Sports
Softball’s transformative superstar, plus a Kentucky Derby first
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Dingers: Meet softball’s Aaron Judge
A freshman catcher (!) is on the verge of not only breaking college softball’s single-season home run record, but running up the score with an entire postseason still to go.
Oklahoma’s Kendall Wells finished her regular season yesterday with 36 homers, one shy (for now) of the record of 37 that Arizona’s Laura Espinoza hit in 1995. Wells’ coach is the legendary Patty Gasso, who’s won eight national titles (four this decade) for the Sooners. In this story by Molly Keshin, Espinoza’s Hall of Fame coach calls her “the Babe Ruth” of her era and says that in Wells, the sport has another type of star: “She is definitely a different breed, a generational talent, like an Aaron Judge,” Mike Candrea said. “They don’t come around very often. I think she could be in the same boat as a softball player. Laura was that type of player back in her day.”
The SEC’s single-season homers record before Wells was 26, a total she surpassed almost a full month ago. Oklahoma’s record (set while the program was in the Big 12) was 34, set by Division I’s all-time homers leader, “Home Run Queen” Jocelyn Alo. The freshman dingers record was previously 30, shared by Alo and another OU great, Lauren Chamberlain, as well as Hawaii’s Kelly Majam.
So, Wells is pacing way ahead of the greatest power hitters in college softball history. The only unfair thing about the Ruth comparison is that the Babe never played catcher.
Molly has reported in detail on Wells for The Athletic and is nice enough to join me here. Molly, what about Wells’ skill set has allowed her to dominate this much, this quickly?
The first thing that jumps off the page is, obviously, her power. But the unique thing about Wells is her very distinct batting stance, in which she slightly bows out her front leg while also squatting down a bit lower. That allows her to have a really quick trigger with her legs when she makes the split-second decision to swing and to unleash all that strength behind it. Her hand/bat speed and pitch selection is off the charts, too. But probably the most impressive thing about Wells is her mindset. As broadcaster and two-time Olympian Michele Smith told me: “She is very skilled in the sense she knows what she’s hunting or what she’s looking for, and so even when she swings outside of maybe what her plan is, she doesn’t stay in that moment.”
Are we just going to see three or four more seasons of this, then? Is she going to completely reset the NIL market for a softball player by the time she’s done?
Injuries are always a factor, and so is the ever-improving pitching in the sport. But with the hitting technology college softball programs have now, I can only imagine that it’ll be up from here for Wells. Also, let’s not forget that she’s doing all of this as a catcher. In terms of NIL, Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady has really set the benchmark for the sport as the first million-dollar player, but I wouldn’t be surprised if companies are champing at the bit to get Wells this summer. However, I don’t expect money to draw her away from Oklahoma or anything like that. How could you leave a dynasty?
Could you envision a “Clark effect” here, or is that too much too soon?
I absolutely think that Wells is a player who can transform softball and take it to the next level. The sport has increased in popularity each year, and when you have somebody chasing a record that has stood for three decades, that brings even more eyes. If Oklahoma goes to the Women’s College World Series this year, that’s must-watch TV. It’s too soon to tell just how much of an impact she’ll have as one player, but everybody loves home runs.
The WCWS begins May 28. It’s in Oklahoma City, and the Sooners will be favorites to make their typical 25-minute trip in from Norman.
News to Know
Golden Tempo charges to Derby win
This year’s Kentucky Derby finish was movie stuff. Relative longshot Golden Tempo (23-1 at post) spent most of the race at the back of the pack until, suddenly, he was a blur — jetting past the entire field and edging morning-line favorite Renegade at the finish by a neck. (Click here to watch the full move if you missed it.)
Golden Tempo jockey Jose Ortiz outdueled brother Irad Ortiz Jr. (on Renegade) for his first Derby win, and Cherie DeVaux became the first victorious female trainer in the Derby’s 152 runnings. Read this story about her journey from “wild child” pre-med student to horse racing history, and then do yourself another favor and watch her react to the finish. 70-1 Ocelli was third. Good times.
Celts out as Sixers complete 3-1 comeback
Boston was very good this year playing without star Jayson Tatum, who was held out of last night’s Game 7 with knee stiffness. But Philadelphia with Joel Embiid is beginning to feel like something of an underrated contender. It wasn’t wire-to-wire dominance, but the 76ers simply had too much for the Tatum-less Celtics in completing the franchise’s first-ever 3-1 series comeback, 109-100, at the Garden. Afterward, Embiid’s 5-year-old son adorably interrupted the postgame interview to tell his dad that he’d lost a tooth. The Knicks are up next.
More News
- The top-seeded Hurricanes picked up where they left off a week earlier in Round 1, beating the Flyers, 3-0. Takeaways here.
- Connor McDavid wasn’t at his scoring champ best during the Oilers’ first-round exit, and it turns out he was playing through a foot fracture.
- The Padres reached a deal on their record sale. Details here.
- Top men’s and women’s tennis players are far from thrilled with an increased prize pool for the French Open that’s still just 15% of projected revenue.
- Rehabbing after his ugly-looking knee hyperextension, Anthony Edwards has told Timberwolves teammates he plans to play at some point against the Spurs.
- Not ideal: The Reds tied an MLB record with seven straight walks against the Pirates — and lost their NL Central lead, too.
- Even less ideal: Taking a 93.3 mph fastball to the head, after which Astros first baseman Christian Walker told reporters he was “getting to feel OK.” Scary.
- Former Formula 1 driver and Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi died at 59. What an inspirational life.
Watch Guide
Hector Vivas / Getty Images
1 p.m. ET on Apple TV
It is still mesmerizing, the spectacle this race has become in just its fifth year. Here’s a good story by Madeline Coleman on the extravagance of it all. Note that today’s start time is moved up three hours because of the threat of severe thunderstorms.
3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
7:30 p.m. ET on NBC
Magic at Pistons first, then Raptors at Cavaliers. The winners happen to face each other in the second round. Can the Magic forget about a collapse in Game 6?
Our Christian Clark will be chatting live on the site for that one.
6 p.m. ET on TNT
This series has been all one-goal games, with four going to overtime. There’s no reason we shouldn’t get one of the most intense games of the year.
Get tickets to games like this here.
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