STILLWATER – The old saying is that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So what does the picture above this story say? In short, three words “tremendous competitive joy.” In long it was taken after Oklahoma State’s two-time All-American pitcher Kelly Maxwell had bounced back from a late season slump that mystified many Cowgirl softball fans and you know had Maxwell and head coach Kenny Gajewski and pitching coach John Bargfeldt wondering what the issue was. More on that to come. Yet when this picture was taken, Maxwell had pitched a complete game two-hitter to take care of the Oregon Ducks in the NCAA Super Regional and put Oklahoma State back in the Women’s College World Series. An ace pitcher and a successful head coach that had stayed patient, stayed loyal and true to his ace celebrating a turnaround for her in the circle and the accomplishment of a huge team goal on the season.
Then 42 days later, July 7 and the head coach is on vacation in Colorado while the ace pitcher goes into the NCAA Transfer Portal. Our story on Maxwell going into the transfer portal got slammed like few stories we’ve had. Only massive football wins or losses have attracted the eyeballs that the story on Maxwell pulled in on Friday.
I knew Cowgirls head coach Kenny Gajewski was in Colorado and on vacation. I’m on vacation from radio myself and was in Florida with my wife last week. I know how I wish inside that nothing happens when I’m on vacation. I’m sure Kenny Gajewski is the same. I’ll admit, I thought about calling him and I refrained. I’ll give Jenny Carlson of The Oklahoman some points on nerve. She did call and wrote a story early this morning, about the time I started this one.
What Carlson got from talking to Gajewski is what I suspected.
You have a pitcher that is the face of the Oklahoma State program. She has come to Stillwater not ready to be one of college softball’s top aces. She had the talent, but she needed some development, both from the physical and the mental side. Gajewski was patient and the pitching coach he had pulled away from being head coach at Tulsa in John Bargfeldt was the right person to develop Maxwell and take her to here best in the circle.
“He’s patient and he is calm. He’s consistent with me whether I’m doing well or if we’re trying to fix something,” Maxwell said of her working relationship with Bargfeldt.
It is obvious that the two, coach and pitcher, are quiet and methodical about the process. They mixed well.
This season that was critical as Maxwell coming off the All-American season and Co-Big-12 Pitcher of the Year came out and went 13-0 on her first 21 appearances. She pitched 94 innings and was 13-0 with a 1.41 ERA. She had struck out 158 hitters and walked only 49.
Then from April 16 through May 11 and the loss to Kansas in the Big 12 Postseason Tournament opener, Maxwell was 1-5 with a 3.5 ERA. Maxwell with her left arm lost effectiveness and control striking out 40 hitters in 28 innings, but walking 18.
In the moment there was blame on a persistent blister problem and Gajewski blamed lack of down time taken by Maxwell.
“She went right from the season to Team USA, then right to the fall,” Gajewski said at the time in a media gathering referring to Maxwell’s participating in a Team USA - Japan All-Stars Series. “We tried to shut her down in the fall, and she got antsy and irritated.”
Maxwell got it back and in her final five appearances including the win over Oregon was more like herfirst two and half months of the season.
Then after the season Bargfeldt surprisingly walked in to see Gajewski and retired. I reached Gajewski at a camp when the news came out because an IT specialist had removed Bargfeldt from the Oklahoma State athletics website.
“It’s no big secret. He retired and he’s been gone for a week,” Gajewski said when I called. “It’s no big problem.”
Well, it is now.
Bargfeldt is the right fit for Maxwell, who looked happy at Oklahoma State, but a big part of that may have been Bargfeldt. Gajewski has not made a move on pitching coach, but it is clear coming from Maxwell that the hire was critical for her. Gajewski suspected that when Bargfeldt retired in the midst of the end of the season and the exit interviews going on.
Now, all that’s left is to pick up the pieces.
“I want it to go away for our team, and I want it to go away for Kelly and just move on,” Gajewski told Carlson from vacation.
“What I hope is that fans don’t attack the person,” he added. “You don’t have to agree with her decision, but she’s not a bad person.”
Maxwell will pick her new destination, Gajewski will pick his new pitching coach for returners Lexi Filfoyl, Kyra Aycock, and Ivy Rosenberry. He might even pick up a transfer in the portal.
How fast everybody moves on, we’ll see. Kelly Maxwell was a darling and favorite to Oklahoma State softball fans. That is gone. Forgotten, maybe not as fast as the main characters would like for it to be.
CowboyKip said:
I think somebody showed up and offered her more money.
Is her boyfriend now in Norman?
