Chaney Helton Delivered Oklahoma's Moment of the Weekend

“I think a few of us actually cried,” OU third baseman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas said during a weekly interview on The Franchise Morning show on 107.7 The Franchise on Monday. “I think Chaney’s home run was probably one of the top 10 best moments of my life.”

Helton made 45 appearances in 2026 as a true freshman, but she was mostly used as a pinch runner or a late-game defensive sub. 

Helton went 0-for-5 at the plate, drawing one walk, but she stole five bases and scored 18 times. 

Through seven games, Helton is off to a much better start as a sophomore. 

She’s 2-for-6 at the plate, including the home run, and she also returned later in the fifth inning on Sunday to draw a bases-loaded walk to drive another run in. 

The homer was an early sign that all of her hard work throughout the offseason was worth it. 

“Just to see how happy she was and how proud of herself she was,” said McEnroe-Marinas, “and then her being able to run home and just get a big hug from the whole team was so comforting to her. And it was just like, ‘Our little Chaney!’ 

“She’s just all of our best friends. It was just so amazing and such a heart-filling moment just to see her compete like that and I don’t know, it was just amazing. And I’m pretty sure she cried in the dugout, too.”

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Helton’s homer also meant the Sooners hit another unique landmark in 2026. 

Through nine games, every OU batter that has registered an at-bat has hit a home run. 

Not only does that track record mean the competition for places will continue throughout the lineup, but McEnroe-Marinas said it raises the confidence for the entire team headed into this weekend’s trip to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. 

“We have a lot of tools in our toolbox, and we are able to win in a lot of different ways,” she said. “But I also think it just gives us that confidence in ourselves that we can do a lot of different things offensively and with our pitching staff as well.”

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