Oklahoma
OU Softball: How Kelly Maxwell ‘Flipped a Switch’ in Oklahoma’s Rally Over Florida
OKLAHOMA CITY — Nothing came easy for Kelly Maxwell on Tuesday.
In her last outing at the Women’s College World Series, she shut out UCLA and struck out a season-high 11 batters in her most dominant performance of the season.
After three innings against Florida in an elimination game, the Sooner ace had already given up five runs on three home runs.
Patty Gasso wasn’t going to pull the graduate transfer, so she had to find another level.
“I knew today was going to be tough,” Maxwell said after the 6-5, eight inning victory over Florida on Tuesday. “I knew coming out the gate. I didn’t kind of have my best stuff. I knew I was going to make an adjustment middle of the game.
“I flipped a switch, chose my fighter and went to war, I think. Just being able to attack and (not) go out without a fight.”
Maxwell didn’t allow a run in the final four innings, ending the afternoon with eight strikeouts while only allowing four hits and five walks.
Florida coach Tim Walton knew there was a small window to rough up the lefty.
“If you listen to my clips on my radio pregame, I said, ‘You better get Kelly Maxwell early.’ If you don’t get her early, you’re not getting her late,” Walton said. “That’s how she is.
“Whether that’s her DNA, the pitching coach, whatever it is, she’s been like that her whole career. When she gets settled, she can get tough. When she’s unsettled, she can give up some runs.”
Reagan Walsh rocketed the third long ball of the day, a solo shot that put the Gators in front 5-2, in the third inning.
Maxwell got out of the frame, and went straight over to pitching coach Jennifer Rocha to go over the game plan.
“I sat down with Coach Rocha and we had a conversation of kind of what was going on, kind of what needed to happen,” Maxwell said. “I think I took it personally, honestly. I knew this team was going to fight back. I was going to try to keep ’em in as long as we could.”
The conversation may have been between Rocha and Maxwell, but the results resonated throughout the entire dugout.
“It was kind of like something in her that’s like, ‘Stop. I got to stop this. I need to be more competitive.’ You could feel it coming out, and we could feel it as a team,” Gasso said. “I think that kind of helped rally the offense as well. They’d score, we’d score one, they’d score two. Back and forth. It’s really frustrating when you’re on that side, but you got to just trust your pitcher and your pitching coach. We all do.”
Maxwell’s ability to stop the bleeding let Oklahoma creep back into the game.
Freshman Ella Parker leveled the game in the first and did so again in the sixth, and Jayda Coleman walked it off in the eighth.
Oklahoma’s legendary senior class lived to fight another day, and the Sooners will take on Texas in Game 1 of the WCWS Championship Series at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Gasso’s team is still on a quest to capture a fourth straight title. OU has plenty of experience playing for all the marbles.
Maxwell is a rookie on this final stage of the NCAA Tournament.
She previously pitched in the WCWS three times with Oklahoma State, but the Cowgirls fell one game short of taking on OU in the Championship Series in 2022.
Now, she’ll be front and center as the Sooners look to ride off into the sunset atop the softball world once again.
“The fact that Kelly is going to be playing in a national championship game is one of the highlights of our season,” Gasso said.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is taking action against Uber Technologies LLC and Uber USA LLC after alleging the use of deceptive and unfair practices in selling subscription services.
According to the Drummond office, the lawsuit against Uber Technologies LLC and Uber USA LLC seeks to uncover an alleged variety of unfair operations in selling Uber One subscription services.
On Monday, Drummond, alongside a coalition of 21 other state attorneys general, joined the lawsuit filed initially by the Federal Trade Commission.
Drummond says the lawsuit alleges the following:
- Uber is accused of improperly using negative option marketing tactics when it offered free trial subscriptions – a practice that automatically charges consumers if they do not cancel a free trial.
- Uber allegedly misled consumers about the amounts they could save when subscribing to Uber One and made it extraordinarily difficult for consumers to cancel once enrolled.
- Uber is also accused of charging consumers before their billing date, including users whose free trial had not yet ended.
“Oklahoma law prohibits deceptive trade practices and I will always fight to hold accountable any company who breaks the law,” Drummond said. “Unless Uber is stopped in court, they are likely to continue cheating and harming hardworking Oklahomans.”
The AG’s office says the lawsuit seeks restitution, penalties, costs, and an injunction against Uber for alleged violations of Oklahoma’s Consumer Protection Act and the U.S. Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act.
The lawsuit is currently scheduled for trial on February 2027, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Here is the state coalition list; in addition to Oklahoma, it includes Maryland, Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the District Attorney for Alameda County in California.
Click complaint to read the lawsuit.
Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes was upgraded on the second College Football Playoff availability report of the week.
Barnes appeared on Tuesday’s report as probable, but he was left off Wednesday’s report, meaning he will be available for Friday’s contest against Alabama.
Barnes appeared in four games during the regular season, carrying the ball 19 times for 45 yards and a touchdown. He also caught one pass for 16 yards.
The senior running back was able to redshirt by only playing in four games. Postseason games, including the College Football Playoff, do not count against eligibility, so Barnes will be able to maintain eligibility in 2026 and still be able to take the field for the Sooners in the CFP.
Oklahoma’s main injury concern, center Jake Maikkula, continues to linger.
Maikkula was listed as questionable on the report for the second straight day.
Maikkula missed OU’s regular-season finale against LSU due to what Brent Venables labeled as an “infection”. He was fully suited up during a brief 15-minute practice viewing window on Monday, but he was working off to the side instead of with Oklahoma’s starting offensive line group.
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Oklahoma’s best news of the week came on Tuesday.
Star pass rusher R Mason Thomas was not listed on the week’s first availability report, meaning he’s good to go to take on the Crimson Tide.
Thomas earned All-SEC First Team honors in 2025 despite missing a majority of Red November.
He appeared in nine regular-season games, totaling 23 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Thomas also forced two fumbles, and he scooped up a Joey Aguilar fumble and returned it all the way for a touchdown. He sustained a quad injury on the play, however, which cost him the Alabama, Missouri and LSU games.
Thomas also missed the first half of OU’s SEC opener against Auburn after he was ejected in the second half of Oklahoma’s win over Temple for targeting.
Defensive backs Gentry Williams, Kendel Dolby and Jeremiah Newcombe were all ruled out for the CFP opener on Tuesday.
Dolby announced that he intends to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday.
When asked about the defensive back after Dolby’s announcement on Wednesday, Venables was short.
“I’m not going to talk about anybody that’s not here,” he said.
Alabama tight ends Josh Cuevas and Danny Lewis Jr. were both upgraded to probable after the tight end duo was listed as questionable on the week’s first availability report.
The Sooners and the Crimson Tide will battle at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the game will air on ABC and ESPN.
Oklahoma
Six bridges damaged by semi truck hauling ‘illegally over-height’ load, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority says
Oklahoma authorities are investigating multiple bridge strikes that occurred along the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike on Tuesday afternoon.
On December 16, 2025, “an illegally over-height commercial motor vehicle drove this afternoon from Tulsa to near Miami,” causing damage to “multiple county bridges above the I-44/Will Rogers Turnpike,” according to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA).
The OTA notes that “it is illegal for trucks taller than 14 feet to travel the state highway system without permits and approved routes. The bridges damaged today range from 14 feet and 11 inches to 15 feet and 4 inches in vertical clearance, well above the legal limit.”
“We are continuing to see damage to our state transportation infrastructure from illegal, over-height semi-trucks. This is a critical issue that puts the traveling public at risk and is unacceptable. We are extremely grateful no one was injured in this incident,” OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle said. “We implore truck drivers to follow all Oklahoma laws and work with the state’s Size and Weights permitting office to ensure that all travelers are safe on our roadways and that our infrastructure remains undamaged by these careless acts.”
Officials say that the following bridges were struck:
- E. 530 Rd. – closed between S. 4130 Rd. and Lakeway Rd.
- S. 4220 Rd. – closed between E. 460 Rd. and E. 470 Rd. east of Claremore
- N. 429 Rd. – closed between E. 390 Rd. and SH-28
- N. 4300 Rd. – closed between E. 380 Rd. and W. 390 Rd.
- N. 4310 Rd. – open
- W. 370 Rd. – open
The Will Rogers Turnpike is open, but drivers should expect temporary delays as crews continue to inspect the damaged bridges.
“OTA is working closely with officials from Rogers County, City of Claremore, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and ODOT in response to this incident,” the agency said.
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