'This kid's a freak': How Karli Petty's versatility has boosted sixth-ranked Oklahoma State softball team
STILLWATER — In the middle of pregame warmups last week before his team took on Kansas, Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski started shuffling players around to different infield positions.
He moved first baseman Karli Petty to third base, and third baseman Sydney Pennington to shortstop.
“I didn’t tell them why,” Gajewski said.
About 20 minutes before the game began, he broke the news. Kiley Naomi, who had started 183 of the Cowgirls’ previous 184 games at shortstop, had injured her back during a fielding drill and wouldn’t be able to play.
Moving Pennington to shortstop wasn’t a major shock. She started there when Naomi missed a game last season and was the regular shortstop as a freshman in 2018 before Naomi arrived.
Petty, however, had never played third base in a college game. She occasionally takes grounders there in practice and played it some at Southmoore High School.
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As the sixth-ranked Cowgirls prepare to host No. 16 Texas for a three-game series beginning with a 6 p.m. Friday contest, Petty should be back at first base, where she’s recently been splitting time with Hayley Busby and Morgyn Wynne.
Naomi returned to her spot at shortstop when OSU faced Tulsa on Wednesday night, bringing some normalcy back to the lineup card.
But this season, nothing has been normal for Petty. She has made 24 starts at four different positions in the field, and a variety of spots in the batting order.
And regardless of where she is, she’s been productive.
“This kid’s a freak,” Gajewski said. “She can play anywhere.”
The previous two seasons, Petty was a critical piece of the Cowgirl defense as the second baseman, where she started all but one game and had a .972 fielding percentage.
With the arrival of freshman Brianna Evans this season, Gajewski was suddenly overwhelmed with talented infielders. Evans earned the second base job, but Gajewski knew he needed Petty in the lineup. So he moved her to left field to begin the year — another position she had rarely played.
A few games in, Evans suffered an injury and Petty returned to second base. Around the time Evans got healthy, sophomore outfielder Katelynn Carwile had fought her way into the lineup and has since remained one of OSU’s most dangerous hitters, creating a crowded outfield.
So Gajewski had another decision to make. Getting inconsistent production from his first basemen, he decided to give Petty a shot there — once again, a position she had never played.
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“We had her catching in the fall, because we were banged up and I felt good enough for her to catch,” Gajewski said. “And that’s what I’ve tried to explain to her. It’s not easy, but I can play you anywhere and I will, just like that. Credit her for just doing her deal. I’m happy for her, because she’s all about this place and she works hard, and it’s cool to see kids come up big.”
Former Florida star Julia Cottrill transferred in over the winter break, solving the catching issue, but Petty was prepared if called on behind the plate.
“I was just an extra body for pitchers to get reps,” Petty said. “But I was ready to go in if I needed to. It was really different. I’ve caught a little bit, but not D-I pitching, ever.”
Offensively, Petty is batting .264 over 82 plate appearances with a .354 on-base percentage, plus three home runs and 14 runs scored.
While her offense is reliable, her defense is phenomenal. Despite constantly changing positions, she’s made only three errors in 75 chances this year. She was error-free in three games at third base last week, and made a smooth play to start a double play.
“(Third base) is not as big of an adjustment as going to first,” Petty said. “Third feels more natural. It’s a bigger adjustment just reacting to balls, but that’s about it. First base was a very, very big adjustment, learning how to receive, and the angle that it comes off the bat at first.”
Nothing has been routine for Petty, but she makes it look as though it is.
“It’s hard sometimes to be very good at everything,” she said. “I try my best to get work done everywhere, but I feel like when I go in, I know that I want to do my best for the team. Whatever is gonna help my team win, that’s what I want to do.
“That’s the mindset I go in with every time I go to left field or first base, even though I feel a little bit uncomfortable. I know this is what’s gonna help the team and I’m gonna do my best at it.”
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OSU vs. Texas
Three-game series in Stillwater:
Game 1: 6 p.m. Friday
Game 2: 6:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2)
Game 3: 1 p.m. Sunday (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State softball: Karli Petty provides value in versatility
