OU Softball: How Ella Parker is Fighting Through Injuries to Deliver More Sooner Magic

The injury was sustained early in conference play, and Parker has been looking for solutions to manage the pain ever since. 

Gasso said over and over that her and Parker were just going to have to work through the injury and learn how to manage the pain. 

Throughout every game, Parker can be seen wearing a boot on her right foot that comes off when she is ready to head to the plate. 

At times, Parker has allowed Gasso to bring in a pinch runner to get her off her feet. 

Parker is even wearing a different brand of softball cleats to try and feel more like herself. 

“They just…  I don't know. We're just trying different things out right now,” Parker said after switching to New Balance cleats in April. “It’s given it a lot of relief.”

Something as simple as changing cleats to find small pockets of relief can make a major difference in a swing. 

Two-time national champion outfeilder and Olympian Nicole Mendes went through a similar change during her freshman year at Oklahoma. 

“The very top of my foot and the very bottom of my arch, I had fractures. So I was in a walking boot my freshman year and it was painful, but bearable,” the three-time WCWS All-Tournament Team selection told Sooners on SI. “… Just talking with our doctor, talking with coach after that I was given special permission to wear different shoes. And it made a difference. I was able to practice without as much pain. I mean my feet were still fractured, but it eased a lot of that.”

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Any pain felt in the lower half of your body can disrupt a swing, Mendes said, and even minor changes to the body can tank the results of the most talented hitters. 

“Whenever you think about a swing, it all starts with the foot and it works from the ground up,” Mendes said. “Hitting is a sequence and if one thing is out of sequence then your timing’s early or you roll over or you pull off the ball or you chop, whatever it may be. 

“… But it all starts from the foundation, and if your foundation is not solid then you’re going to compromise somewhere in your swing… You’re going to be shifting and your body is going to be moving off sequence.”

Mendes was given special permission to play the rest of her career in New Balance cleats, which let her get back to focusing on the technical and mental sides of the game. 

For Parker, whether her shoes or the protective boot has made the biggest difference, she’s just focused her energy on being the best teammate she can with the hope that the results would come back around. 

“I know my teammates have my back, and I know I have theirs,” Parker said. “Being able to really pour into them helped me, I guess, lock in. Just being able to have them and know that they're my backbone is something I started to learn more about.”

Over the last 10 games, Parker is batting .500 with five doubles, five home runs and 10 RBIs while also drawing a pair of walks. 

“Ella Parker’s a phenomenal athlete and whether she changed her cleats or not, she was going to compete,” Mendes said. “She was going to go out there and have that competitive edge.”

Parker’s clutch hitting cemented her as a star in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and Gasso is pleased she’s powered through adversity to be able to deliver for her team again at the World Series. 

“ It's extreme belief in herself and extreme focus in what she's trying to do,” Gasso said. “I don't think she's up there trying to hit a home run.

“…  She's been really handling it like no one I've seen. It's really, really been tough for her. But, again, she really truly says it from the heart, it's for the team.”