she transformed.
“But now that my identity is rooted in Christ, my outward appearance looks different, and Jesus has reminded me of who He created me to be,” Lindsey said.
Unlike some religions, Christianity doesn’t have a cut-and-dry dress code. Some OSU students argue it provides guidance, though, and college helped them develop a faith-based fashion sense.
Lindsey considers herself a billboard for Jesus. She often promotes him through shirts that have Bible verses on them, and she even decorates her car in them.
“I literally am the only Bible that some people are gonna read, and I think clothing is a great way to express that,” Lindsey said.
Camryn Grabeal, a biosystems engineering major, took advantage of the freedom she found at college. She grew up Pentecostal, and her parents were strict about what she could wear. Skirts
“‘Are guys gonna look at me in this? How much attention can I get? What kind of compliments do I think I’m gonna get from this?’” she wondered when she got dressed in the morning. She said toxic relationships skewed her sense of modesty, but modesty isn’t all about what clothes one wears. It’s about one’s heart.
Her parents helped her get her modesty back on track by sending her to a Christian camp in Colorado over the summer.
“And in my brain, I felt like I was being exiled because I thought my parents were sending me here as a last-ditch resort to save their kid,” Grabeal said. “And I was like, ‘I’m not that bad.’ I was, in fact, that bad.”
Now, Grabeal is usually wearing a pair of Wranglers and a T-shirt, a reflection of her farm-girl background. She likes to wear clothes that are feminine and classy.
Reagan Haynes, a nutrition science major, also tapped into the feminine side of fashion at college. A gym rat and military member, she has two modes: fitness and feminine.
“Through Jesus, I have kind of tapped into my femininity a little more, and I have started liking dresses a lot more, and like going to church, I definitely dress a lot differently or going out with the girls,” Haynes said.
Like Lindsey, Haynes grew up going to church only on major holidays. She never had a relationship with God, and she didn’t care to. She tried her best to fit in and do what others were doing.
“I found my worth in clothes, or my worth in myself through my clothes, for the attention I got from my clothes and from guys,” Haynes said. She had to be the best dressed at every party, which to her, meant wearing the least amount of clothes possible.
The three students don’t dress identically, but they share the same inspiration: Jesus.
“But Jesus, I was so loved by him that I naturally just couldn’t wear that stuff anymore,” Haynes said. “It wasn’t something that I felt like I was forced to give up. I just was so loved by him I didn’t need to be loved by guys anymore.”
Oklahoma State’s Turning Point USA Chapter hosted Charlie Kirk at International Mall Lawn on Tuesday:
TOP LEFT: OSU wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson talks to the crowd about the greatness of Stillwater.
TOP RIGHT: A protester speaks through a megaphone.
MIDDLE LEFT: Charlie Kirk throws MAGA hats into the crowd.
MIDDLE: A Turning Point USA member waves the American flag.
MIDDLE RIGHT: Charlie Kirk debates a student.
BOTTOM LEFT: A student holds a ZYN container.
BOTTOM RIGHT: An attendee on another’s shoulders.
DANIEL ALLEN STAFF REPORTER
@DANIELALLEN1738
Days after David Taylor was hired as Oklahoma State wrestling’s coach in May, he established a recurrent sentiment.
Belief.
Time to utilize the transfer portal was minimal. Recruiting battles were in full throttle, with Taylor describing the process as “a complete whirlwind.” Individual workouts in Gallagher-Iba Arena’s wrestling room were often the only form of practice Taylor and his staff could implement.
Still, as Taylor hoped, OSU’s
wrestlers believed — in one another and in Taylor’s message.
“We talked about it at the beginning of the year and throughout the year, just talking about resetting your expectations,” Taylor said. “I think that’s what we did as a program.
“I think it’s just constantly reminding (our wrestlers), ‘Hey, there’s a better way to do things. There’s a bigger picture. Make sure we’re not selling ourselves short.’”
That was on display during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia two weeks ago. In his first season at the helm, Taylor led the Cowboys to a third-place finish,
their best since 2021. That built upon the foundation predecessor John Smith laid with a 10thplace finish a year ago after the worst two-year postseason stretch in program history the two years prior.
“It’s been a really fulfilling year,” Taylor said. “Just helping these guys achieve their goals and our team, it definitely is a good way to get our (program) getting going.”
The Cowboys’ 102.5 team points were 16.5 behind secondplace Nebraska and 74.5 behind first-place Penn State, which broke the record for team points, eclipsing its 172.5 total last season.
DANIEL ALLEN STAFF REPORTER
@DANIELALLEN1738
Gabe Davis frustratedly walked off the pitcher’s mound, uncertain if he’d return the next inning.
Midway through the second inning of a March 7 series opener against Illinois State, Davis — Oklahoma State baseball’s ace pitcher to begin the season — was greeted with a mixture of boos and cheers from fans at O’Brate Stadium.
Three walks, two hit batters and one hit later, the then twowin Redbirds held a three-run lead that was more commanding than it might have initially felt. Davis had thrown his last inning of the night, exposing the young and inexperienced Cowboy bullpen, and Illinois State’s offense was only getting started in an eventual 12-6 thrashing of OSU.
It was a familiar look for the Cowboys this season.
Sparse offensive production from a lineup that experts and fans thought to be one of coach Josh Holliday’s best in his 13 seasons as OSU’s leading man. Recurrent errors. Inconsistency from the pitching staff as a whole. All of it has contributed to
the Cowboys’ disastrous 12-14 (1-6 Big 12) start to the season — the worst under Holliday — as a scorching-hot Kansas State (20-8, 8-1) team comes to Stillwater this weekend for a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.
Davis’ lack of efficiency on the mound, however, has been the ultimate dagger. After his struggles against Illinois State, Davis was slotted back down to the bullpen, where he spent most of the past two seasons.
Former Hawaii transfer and left-hander Harrison Bodendorf has since taken over as OSU’s ace, and Holliday and pitching coach Rob Walton have spent most of the past three weeks toying with potential starting rotations.
“Any time you have to make a change to the rotation or roster midseason, there’s going to be some learning curves,” Bodendorf said. “For me, it’s learning how to embrace that Friday night role whenever I get it. For the other guys in the rotation, it’s about finding themselves and getting comfortable within their new slots. It’s part of baseball.”
Easier said than done, though.
A preseason third-team All-American according to D1Baseball, Davis garnered immense preseason hype and
Hoyt’s commitment to making Cowgirl hoops great validates her revised contract with OSU
Column
Wait, what? Why is Jacie Hoyt giving a bunch of fraternity guys and sorority girls her phone number?
Yup, you read that right. On Oct. 16, 2023, the Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach read off her digits to a jam-packed Student Union Theater. It was a Monday night, and Greek students were in the Union for what is commonly known around OSU’s campus as “Oh Sh*t Night.”
a plethora of accolades. Many MLB Draft projections tabbed him as a likely top-three-round selection this summer. Some even deemed him a potential first-rounder with his towering 6-foot-9 stature, broad shoulders, a fastball that can hit triple digits and a dazzling power slider that has been such an efficient wipeout pitch in years past. However, so far this season, Davis’ inconsistency on the mound has resurfaced. In three starts and six total appearances, Davis has a 5.52 ERA and .237 opponent batting average through 14 2/3 innings pitched. That came after a career-best sophomore season in 2024, when Davis logged a 4.17 ERA, .217 opponent batting average and 55 strikeouts.
If Davis were panning out as OSU’s ace, the Cowboys’ offense might not be such a glaring blemish.
A year ago, with the core of lefty Sam Garcia, righty Brian Holiday, righty Janzen Keisel and two-way star Carson Benge, OSU compiled a Big 12-best 4.08 team ERA. That bought OSU’s lineup — which struggled in the early stages of the season — time to find a groove. And when it did, the Cowboys caught fire and went on a tear in the second half of the season.
The night is to kick off “Freshman Follies,” an event where Greek houses pair together and their new members put on a cheesy show; the unofficial title of the night comes from the idea that casts leave the rehearsal after watching everyone else’s show thinking, “Oh, sh*t, we got a chance to win,” or “Oh, sh*t, we’re screwed.”
But back to Hoyt. To hype up the students before their night of performing for each other, she gave the cast members and directors some motivation before imploring them
to come to Cowgirl basketball games. She said she wanted them to talk trash, be rowdy and bring some of the energy she felt in the room that night. She wanted to become close with these students — so much so that she gave them her phone number and told them if they needed anything to let her know. It didn’t really make sense. One can only imagine the messages Hoyt got from the fraternity guys in the room or how many sorority girls who weren’t in the room ended up with the coach’s number because it got sent into a group chat. But what was clear then was Hoyt’s commitment to trying to get those students to Gallagher-Iba Arena and have them carry the energy in the theater with them. It was so important that she purposefully gave out her phone number. That kind of commitment has led Hoyt and Co. to success in her three seasons in Stillwater. Which is why it’s no surprise she landed a new contract to stay.
On Wednesday, OSU agreed to the terms of a new deal with Hoyt. The deal was originally reported by On3 and later confirmed by OSU’s social media. Even better for Hoyt, it was on her 38th birthday. Not a bad gift.
See HOYT on page 5B
as Owens, Stribling and Leon Johnson III, among others. He’s also dealt with several injuries, including two broken collarbones.
Heading into last season, wide receiver was one of the position groups where Oklahoma State football brought back several key contributors.
Those players are mostly gone. Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens exhausted their eligibility, while De’Zhaun Stribling transferred to Ole Miss. Presley is the Cowboys’ alltime leading receiver, and Owens and Stribling combined for 2,490 yards across the past two seasons.
Now, as OSU prepares for 2025, its wideouts aren’t highly experienced in orange and black. The Cowboys have a couple of pass catchers who have shown flashes in Stillwater to go with several new faces.
Here’s a look at some of the Cowboys’ key wideouts:
Gavin Freeman
Although replicating Presley is a tall task, Freeman’s skill set allows him to do damage in a similar way.
Like Presley, Freeman is undersized at 5-foot-8 but has great speed and is a twitchy, make-you-miss type of runner once he gets the ball. He’s also already had a role in the puntand kick-return game.
Freeman played in OSU’s first four games last season after transferring from Oklahoma but sat out the remainder of the year to maintain a redshirt. He caught six passes for 45 yards and totaled 163 yards on eight kickoff returns.
Talyn Shettron
There’s never been a better time for Shettron at OSU.
A redshirt junior, Shettron has been a Cowboy for three seasons but was behind talented wideouts such
Now, nobody is stopping Shettron from being a go-to guy. He played in nine games last season and hauled in 12 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. Shettron is 6-foot-2 and can fly down the field, which could allow him to be a key vertical threat in new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham’s system.
Jaylen Lloyd Lloyd gives OSU another receiver who can do damage with speed.
An Omaha native, Lloyd spent the first two seasons of his career with Nebraska and caught 19 passes for 492 yards and three touchdowns as a Cornhusker. Eight of his career catches have gained at least 25 yards, with longs of 73, 66, 59 and 58 yards.
Shamar Rigby
Like Lloyd, Rigby comes to the Cowboys with Big Ten Conference experience.
Rigby played one season at Purdue and appeared in all 12 games with six starts. He caught 11 passes for 113 yards with a 29-yard catch. At 6-foot3, Rigby is one of the bigger Cowboy receivers and is a versatile weapon out wide.
Others Although Freeman, Shettron, Lloyd and Rigby are notable, it’s unknown if they’ll be the top four Cowboy receivers. OSU and Meacham have other options who could emerge.
Da’Wain Lofton and Ayo Shotomide-King were each on last season’s team and are back on the 2025 squad. Nonetheless, the Cowboys could bring in additional receiver help once the spring transfer portal window opens April 25.
Oklahoma State football won’t have a GM; Mike Gundy says ‘I just feel like that’s my job’
DANIEL ALLEN STAFF REPORTER
Nowadays in college football, general managers have become common.
Throughout the offseason, prominent programs have opted to hire general managers to oversee operations and scout high school and potential transfer portal personnel separately from the coaching staff.
North Carolina hired seasoned NFL front office executive Michael Lombardi. Stanford got former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. California hired former NFL coach Ron Rivera. And so on.
Oklahoma State football, however, won’t hire a designated general manager for the foreseeable future, coach Mike Gundy told reporters Tuesday afternoon at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.
“We don’t have a general manager — I feel like I’m our general manager,” Gundy said. “... I know most schools are going to a general manager, which is basically taking over for the head coach and doing 75% of what he does. But I’m not comfortable with that. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. I just feel like that’s my job.”
The idea behind a GM is to free up availability for head coaches, allowing them to slot into more of a CEO role to oversee a football program. Instead, Gundy said he will maintain all scouting and evaluation responsibilities. Director of Football Recruiting Todd Bradford and Director of Football Business Kenyetta Wright will hold separate roles on staff, with Gundy adding that he anticipates Bradford and Wright being
forced to structure their own staffs in correlation with their roles.
“Kenyatta’s staff is gonna have to build, and Todd’s staff is gonna have to grow,” Gundy said. “The coaches are gonna have to do both (recruit and scout). It’s just the way it is.”
The Cowboys are coming off a 3-9 season — the worst under Gundy and their first losing season since 2005 — which included an 0-9 conference record and OSU’s first winless conference season since 1991.
One week after a 52-0 loss to Colorado in Boulder — the largest margin of defeat suffered under Gundy — Gundy fired coordinators Kasey Dunn and Bryan Nardo. In came Doug Meacham from TCU to run the offense and Todd Grantham from the New Orleans Saints to run the defense. Shortly after came a roster overhaul, which included 23 additions from the transfer portal and seven from junior colleges.
That led to Gundy calling the month following his team’s season finale “the most difficult December” of his coaching career.
The business element of college football has become more fickle than ever with the addition of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal. Many schools have hired a general manager to assist the head coach with those business elements of the sport. Gundy, however, is bucking that trend.
“I work more now than I have ever done,” Gundy said. “And pretty much every (other college coach) is in the same situation.
“What does a general manager do at this level? The same thing as the head coach. I’m just comfortable doing it. That’s my job.”
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Alex Dieringer, wrestling, 201316
Before Wyatt Hendrickson’s win Monday, Dieringer was the most recent Cowboy to win the Dan Hodge Trophy — the wrestling equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Oklahoma State athletics is making six additions to its Hall of Honor.
On Tuesday, OSU announced the inductees of the 2025 class: Hart Lee Dykes (football), Earl McCready nd Alex Dieringer (wrestling), Jaime Foutch (softball), Viktor Hovland (golf) and Arlen Clark (basketball).
The six new members will join the 87 existing members of OSU’s Hall of Honor and will be inducted Sept. 26. Here’s a look at each former OSU athlete.
Hart Lee Dykes, football, 198588 Dykes was a consensus All-American wide receiver who went on to be a first-round NFL draft pick by the New England Patriots.
In his OSU career, Dykes caught 224 passes for 3,510 yards. He finished his career as the Big Eight Conference’s career receiving leader and set a Big Eight record in 1988 with 1,441 yards.
Dykes’ teams went 36-11, and the 1988 team averaged 530.4 total yards of offense.
Earl McCready, wrestling, 1928-30
Several of McCready’s feats will make your eyes pop.
McCready, regarded as the first great collegiate heavyweight wrestler, won every match for three years. He also wrestled in the first three NCAA tournaments and won the championship each year, becoming the first three-time national champion.
A 1977 inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, McCready was also a 1928 Olympian and a three-time All-American.
Dieringer also won three straight NCAA championships from 2014-16 and won four Big 12 championships in his career. He finished his career 133-4 and went 66-0 over his last two seasons.
Jaime Foutch, softball, 1996-99
Foutch, a former outfielder and first baseman, was a first-team AllBig 12 selection in each of her four seasons as a Cowgirl.
Foutch also became the first OSU softball player to be a three-time AllAmerican and helped the Cowgirls reach the Women’s College World Series in 1998, where they finished fourth. Foutch batted .401 in her career and set OSU career records in hits, runs batted in, doubles, home runs and total bases.
Viktor Hovland, golf, 2016-19
Hovland won the Ben Hogan Award in 2019 as the national player of the year and helped the Cowboys win the 2018 NCAA team title.
The 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year, Hovland also was low amateur at The Masters and the U.S. Open in 2019 and is a multi-time Olympian. He has two European Tour wins and two additional professional wins under his belt.
Arlen Clark, men’s basketball, 1956-59
A two-time All-American, Clark averaged 20.4 points as a senior and helped OSU go 21-8 and be ranked as high as No. 6 the season prior.
Clark was a knock-down freethrow shooter at 6-foot-8, setting a record for consecutive free throws made in a single game and for freethrow percentage in a single game (24 for 24) that still holds today.
better (this year) when it came to learning the playbook and, you know, understanding the offense and doing stuff,” Hejny said. “It’s an air-raid offense. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about his offense, and I like to throw the ball around.”
Mass changes swept Oklahoma State football during the offseason. Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo were fired and replaced by Doug Meacham and Todd Grantham, respectively. With new coordinators come new systems, and on the offensive side, that could look like a throwback to the air raid system of days past.
Meacham’s most notable college experience comes from his days as TCU’s co-offensive coordinator from 2014-16, when he was crucial in elevating the Horned Frogs into one of the nation’s elite offensive programs. Now, after a season in which he was the inside receivers coach at TCU and OSU had one of the most disappointing seasons in program history, both sides will be looking to turn back the clock to brighter, more prosperous days.
That process starts now, in the spring.
“I love it,” quarterback Garret Rangel said. “He wants to throw the ball on almost every play: I love that. We have the keys to the car, which is how it should be.”
The most important thing in determining the success of Meacham’s offense is figuring out who will be behind center. OSU has four quarterbacks on the roster, all with a legitimate case for the starting job.
A mobile quarterback who can extend plays and throw the ball downfield has been at the center of Meacham’s most successful offenses, notably Trevone Boykin.
Although it’s unlikely that anyone in OSU’s quarterback room will blossom into Boykin before next season, TCU transfer Hauss Hejny has the most similar style.
Hejny hasn’t thrown a pass in college, but he has displayed his mobility and was a highly ranked prospect coming out of high school. And he spent a year with Meacham at TCU, giving him a leg up on the language of the offense.
“First day of spring ball was a lot
Although quarterback is the biggest question mark looming over the OSU offense, other positions have felt the adjustment as well.
OSU’s wide receiver room is dealing with replacing a trio of stars in Brennan Presley, De’Zhaun Stribling and Rashod Owens. OSU brought in a slew of transfers at the position. It’s been an offseason of “new” for the Cowboys’ receivers, but the excitement for playing in a more explosive offense is palpable.
“High-scoring offense,” junior receiver Gavin Freeman said. “Air raid type stuff.”
OSU is also replacing Ollie Gordon II with a group of inexperienced backs. On the offensive line, the Cowboys are replacing all five starters. There are changes all over the OSU offense, but sophomore tight end Josh Ford is slated to retain his spot as the starter.
Tight ends played an interesting role in Dunn’s offense. Often referred to as a “Cowboy back,” the position seemed to change with who happened to fill it at that moment.
Meacham’s offenses don’t have a history of heavily involving the tight end, but with an inexperienced receiver room and Ford’s flashes of potential, Meacham could make adjustments.
Regardless of his eventual stats, Ford made it clear that he was a good find by Coach Mike Gundy and his staff last year.
“We didn’t install things fast at all,” Ford said. “It was very slow, but it was very well thought out and well taught. We, as tight ends, understand the concepts very well.”
It was clear that OSU needed a change, and Gundy made it. Now, it’s up to Meacham to prove that change was worth it.
“(We) want to be really aggressive,” quarterback Maealiuaki Smith said. “We feel like we can take some shots and be aggressive with our guys outside and run the ball as well. Be aggressive.”
But what made Taylor’s inaugural campaign so “fulfilling,” he said, was the individual results. The Cowboys sent three wrestlers to the finals round and came away with two champions — 125-pounder Troy Spratley was the lone wrestler to suffer defeat, courtesy of a 2-1 loss to North Carolina State’s Vincent Robinson.
At 174, Dean Hamiti Jr. upset topseeded Keegan O’Toole of Missouri via a 4-1 sudden-victory decision, becoming OSU’s first individual national champion since AJ Ferrari in 2021. Two bouts later, Wyatt Hendrickson secured a last-second takedown to dethrone Minnesota’s top-seeded Gable Steveson for a 5-4 decision to secure the heavyweight title — a match that broadcaster and former OSU wrestler Daniel Cormier called “the greatest upset in history.”
Of the nine wrestlers who competed in the national tournament, six clinched All-American honors, with Caleb Fish (157), Cam Amine (165) and Dustin Plott (184) joining Spratley, Hamiti Jr. and Hendrickson. That gave OSU its highest AllAmerican total since 2014.
Taylor’s emphasis on belief came to fruition at a pivotal time. His wrestlers bought in and reaped their rewards.
Thus, there wasn’t a moment of doubt lingering throughout the roster.
“(I thought it was possible) the moment I got here,” Hamiti Jr. said. “... Coach Taylor preaches what he means. We just follow what he says.”
The Cowboys cruised through their regular-season competition, finishing 13-1 with wins against 10 ranked opponents and averaging a 23.14 margin of victory. Their lone defeat came to second-ranked Iowa via a 21-16 loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Feb. 23, but it was a dual Taylor retrospectively called winnable. And had it not been for an An -
gelo Ferrari upset win against Plott at 184, OSU might have downed its rival Hawkeyes for the first time since 2019.
Shortly after came OSU’s first Big 12 title in three years.
“We’re just trying to be the best that we can be,” Taylor said. “If that’s becoming a national champion — that’s the pinnacle — then that’s great. If that’s becoming an All-American, then that’s great, too.
I think we set our standards high, and we’re going to continue to hold our guys to those standards.”
“I think it was a good year, and we learned a lot. We set a really good foundation.”
A foundation Taylor said will further materialize in the coming years.
Hendrickson, Hamiti Jr., Amine and Fish, all transfer portal additions, made profound impacts in one season at OSU. Taylor has already secured a transfer portal commitment from former Iowa State All-American Casey Swiderski, and given OSU’s seven departing starters from this year’s lineup, more portal additions are likely. Taylor also has pledges from Jax Forrest and Dreshaun Ross, the No. 2 and No. 3 pound-for-pound recruits in the 2026 class, respectively.
As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” The Penn State dynasty was unlikely to be dethroned in one season. The Nittany Lions, winners of the past four NCAA team titles and 12 of the past 14, aren’t losing their stranglehold on college wrestling anytime soon. But a swift turnaround gives Taylor and Co. some momentum in the chase for the sport’s mountaintop.
Taylor’s foundation has been set. His blueprint is clear. Now, OSU fans can finally relish the opportunity to look toward next season and the years to come.
“Stillwater is a special place,” Hendrickson said. “There’s something special going on here.”
After heavywight title victory, Hendrickson is newest member of OSU athletics Mount Rushmore
touchdowns in the Cowboys’ game in Tokyo. His lowest total was 154 yards in a 49-21 victory over Missouri when he still found the end zone twice.
Column
If Wyatt Hendrickson’s heavyweight wrestling title wasn’t enough, Monday’s news solidified his place on Oklahoma State athletics’ Mount Rushmore.
Hendrickson won the Dan Hodge Trophy, the award given to the nation’s best wrestler. Think of it as the Heisman Trophy of wrestling if you don’t know much about the sport on the mat.
He became the Cowboys’ third wrestler to win the award (Steve Mocco in 2005 and Alex Dieringer in 2016). Hendrickson’s coach, David Taylor, won the award in 2012.
Aside from his seismic upset of Gable Steveson at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Hendrickson also had a 27-0 record in his last collegiate season. After four years wrestling with Air Force, Hendrickson transferred to OSU and became the Big 12 Wrestler of the Year and… well, the overall wrestler of the year.
The greatest OSU wrestling season ever? Yup. The Steveson upset is a large reason Hendrickson’s face has a reserved spot on the hypothetical fourperson monument.
As for the other three spots? Here is the rest of The O’Colly’s OSU athletics Mount Rushmore, based on an athlete’s best singular season:
Barry Sanders, football
The Heisman Trophy was the comparison for the Hodge, so it’s only right that OSU’s only football player to win the prestigious award is here.
That, and because Barry Sanders’ 1988 season might be the greatest ever by an OSU athlete. He ran for 2,628 yards, had four games with more than 300 yards and totaled 39 touchdowns.
Sanders topped out at 332 yards in the regular-season finale, a 45-42 victory against Texas Tech. He had four
So, yeah, Sanders was great. For those outside of Stillwater, he’s known as OSU’s greatest athlete. He’s the best player in the school’s history for the biggest sport.
But for those in Stillwater, he’s that, too.
Alex Dieringer, wrestling
Dieringer was mentioned earlier as one of the Cowboy wrestlers who previously won the Hodge, and he has found his way on the list.
No offense to Mocco, but he won’t make the cut. No offense to wrestling, either, but that would be a lot of singlets on the OSU Mount Rushmore. Mocco does have a case, but the four-person hierarchy only has two reserved spots. Back to Dieringer. In the 2015-16 season, he went 33-0 and took out four ranked wrestlers in the NCAA Tournament en route to what was a second consecutive title. The No. 1 165-pounder (a title he had the whole season) defeated No. 2 Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin in the finals.
Dieringer’s season might be second to Hendrickson’s in OSU history, but he still did enough to have one of the four best athletic years in Stillwater.
Justin Blackmon, football Yes, it’s a two-sport list. Whoops. Before getting to Blackmon, Cade Cunningham, Matthew Wolff and John Smith were among the next batch of athletes who missed the cut.
But when thinking about what Blackmon did in 2010, a season that’s widely regarded as one of the best at the wide receiver position, he can’t be left off. With 1,859 scrimmage yards (1,782 receiving) and 21 total touchdowns (20 receiving), Blackmon won the first of his two Fred Biletnikoff Awards and was a unanimous first-team All-American. And last Thursday, it was announced that Blackmon will be the sixth addition to OSU football’s Ring of Honor. He’ll be inducted at halftime of the Cowboys’ Nov. 15 matchup against Kansas State.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
Despite a disappointing first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, the timing of a new deal for Hoyt makes sense. Since she arrived from Kansas City in 2022, the Cowgirls are 60-35 (31-23 Big 12) and have made the Big Dance twice (2023, 2025).
Of the three marquee winter sports, Hoyt is the longest-tenured coach. Men’s basketball coach Steve Lutz was hired last April, and David Taylor was hired in May to lead wrestling. She’s quickly become a recognizable and liked face on campus, both for her personality and for making women’s basketball legitimately relevant in Stillwater.
At times this season, GIA was more packed and more amped for women’s hoops than men’s. It’s because of what Hoyt has built, and in giving her a deserved contract extension and raise, OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg and Co. are betting on her to keep building, which seems like a safe — and smart — bet. Entering this season, eyes were on Hoyt to prove herself.
In her first season in Stillwater, she led the Cowgirls to the NCAA Tournament and a 21-12 record. Hoyt was Weiberg’s first hire as AD. Immediately, it looked like the right call.
Riding high into the 2023-24 season — the one before which Hoyt stood in the theater pleading the Greeks to come support her squad — the Cowgirls came crashing down. Injuries and other roster issues led to a 14-16 record.
Suddenly, there were two different paths for Hoyt to go. It seemed like one of her first two seasons was a fluke, but it was unclear which one.
And now, after her third season, her down year seems like the fluke. The Cowgirls went 25-7 this season and established themselves as an attraction in GIA. Even in Hoyt’s other successful season, her team didn’t get the same kind of fan reception this most recent squad did.
It showed in OSU’s wins, too.
Home victories over No. 9 TCU and No. 17 West Virginia were byproducts of the increased support her program has received.
And now, with a new contract, OSU can feel good about keeping Hoyt around and fan support continuing to rise.
On the court, Hoyt has proved she deserves it. Off the court, whether it be through grabbing a microphone and addressing fans after every game or giving out her phone number to students, she’s deserved it for a couple of years now. Her impact was made on OSU students early; it was just up to her teams to win some ball games so she could keep connecting with students.
Now, Hoyt, officially a year older, can continue hitting the transfer portal hard, knowing she’s secure at OSU — the place she’s been pushing to become great. In a small sample size, it looks like she can do it.
And if fans need more proof, she might have happy birthday texts from OSU’s Greek community to back it up.
TIMOTHY CHRISTENSEN
STAFF REPORTER
Oklahoma State equestrian earned its fifth consecutive Big 12 title Saturday afternoon.
An 11-8 victory over No. 1 TCU at Bear Creek Farms in Fort Worth, Texas, extended the Cowgirls’ record for most Big 12 titles in a row. It also brought OSU’s overall Big 12 trophy count to 11.
Riley Hogan was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in Fences after an undefeated performance.
The Horned Frogs defeated No. 4 Fresno State 15-4 to make it to the finals. No. 2 OSU had a tougher round as it survived No. 3 Baylor 11-9 to join the Horned Frogs in the final meet.
The matchup was probably déjà vu for the Cowgirls after they competed against the Horned Frogs in the finals last season.
In both cases, OSU went into the meet having gone 0-2 against TCU in the regular season.
The Cowgirls had a strong first half and led 7-3 going into halftime.
The Horned Frogs answered with a 4-1 run in the Flat portion, bringing OSU’s lead down to one.
The team’s loss of a cushion in its lead didn’t bring it down, however. With three of the five riders winning in the Reigning portion and one tying, OSU was once again able to bring a Big 12 championship back to Stillwater.
The Cowgirls will head to Ocala, Florida, next to compete for the national title.
The tournament starts April 17.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
CALIF PONCY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @PONCYCALIF
Receiving interest from schools across the world, Anna Gret Asi was unsure of her next move.
A native of Tartu, Estonia, Asi was prepared to come to the United States to play basketball at a high level, but she was unsure of where.
New Incarnate Word coach and former Oklahoma State women’s basketball assistant Jhasmin Player tried to ease her conscience with a letter to Asi and her mom, Kaire.
“Anna Gret was very young,” Kaire said. “Jhasmin wrote me, ‘You have a very clever and very good basketball player daughter.’ She wrote me time after time when she couldn’t talk to Anna Gret (because of NCAA rules). She wanted to help Anna Gret find a better place to go.”
Asi’s experience with Player is one that many share. And it’s what OSU women’s hoops is losing.
Before she became the head coach at IWU, Player was OSU coach Jacie Hoyt’s lead assistant, specializing in international recruiting and playing a role in the Cowgirls’ success in landing foreign-born players.
Asi, Lior Garzon, Praise Egharevba and Maria Anais Rodriguez all got their starts in basketball overseas. Now, with Player off to run her own program, OSU is forced to fill a large hole.
While an undeniable blow, Player’s departure was far from a surprise.
“It’s only a matter of time, I hate to say it, before she is a head coach,” Hoyt said in December.
Hoyt did more than just say that Player was destined for a higher role; she proved she believed it.
When Hoyt missed time while pregnant and eventually when giving birth to her daughter, Harlow, Hoyt handed the reins to Player, who coached the Cowgirls during the Daytona Beach Classic,
a two-day tournament in which OSU defeated Arkansas and lost to Richmond. She also acted as coach during the Cowgirls’ 51-point win over McNeese State.
Eventually, Hoyt returned to her post, but those three games, in combination with years of building her reputation as a recruiter, set the stage for Player to make the jump from assistant to head coach.
Before her stint as the associate head coach at OSU, Player spent extensive time as an assistant all over the country following her playing career, which is where she developed a lot of her connections in Europe.
“She’s probably the most disciplined, hardest assistant I’ve ever had,” Hoyt said.
Player’s on-court ability became clear to Hoyt through the games she coached, her role in practice and her relationships with OSU’s players. Some of those relationships were built once the player got to campus, but others — like the relationship between Player and Asi — go back to before either was in Stillwater.
“After my Arizona year, I lost all trust; everything was just a big, dark hole,” Asi said. “And (Player) kind of saw a little light in there.”
Assistant coaches leaving isn’t new to college sports. It is often a sacrifice of having a successful program. If you are doing something right, someone will want to break off a piece of that.
Fortunately and unfortunately for OSU, Player took on a larger role than most assistants ever do during her time with the Cowgirls. Just as Hoyt predicted at the start of the season, Player is in charge of her own team, and the Cowgirls are left with a hole on the sideline that will be difficult to fill.
“EARNED! So proud of you (Player) I am forever grateful for our ride together, but it’s time for you to go shine your light my friend,” Hoyt wrote in a post on X.
Lutz is going to have a transfer-heavy roster again next season.
Catherine Dzanski
Kayser reported. Last season, McHenry averaged 17 points and was the engine of WKU’s offense.
ADDING
Tyla Heard, guard/forward, Oral Roberts
Does the last name sound familiar?
The 5-foot-11 Heard is coming to Stillwater to join her superstar sister, Stailee Heard.
It’s transfer portal season.
Coming off of his first season as Oklahoma State men’s basketball coach, Steve Lutz is going to have to turn to the portal, something he’s grown familiar with in his four seasons as a head man.
OSU has yet to pick up a commitment, but it’s been reported as being involved with several prospects currently in the portal. Some of the notable prospects who OSU could be looking to add:
Isaiah Coleman, guard, Seton Hall
The only prospect to have visited Stillwater so far, according to Sam Kayser of League Ready. Coleman is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Coleman, a former four-star recruit, has two years of eligibility remaining and has experience in a tough conference after spending his first two seasons in the Big East.
“The Pokes have been aggressive in the portal even though they haven’t quite pulled anybody in just yet,” Kayser said. Isaiah Coleman, a 6-foot-5 guard from Seton Hall, is the main name I’d say to watch if I’m an Oklahoma State basketball fan, Coleman took an official visit to Oklahoma State earlier this week and is one of the better-scoring two-guards in the portal. The activity level will remain high as we get deeper into April.”
Outside of Bryce Thompson, OSU lacked a go-to scorer last season. If it were to be able to secure Coleman, it would cross that off the list.
Don McHenry, guard, Western Kentucky
McHenry, who played under Lutz at WKU, is an elite scoring guard, but OSU has steep competition to land his services. He has one year of eligibility left.
McHenry is receiving interest from USC, DePaul, Arizona State, Wake Forest and West Virginia, among others,
He was also a key part of the Hilltoppers’ NCAA Tournament appearance under Lutz. Brandon Newman, McHenry’s former teammate, followed Lutz to Stillwater and was a role player for the Cowboys last season.
Should Lutz beat out the competition and draw his former star to OSU, he would fit the same mold as Coleman as an aggressive, shot-seeking lead guard.
Josh Harris, foward, North Florida
The first forward on the list, Harris is a sought-after prospect, but he fits the bill of what Lutz looks for from his wings.
Standing 6-foot-8, Harris has three years of eligibility remaining and averaged 13 points and 7.1 rebounds as a freshman at North Florida. Harris was efficient inside the arc, hitting 55.7% of his shots from the field. While he has displayed the ability to hit 3s, he is still growing in that area, as he shot 33% from outside.
OSU will have to fend off several reputable schools to land Harris, as Kayser has reported that Harris has also heard from Kansas State, Xavier, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and more since hitting the portal.
With Pat Suemnick and Chi Chi Avery out of eligibility, OSU is in desperate need of forwards, and Harris would be a good get with time to grow into a difference maker at the Big 12 level.
Marquel Sutton, forward, Omaha
The reigning Summit League Player of the Year, Sutton has already visited Kansas State and was set to visit LSU on Wednesday, Kayser reported, but Lutz has thrown his hat in the ring for a big fish.
Sutton was the best player for an Omaha team that made the NCAA Tournament this season, and he would bring a scoring and rebounding punch to the Cowboys that they haven’t had in multiple seasons.
Sutton averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Mavericks in 202425 and is hearing from many major schools. If OSU and Lutz can land him, he will instantly become the best player on the roster.
With the offseason in full swing, Oklahoma State men’s and women’s basketball both have holes to fill.
Cowboy coach Steve Lutz has nine seniors who are leaving, along with other players. Jacie Hoyt has to keep the Cowgirls’ roster in prime NCAA Tournament shape after her best season in Stillwater.
With that, here’s a look at who both programs are adding and losing (scholarship players only) because of the transfer portal, as of Thursday, starting with men’s basketball:
ADDING
Well, nobody yet. OSU has made a lot of lists of schools that top transfer portal recruits have been in contact with, but Lutz hasn’t landed anyone yet.
It’s probably a little too early to panic, though. Keep in mind, Lutz led OSU to five more wins (including the Cowboys’ NIT victories) than it had the previous season, and he did that after getting hired on April 1, 2024, so by the time he began his recruiting efforts for OSU, it was late in the game.
LEAVING
Connor Dow, guard, TBD Dow, the 6-foot-6 guard from Broken Arrow, is out after two seasons in Stillwater.
The sophomore averaged 1.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 24 games this past season. In total, he played in 51 games as a Cowboy.
As for the Cowgirls, who have been more active:
Tyla averaged 14.3 minutes off the bench as a freshman this past season, along with 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds.
Haleigh Timmer, guard, South Dakota State
If you beat ‘em, join ‘em. After defeating the Cowgirls in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Timmer, the former SDSU guard, announced she was coming to Stillwater.
At 5-foot-11, Timmer averaged 12.8 points and four rebounds in her junior season. Against the Cowgirls, she finished with 11 points and five boards.
Amari Whiting, guard, BYU
Similar to Timmer, Whiting is joining a team she played against this past season.
The former Cougar averaged 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in her sophomore season. She transferred after her mother, Amber Whiting, stepped down as BYU’s coach. The two were in attendance for the Cowgirls’ Selection Show watch party in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
LEAVING Kennedy Evans, guard, TBD
The 5-foot-10 Evans, who just finished her freshman season, is the only scholarship Cowgirl currently leaving via the portal. In nine appearances, Evans played 20 minutes and scored two points — two free throws against Houston Christian.
Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski said there are a lot of teams that would “like to be 21-9,” but the Cowgirls aren’t satisfied with their performance this season.
GERL
EDITOR
Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski says there are three ways to perform.
And based on Gajewski’s calculation, while sitting 21-9 on the season, the No. 17 Cowgirls still have another level to reach.
“You play the way you’re supposed to play 60% (of the time),” Gajewski said. “20 (percent) is under, and 20 (percent) is over. We definitely haven’t hit the over, and I feel like we’ve definitely felt some of the under, and it’s just been a bit harder. And that’s OK.”
OSU is coming off a four-game trip in Georgia, where it suffered an 8-4 loss to Georgia and a 6-4 defeat to Georgia Tech while knocking off the Yellow Jackets in a rematch and Penn State to close the weekend. Gajewski called the trip to the Peach State an “OK” week.
And though the Cowgirls would have liked to pick up a couple more wins in Georgia, they’re in a good place heading into their next road trip. OSU defeated Arizona State 4-0 on Wednesday ahead of a three-game series this weekend against Arizona.
“Not the way I thought we could play (in Georgia), but I do see some things that are starting to get better and starting to settle in,” Gajewski said. “So I do feel good about that, and like I told the team, everything is still ahead of us.
“... We’re 21-9. There are a lot of teams that would like to be that. We’ve just probably lost a couple more games than we felt like (we would so far).”
Crandall’s return
RyLee Crandall went more than a month without pitching, but when she returned to the circle this past weekend, she had no rust.
Crandall pitched three innings in OSU’s loss to Georgia Tech and was sharp in the first two. Her play declined in the third, though, and she finished with three earned runs to go with a strikeout.
But Gajewski doesn’t put those three earned runs all on Crandall.
“I’m extremely mad at myself that
I didn’t get her out fast enough to not give up runs,” Gajewski said. “She was so good in the first two innings… but (in the third inning) I saw swings change and I was like, ‘Hey, get her out.’ But it looks so good, so I was like, ‘I don’t know.’”
Crandall returned to the circle a couple days later against the Nittany Lions and threw an outing she can build on going forward.
In two innings, Crandall recorded three strikeouts and held Penn State scoreless with one hit — a big-time start that helped OSU beat the Nittany Lions 10-2 in six innings.
Base coaching In Greg Bergeron’s words, Gajewski looked like “a fish out of water” not coaching third base.
Bergeron was brought in this season to coach third — a role Gajewski previously served — so Gajewski moved to first base and later moved to the dugout. But in Georgia, Gajewski went back to his old spot at third, while hitting coach Vanessa Shippy-Fletcher coached some at first — the look OSU deployed last season.
“I was just getting to this point where I felt out of place, to be honest,” Gajewski said. “I didn’t feel part of the game (coaching) at first (base) as much as I wanted to. And when I went to the dugout, I felt even worse, to be honest.”
Gajewski also said Bergeron had no problems with the switch, telling Gajewski, “This is your team, man. I want you to do what you want to do.”
The Cowgirls will have Gajewski at third for now, but nothing is set in stone for the rest of the season. Gajewski said not being able to talk to Bergeron when he’s on the first-base side is a con of the switch, and he and his staff will talk through the best ways to position coaches.
“I just think this team is missing my energy; my up and down, and maybe (they feel it) a bit better when I’m on the field and not in the dungeon,” Gajewski said. “… I want (the players) to see my fist pump and see my heartache. That’s who we’ve been here, and I felt like we were missing that from me, not from Bergy.”
Sure, OSU’s lineup on paper should be more efficient than it has been. Especially with first baseman Colin Brueggemann having the career-best campaign he has thus far and projected first-rounder Nolan Schubart in what is likely his final season in Stillwater before embarking on his Big League career. A conference-worst .265 team batting average and 275 combined strikeouts aren’t going to aid in a muchneeded midseason turnaround.
But the three-week game of musical chairs in the starting pitching rotation hasn’t helped, either. And a lack of stability there has become costly.
“We’re constantly trying to figure out what’s best for our team,” Holliday said. “We’re always working toward finding that. Whatever that may be, we’re trying to figure out how we can have all of the facets of our game come together at once. Consistency is a big part of the game, obviously. And I think we’ve lacked that at times.”
So where do the Cowboys go from here?
Maybe righty Hunter Watkins catches fire on the mound. Or maybe Ryan Ure or someone else is thrown into the ring for contention.
Maybe the Davis experiment gets
a second shot down the stretch in a last-ditch effort to save OSU’s season. Who doesn’t love a dramatic comeback story in baseball?
Davis’ tools and stature present the ideal makeup of a professional pitcher and Friday night arm in college baseball. His lack of consistency, however, has put a damper on that.
“I can’t wait to see what the finished product looks like when we start finishing some of these innings that we’re starting,” Holliday said. “... But right now, we’re still working toward getting that.”
And until that hypothetical second chance occurs, it’s up to OSU’s offense to pick up the slack. Otherwise, the Cowboys’ 11-year regional streak could be in jeopardy, and a gloomy offseason for OSU baseball could await.
“I’ve never been in a locker room, let alone been on the same field, with collectively this much talent,” Cowboys relief pitcher Mario Pesca said. “It’s super, super cool to be able to do. Just knowing what we have, I have no doubt in my mind that we’re going to achieve all of the things that we planned to.
“There’s a lot of talent here. A lot of really good mindsets. And I think this (season) will definitely end as planned.”
sports.ed@ocolly.com
TOP LEFT:
and Wyatt Hendrickson.
TOP RIGHT: Fans interact with Cowboy wrestlers.
MIDDLE LEFT: Larry Reece talks with Hamiti and Hendrickson.
MIDDLE: Hendrickson looks on before receiving the Hodge Trophy.
MIDDLE RIGHT: Coach David Taylor addresses the crowd.
BOTTOM LEFT: Wyatt Hendrickson smiles with the Hodge.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The Hodge Trophy on display.
