Oklahoma State had to go deep into its bullpen during the college softball Super Regional against Nebraska and gave the ball to Makala Smith. It was her first appearance of her entire career.
The Cowboys seemingly decided to gamble on a proposed rule change.
Smith will still be allowed to play four additional seasons of college softball if the rule passes. If not, she burned her redshirt.
Who is Makala Smith?
As a native of Texas, Smith played for Needville High School. She was named as an NFCA second team All-American, District MVP and THSCA Super Elite Team Pitcher of the Year. However, she was even more dominant during the club season. The 6-foot pitcher maintained a 2.84 ERA in 120.2 innings pitched for the Bombers Gold and earned Defensive MVP honors.
Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski was thrilled to receive her commitment.
“Makala is a kid we’ve been watching for a long time. She possesses speed, movement and off-speed. We watched her shut down some of the best travel ball teams in the country over the past couple years. She has real swing-and-miss ability and has a chance to come in and be a force right away.”
However, Smith did not get to debut for the Cowboys during the regular season. The true freshman dealt with an injury that forced her to spend most of the year in street clothes. She only started to dress for games over the last two or three weeks. She started to warm up in the bullpen on a few different occasions but never got the call and never actually toed the rubber in the circle.
It was expected that Makala Smith was going to take a redshirt. Oklahoma State would like to preserve her four years of eligibility.
Oklahoma State took a gamble on an NCAA rule change for college softball.
Although Smith did not debut during the regular season, Big 12 Tournament or the Regional round of the postseason, Gajewski called her number during the fifth inning of the Super Regional. The Cowboys already trailed 7-0 when he went to the bullpen.
Makala Smith allowed one run on four hits in her debut. It was not the best debut but not the worst.
“We’ve been working hard with that kid,” Gajewski said. “She’s been through hell and back, and to get her first appearance here in that moment was huge. She’s better than what she showed you today, but for a kid to make her first collegiate appearance, going through what she’s gone through, is pretty cool. It’s one of the cooler moments of my time here, to be very honest.”
This is where things get interesting.
Based on the current rules as they are written, a college softball player is allowed to appear in 30% of regular season games and still maintain her ability to redshirt. A college softball cannot appear in a postseason game and still redshirt.
Therefore, as of right now, Smith burned her redshirt by pitching against Nebraska in the Super Regional. Oklahoma State gambled on an upcoming rule change.
The NCAA is likely going to pass the “five-in-five” proposal over the summer. It will eliminate the redshirt all together and give every college athlete five years of eligibility to be used in five seasons.
Thus, if/when the “five-in-five” proposal inevitably passes, Makala Smith will still have four years left.
The Cowboys are willing to gamble on her eligibility. It feels like a safe bet.