Oklahoma catcher Riley Ludlam and pitcher Kierston Deal speak to the media ahead of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
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00:00 Riley, we just heard Patty talk about how you wound up here.
00:06 You didn't believe that she was who she said she was on the phone.
00:11 Who did you think it was and what was that conversation like and
00:14 what was going on in your mind?
00:16 >> Yeah, it was a random Tuesday night at like 9.30.
00:20 And I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize.
00:22 So I mean, thank goodness I picked it up.
00:25 But I heard her speak and she was like, hello, I'm Patty.
00:29 Yeah, so and it was just the absolute last thing I was expecting.
00:33 But I had a really great conversation with her.
00:36 We talked a lot about softball and my life outside of softball,
00:39 which I really appreciated her getting to know me in that aspect.
00:42 So I was here on Friday.
00:46 So it was very quick turnaround, but
00:49 really awesome that it all ended up happening that way.
00:53 >> What was it about, I mean, obviously, the championships and the wins and
00:57 everything about this program that were attractive.
00:59 But outside of that, especially with the catching situation, what it is here,
01:03 what it is going into this season, what made this the right fit for you?
01:07 >> Honestly, it was a conversation with coach, basically saying she wanted me.
01:15 She wanted to turn me into the best player that I could possibly be in my last year.
01:19 And that was, I mean, what a way to go out with this team.
01:22 But knowing that she was invested in me as a player like that, and
01:26 even off the field, a lot of the stuff off the field that she does for us is very
01:29 appealing as a young woman going into the real world next year.
01:33 So yeah, just like her confidence in saying, I want you to go all out when you
01:38 get here and have no regrets about your career and do the best you can and
01:43 be the best player you can be.
01:44 >> Bob.
01:48 >> Riley, then let's go to the first weekend.
01:50 Number gets called.
01:51 What's kind of going through your head just kind of take us through with that
01:54 first experience?
01:56 >> Yeah, I had known there was a possibility of them pinch hitting for
02:01 Boone just because with a runner on second, we probably went like power hitter come up.
02:06 But when JT told me to get my helmet,
02:10 I probably started hyperventilating a little bit and I think coach has said that.
02:14 So we had a little meeting right before where I could kind of do some breathing and
02:21 get my heart rate to slow down a little bit.
02:24 But honestly going into the box, it was more of like I have nothing to lose.
02:28 Like I'm gonna go up there and take hacks.
02:30 And I think especially after my second pitch where I fell off,
02:33 I felt like I've seen the ball well and I was just going all out.
02:38 So that was my thought process.
02:40 >> How different does that feel and compared with what you had last weekend?
02:45 >> Not much different.
02:46 I think when I saw that I was getting more opportunities to hit,
02:50 I just wanted to keep that same mindset.
02:52 I wanna hit the ball hard and do my best and that's my role here.
02:57 So just sticking with that and having my plan and sticking to it, that was it.
03:02 >> Eric, Kirsten, you talked a little bit about your two weekends.
03:07 We talked a little bit about Patty,
03:09 can you talk about the first weekend compared to the second weekend?
03:12 >> Yeah, definitely a big shift of my mental game for sure.
03:17 Just understanding that we have an amazing offense here and
03:20 an amazing defense behind me that I was able to come out last weekend and
03:24 just throw very free and just own the moments.
03:27 And we've been talking a lot about that as a pitching staff, Coach Rocha.
03:30 Just going out there and owning your moments there and
03:33 just knowing that you can pitch free and have an amazing defense behind you.
03:37 >> The six pitchers, Coach Gasolud, really feels good about the pitching staff.
03:41 Can you talk about just how diverse you guys are with all the left handers,
03:45 the right handers, how you guys can really tackle situations at ease?
03:48 >> Yeah, it's just amazing to have this depth in our staff and
03:51 just the amount of veterans that we have on our staff.
03:54 It's so great as being an underclassman to learn from those pitchers and
03:59 having Nicole and Carly Keeney and Kelly all beside us.
04:02 It's been really great to be able to learn from this.
04:05 >> Thanks.
04:05 >> Chad.
04:07 >> You had a big moment in the last year.
04:11 How do you think that propelled you to the offseason and
04:13 now that you're able to kind of settle back down?
04:15 What are kind of your biggest areas that you're hoping to show that you've made
04:18 the biggest leaps from year one to year two?
04:21 >> Yeah, just the amount of growth of learning the middle side of the game.
04:24 Coming out here, obviously, being on a big stage like this,
04:29 just kind of own your moment.
04:30 And definitely coming out of last year, I gained a lot of confidence.
04:33 So that's a big thing that I've been working with.
04:37 >> And then this weekend is just a showcase.
04:41 What did you take away from the atmosphere at Mary Darden last year and
04:45 how you're working through with all the new faces of, hey,
04:48 this is what to expect, all that kind of stuff?
04:50 >> Yeah, it definitely gives you a little bit of taste of what the World Series is
04:53 like for sure, just the amount of people that are surrounding the games and stuff.
04:57 But you really learn how to control the game with your teammates and everyone and
05:01 slow the game down when you're in a type of environment like that.
05:04 So I'm excited to see what it looks like this year.
05:06 >> You let Riley, obviously, you came here knowing that McKenzie would be back.
05:12 How much did that situation attach or factor into your decision making and
05:17 now getting to work with her and play alongside her?
05:20 How has that impacted your game and altered your game?
05:24 >> Right, like Coach said, I came here wanting to just get better,
05:30 especially this being my last year.
05:31 And I have so much appreciated learning from Kenzie.
05:34 Seriously, I think every day I learned something from her about the game,
05:37 about how to handle the type of environment that we play in.
05:41 Something that did not come in here being used to.
05:44 Hitting wise, everything, I have truly appreciated her stepping up and
05:50 playing a role in helping me kind of get to this level to,
05:55 I don't know, get used to it, I guess.
05:59 [LAUGH]
06:03 >> Anything more?
06:06 >> For each of y'all, I guess, Kiersten,
06:08 starting with you because you played here last year.
06:11 What are you most looking forward to about the new place and
06:15 moving to Loves Field that's different from this one?
06:19 >> Yeah, I'm super excited just to be able to take what the alumni and
06:25 everyone that's came before us in Marietta Hines and
06:27 get to carry that over to Loves Field and be able to start the future there.
06:31 For sure, I'm super excited to see what these underclassmen have to bring and
06:35 see the future of Nomocentral.
06:38 >> And Brian, what about you?
06:41 >> Yeah, it's just such a cool experience and I'm so grateful.
06:44 I get to be a part of it for the one year that I'm here, it's really cool.
06:47 >> Jim?
06:50 >> Brian, you talked about JT kind of talking to you before, but
06:52 just through the whole time you've been here, what did JT tell you about his
06:58 different ways of just settling down, centering, making sure that you're just
07:02 focused in on impacts as opposed to everything that surrounds big moments on
07:07 that stuff?
07:08 >> Yeah, I think a lot of what we do in practice builds up the confidence for
07:13 us to be able to go into games and
07:14 know that I've been in this spot before, we've practiced this.
07:17 Talking about game plans, being ready,
07:20 knowing what I'm gonna do against the pitchers, and knowing what they're bringing.
07:23 But yeah, a lot of it, like the breathing stuff,
07:28 is stuff that I had to learn very quickly, especially with the crowds here.
07:31 I'm getting used to that again.
07:33 But just his hitting philosophy in general,
07:37 it's been so impactful on my confidence and my play.
07:43 Yeah, it's been a really cool experience learning from him.
07:48 >> Was the fall helpful for crowds and stuff as far as-
07:51 >> Yes, very much so.
07:53 I think definitely our first game, it might have been sold out, I think.
07:58 There was a lot of people at our first football game.
08:01 So I actually watched three straight pitches down the middle.
08:05 [LAUGH] My first at bat, I think I was literally frozen solid.
08:09 After that, I started to pick up from my teammates and from Coach AT,
08:13 ways to deal with that, the nerves and everything, and I think I'm good now.
08:17 [LAUGH]