‘Just Give Me Damage’: Karli Godwin Credits Hot Streak at the Plate with Getting Back to Basics

STILLWATER — Karli Godwin’s batting average hit a season-low of .271 on March 13, but over the past few weeks, she’s worked it back up to a .327.

It might not be too big a coincidence that Oklahoma State is 8-2 in that stretch since.

Godwin is on a six-game hitting streak, a stretch that has seen her go 10-for-19 (.526) at the dish with six RBIs and seven runs scored. She credits her uptick in form to a visit from her father, Bruno.

“A couple weekends ago, my dad was in town, and you know how that goes,” Godwin said. “He knows my swing better than anybody. He’s been around it the longest, so I think just having a reset and doing some things that I did when I was 10 years old kind of helped me get back to some of the basics. And just was a great reset for me to kind of stop overthinking everything and see ball, hit ball.”

With all the fancy technology at the Cowgirls’ disposal, Bruno had Karli hitting a punching bag and off a double tee.

“Seems really elementary and stupid,” Godwin said. “But it really helps.”

In the midst of this hot stretch at the plate, Godwin moved to a different position in the field — second base.

“So I guess I was approached about it a couple weeks ago. Bergy (assistant coach Greg Bergeron) asked me to come take ground balls before practice one day, and I was like, OK, that’s kind of weird. I usually ask him. So, he was like, just go to second base, just use your first base glove. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, what’s going on here?’

“So yeah, I was approached about it a couple weeks ago, but, I mean, it’s been a long time since I played middle infield, and I don’t think I’ve ever really played second base. I’ve always been on the other side, but it’s been fun and definitely a lot different. Just doing whatever I’m asked to do and whatever’s best for the team. So the first game, I was really nervous, but then as the weekend went on, I settled in.”

Godwin came to Stillwater as a third baseman but her path to early playing time went through first base. She was a freshman All-American in 2024, hitting 15 home runs to go with 51 RBIs. So that was where she stayed.

But with OSU coach Kenny Gajewski in search of more offense, he wanted to get Lexi McDonald on the field. The most seamless place to fit McDonald in was at first while shifting Godwin over to second.

“We’re just trying to get some more offense,” Gajewski said. “(Godwin is) a third baseman, that’s how she came in here. It doesn’t look probably the way I’d like it to look. You know, it doesn’t look like (Rachel) Becker or Madi Sue (Montgomery) looked and that kind of stuff when we had those kids there, but it’s doing what we need to do. She’s giving it everything. I told her tell somebody, ‘I just don’t wanna screw up,’ and we’re like, ‘Hey, it doesn’t matter if you’re Becker or Madi Sue, I watched them screw up too. So what are you worried about? Just go play and give us your best and we’ll see how it works.'”

Gajewski said he isn’t sure if Godwin’s move over is temporary or long term.

With McDonald being inserted into the lineup, that means Gajewski had to sit second baseman Jayden Jones. Gajewski started tearing up Wednesday when discussing how hard it is for him to bench players and that he is reading a Bobbie Knight book to help harden him a little when it comes to that type of stuff.

While Godwin was going through her cold streak, Gajewski said he told her that he was close to having to sit her. Gajewski said he told Godwin to stop caring about whatever it was she was caring about and “just give me damage.”

Message received.

“She cares so much about this place and her teammates, she doesn’t wanna let people down — probably me too,” Gajewski said. “I’m just like, ‘Dude, you’re not letting me down. Like, I’m your biggest fan. I want it as bad as you.’ I think it’s me just making sure they know, ‘Hey, do this for you. Do that for the people in the dugout. Don’t worry about me. Just be you. Be the kid that from Day 1 has come in here and hit.’ I think after her first year, she put so much pressure on herself to do more — 15 home runs and 50 RBIs as a freshmen. …

“I think it’s just getting her to get back to that don’t care attitude. I’d use another word, but I’d probably get fired. But that’s the word I want to use. Just have that type of mentality where you don’t care.”