OU freshman Kendall Wells hits home run No. 35, sets all-time Sooner record in a single season

It happened for OU softball freshman Kendall Wells.

What seemed improbable in February has become a reality in April. Wells, in just her 49th game, has set the OU single-season home run mark. No. 35, the record-breaker, came against Georgia at Love’s Field in the second inning Friday night.

First pitch she saw, boom. And 230 feet later, history.

Wells surpasses the 34-home run mark set by OU legend Jocelyn Alo.

Coincidentally, Wells’ 35th bomb is also No. 162 for the Sooners this season. That is now an NCAA record in a single season.

Wells is now two shy of tying the NCAA record for most home runs in a season (37).

Let’s take a stroll down quoteboard memory lane about the Wells journey and what has made her so special at OU.

“She just swings really hard. Once you hit a bomb, you want to hit another one, and you want to hit another one. And sometimes when you try to hit bombs, it just doesn’t, you’ll hit a sky-high fly ball. She’s going to be absolutely amazing when she starts to understand how this works, but I thought she handled herself really well as a freshman behind the plate. The pitchers feel comfortable pitching to her or Bela, either one, so it was an easy transition for her. She didn’t look like she was overwhelmed or rattled. She got the game-winning hit for us against Arizona State and we were facing a pitcher we certainly were not prepared for, so I love where she’s at right now this early in her career” – Patty Gasso, Feb. 11

“If you sat and watch her, you would never believe she was a freshman. She has some saltiness behind the plate. She’ll stand up and throw to third before an umpire has even called strike three. She has a good rapport with pitchers for her age. Offensively, I’ve seen Jocelyn Alo, I’ve seen Lauren Chamberlain – this is something new, this is different. It is some of the most elite power I’ve ever seen from a young player. and she came in like that. It’s not like we had to build her into that. She came in like that. Now she is getting all the how’s and why’s from JT that is making a lot of sense to her. Hitting has become very easy to her.” – Gasso, Feb. 25

“She just can cover the plate so well, and I think she’s got such a presence at the plate. I know it’s got pitchers thinking. She’s continuing to get better. She will tell you she had a rough outing on, I guess it was Monday, because all the days were running together out there. But she is elite and she continues to stay there.” – Gasso, March 26

“I pretty much announced this early – Kendall Wells is different. She’s made differently. She just has got such an unbelievably natural, powerful swing. Was I thinking that, oh, is she going to – I’m not keeping track, nor is she. So when she comes to home plate and everybody is jumping all over her, she has no idea what is going on, and that’s the truth because I watch it. She is really trying to shut things down and keep some peace around her so she doesn’t have to talk about it with you guys all the time, but she will. I think she has done a really good job of just staying who she is. She is focused, but she is the class clown, is the voice you hear on the bus more than anyone else.” – Gasso, April 9

“She would want me to not talk about this because she doesn’t know things. I honestly don’t either. I just get out there and I don’t think about record-breaking anything. People saw us in the fall, it was like, ‘Oh my, who is that?’ And now you’re seeing her as a freshman acting like a senior and really finding ways to help the team. But she truly is trying to stay away from all of the ‘Wow’ and media and all of those things. She’s not walking around with a crown on or sitting in the throne somewhere around here, she’s just trying to help the team win and she finds out because the team is jumping on her and screaming. ‘What’s going on?’ I love that she’s unassuming and she’s just trying to play her game. I think there’s going to be more to come.” –  Gasso, April 19