OKLAHOMA CITY — On a warm, partly cloudy day in Oklahoma City, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blasted over the speakers at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.
Stanford had just earned a leadoff hit against Oklahoma in the sixth inning in Monday’s Women’s College World Series semifinal. But once that song played, everyone knew who was about to march to the pitcher's circle.
It was none other than sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl, who’s used one of heavy metal’s most famous songs as her entrance music since arriving at OU in 2021. She had already pitched in the Sooners’ previous two games against the Cardinal and Tennessee on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. But OU coach Patty Gasso gave the ball to her ace once more.
And she didn’t let her down. With the score deadlocked at 2-2, Bahl pitched three scoreless innings, emphatically ripping her mask off and pumping her arms after ending each one. After the Sooners took a 4-2 lead in the ninth inning, Bahl finished off the Cardinal with another scoreless frame.
Exit light. Enter night. Stanford was off to never-never land, and OU was off to the national championship.
All ⛽END 8 | OU 2, Stanford 2 | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/XaiPBPlYHH
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 5, 2023
“She’s been delivering since she was delivered from the womb,” Gasso said. “She’s tough as nails, and just a good down home Midwestern kid with a great work ethic that has a passion and fearlessness about her. She’s beyond anything I’ve seen.”
The passion and fearlessness Gasso admires has been with Bahl throughout her life. It was first instilled in her hometown of Papillion, Nebraska, where she was in constant competition with her three brothers over everything. Her father, Dave, also helped nurture her competitiveness and hone her skills while growing up.
It translated to the softball team at Papillion-La Vista High school, where both her coaches, Todd Petersen and Luke Olson, immediately became drawn to her. As soon as Bahl arrived, she exhibited her competitive nature on the field, off the field and everywhere in between. Instantly, her coaches knew she was someone they could rely on.
Much like this year’s WCWS, Bahl pitched almost every day for the Monarchs, compiling 98 decisions and 63 complete games during her high school career. Petersen credits it to Bahl’s workout regimen during off-seasons, as well as the desire to pitch every game.
“She is insanely driven, and she really believes that,” Petersen said. “She just has that in her nature. She puts in the work not only physically, but technically, and she’s able to put it all together every single time. There’s a lot of competitive players I’ve been around, but she was to be at the top,”
Gasso feels that desire from Bahl as well.
“She’s always saying, ‘Give me the ball,’” Gasso said. “‘Give me the ball right now. Give it to me at the start of the game. Give it to me in the middle here, or at the end. It doesn't matter. I will be ready.’ It's really inspired a lot of our players to have that kind of mentality.”
Despite pitching several games in a row, Bahl never seems to feel fatigue. Without fail, she’s able to pitch like she’s had several days rest, as her 14.2 scoreless innings have been crucial in OU’s quest for a third straight WCWS title.
Teammates and coaches credit this to Bahl’s mental toughness, something Petersen says she worked on in high school. Bahl would begin to visualize upcoming pitches in the circle, alongside muttering words of encouragement to herself.
Bahl’s visuals also helped her preparation, as she intensely went through every possible scenario she could be in before games to be ready during them. Petersen doesn’t know where Bahl’s pregame preparation came from, but he knows it’s a vital part in how she plays.
The combination of her mental strength and physical attributes is what Petersen believes has been the main driving force behind Bahl’s WCWS performances.
“She’s just in top-notch shape all the time,” Petersen said. “When you get on the biggest stage, it's not only a physical grind, but it's also a huge mental grind. She’s able to handle that so well.
“She's probably about as fresh as she can be right now. When you look at someone’s legs or body moving, you can tell when someone’s tired. And I don’t think you can tell that she’s tired right now.”
Even if she was tired, Bahl wouldn’t show it. Her mental strength from high school carried over to OU, as Bahl tries to stay focused on the task at hand through any potential fatigue.
“For me, it’s just being present and staying simple,” Bahl said. “If at any second I try to do too much with any one of my pitches, I start overthrowing and then things really go downhill from there. I just try to keep everything simple.”
Bahl’s work ethic, her competitive fire and preparation allow her to thrive in crucial situations. Everyone who knows Bahl claims her best work comes when the stakes are high. It’s another trait that stems from her high school days, one that brings a particular tournament to mind for Olson.
Bahl’s club team, the Nebraska Thunder, was playing in the USA Softball Nationals Tournament in Oklahoma City in the summer of 2020. At the same stadium she’s dominated Stanford and Tennessee, Bahl faced the Orange County Batbusters, who’ve produced many OU players including current infielders Tiare Jennings and Alyssa Brito. After allowing a home run in the first inning, she tallied 15 strikeouts in the next seven innings to help the Thunder win.
For Olson, the game drew striking similarities to OU’s WCWS opener against Stanford. She didn’t give up a first inning home run, but struck out 11 Cardinal batters en route to a 2-0 win. When Petersen thinks about Bahl’s big moments, none stand out in particular as he believes she was at her best in every high-stakes game.
Jo out the jam ✔️ @jordybahlMID 1 | OU 0, Stanford 0 | 📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/Yshuwtrfgv
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) June 1, 2023
Olson saw her flourish in so many big games that he found a familiar nickname for Bahl after Monday’s outing, usually associated with former OU football coach Bob Stoops.
“She’s big game Jordy,” Olson said. “Sometimes I watch her games, and it feels like I know what’s going to happen, just because she has a track record. She’s just proven over and over again that in the biggest moments, she is her best. That game the other night, it's 2-2 and you knew … she was gonna show out.”
For Bahl, she just wants to make the most of every game she’s in, having missed most of the 2022 postseason with an arm injury.
“I think if I learned anything from my injury, it was that I just really can't take anything for granted,” Bahl said. “Just trying to be as present as possible was huge, and at the same time trying to treat it like another big game you're getting ready for.”
Bahl has another big game to prepare for as her Sooners (59-1) face Florida State (58-9) in Game 1 of the WCWS finals at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN. She’s likely to pitch in the contest, and will be counted on to do what she’s done countless times before.
For Petersen, who was in attendance during OU’s win on Monday, he thinks “anything can happen” during the series. But if Bahl pitches, Petersen believes he knows exactly what will happen.
“Florida State is a great team, but she’s gonna bring her best performance. And it’s hard to beat that,” Petersen said. “I’ll probably be more nervous than her watching the game. I’m guessing what she’ll do is enough. I’ve seen it many times before.
“I have five amazing daughters, but I would turn to parents and tell their daughters ‘Hey, be like Jordy Bahl.’”
