North Oconee’s Kendall Wells now setting home run records at Oklahoma
Oklahoma catcher Kendall Wells wanted to keep her approach straightforward.
In an interview with ESPN after earning her 34th home run in just 48 games, Wells was asked about her mindset and the way she’s hitting for power this season.
“Today I was trying to keep it super simple,” the former North Oconee star said Tuesday. “Just hit strikes hard. That’s what I’ve been working on a lot, because when I try too hard, it doesn’t work.”
The Bogart native’s approach has certainly been working. As a freshman with the Sooners, Wells’ 34th home run ties No. 1 Oklahoma’s program record (set by Jocelyn Alo) for the most home runs in a year, with six games still to play in the regular season, including this weekend’s series against No. 11 Georgia. With four more homers, the catcher will set a new NCAA single-season record.
She has helped her team to a 43-6 record (15-3 SEC) so far, and the team’s success has been the best part for Wells, her dad, Ken Wells, said.
“It’s been fun for all of us, for all of her family, and her mom and I, especially to see her being able to be having success, and after all the years of hard work that she’s put in to this to get to this level,” Ken Wells said. “But I think what’s probably more than anything, it’s also nice to see her humbleness, where she’s, you know, she’s really not into it for the goals or the accolades or whatever. She’s just in it to win a ballgame for her team, to help win a ballgame for her team and to make it to the — and she’ll tell anybody — their ultimate goal is to win a national championship.”
The Sooners have won eight national championships under coach Patty Gasso, with a historic four-peat 2021-2024.
Wells’ 34 home runs and counting lead Division l, and she’s second in the country with 76 RBI.
On Thursday, she was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. She has been named D1 Softball Player of the Week twice, earning SEC Player of the Week on April 8 and SEC Freshman of the Week on April 21.
Against Wichita State on March 31, her 27th homer set the conference single-season home run record, and against Texas on April 11, her 31st home run broke the NCAA freshman single-season home run record.
Friday’s game vs. Georgia (6:30 p.m.) will be broadcast on SEC Network+, Saturday’s game (1:30 p.m.) on ESPN2 and Sunday’s game (1 p.m.) on ESPNU.
About the Author
Sarah Spencer, a Georgia native and UGA alum, serves as a general assignment and features writer for sports. She previously covered the Hawks from 2019-22.
