Oklahoma
Oklahoma Pair on NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 List
NORMAN — Oklahoma freshmen Kendall Wells and Kai Minor have been among the best players in college softball this season.
So it’s no surprise that the pair are both included on the NFCA Freshman of the Year top 10 list.
Wells is one home run away from tying the NCAA single-season home run record. She sits at 36 home runs entering the SEC Tournament.
Top-ranked Oklahoma (48-7) opens the tournament against Georgia at approximately 7 p.m. Thursday. The game will be braodcast on the SEC Network.
Wells is hitting .367 with 79 RBIs and 64 runs scored.
She broke the NCAA record for home runs by a freshman with her 31st home run April 11 at Texas, then broke Jocelyn Alo‘s program record with her 35th home run April 24 vs. Georgia.
Sooners coach Patty Gasso has also praised Wells’ defense at catcher.
“Her hustle is at another level,” Gasso said. “… If you watch the quickness that she picks up bunts, I mean, she is jumping out. She is making some phenomenal defensive plays, and I care as much about that as I do about the way she’s hitting the ball.”
Minor is hitting .438, best among OU’s regulars. She leads the team with 71 hits, and has 13 doubles, six triples and eight home runs. She’s also stolen 17 bases.
She’s also been a plus defender, with no errors and an assist in 56 chances in centerfield.
In last weekend’s series win at Texas A&M, Minor had an RBI triple to break a late tie in the Sooners’ 4-3 win to clinch a share of the SEC regular-season title and then hit a leadoff home run in the series finale to help them win the title outright.
Gasso has called her the team’s tone setter at the top of the order.
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Three finalists will be announced May 20, with the winner named May 26 ahead of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Four Sooners have won NFCA Freshman of the Year honors since the award was introduced in 2014.
Paige Parker was the first OU winner in 2015, followed by Jocelyn Alo in 2018, Tiare Jennings in 2021 and Jordy Bahl in 2022.
Florida’s Taylor Shumaker won the award last year.
Minor and Wells are the ninth and 10th Sooners to be on the top 10 list with the most recent being Ella Parker in 2024.
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The roof of a home in Oklahoma City collapsed following a fire early Thursday morning, according to firefighters.
The Oklahoma City Fire Department says firefighters were called around 2 a.m. to the scene of a fire at a home near Southeast 29th Street and South Shields Boulevard.
After arriving at the scene, firefighters reported flames coming from the home and serious structural damage, including the roof, which had collapsed due to the fire.
Additionally, OKCFD reported this was not the first emergency services response to the home, with a call for medical services being placed to the same address only a few hours earlier.
“We know that earlier today, they’d made a medical call over here,” OKCFD Battalion Chief Greg Lindsay said. “Somebody was staying in that building, so we’re being extra careful to check and make sure that everybody got out.”
No injuries were reported. Fire investigators believe the cause was related to a cooking incident.
TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma Alliance for Animals is searching for additional volunteers for its Dog Walkers Club to help their dogs in boarding explore the outside world.
The organization said anyone with an hour to spare this week or during the upcoming weeks is welcome to come out and spend time with their dogs.
The walks allow each dog to have a fun break from being inside their kennel, while also letting them meet and socialize with new people.
The organization explained, “Not only does it brighten their day, but it also helps reduce stress, improves their behavior and gives us photos and videos that help them get adopted. The dogs who get out, socialize and have people advocating for them are often the dogs who find homes the fastest.”
The organization encourages everyone to come out, including couples, families, retirees and individuals who are looking for a fun way to stay active.
To learn more or to sign up as a volunteer, click here.
To learn more about Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, you can visit their website here.
A man died after being shot late Tuesday night near NW 23rd Street and N Portland Avenue in Oklahoma City, according to police.
Police say the shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials say one male victim was shot and was pronounced dead at the scene.
No suspect information is available at this time.
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