August 11, 2025 • 34 mins
AJ sits down with AUSL Volts pitcher Sam Landry - first-team All-American and top 25 finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award. They discuss Sam's transition from college to professional softball, focusing on the importance of self-coaching, overcoming exhaustion, and developing trust in oneself and one's teammates. Plus, Sam opens up about how her faith and a transformative conversation with Coach Patty Gasso helped her rediscover her identity beyond the game.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Dropping Diamonds with aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes, Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
aj Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of
(00:21):
softball today. Joining me is a absolute stud superstar. She's
a two time first team NFCA First Team All American,
Top twenty five finalists, USA Softball Player the Year Award
winner and Sunbelt Champion Most Outstanding Player. It is the one,
it is the only. Sam Leandrew, Hey, girl, thank you
(00:44):
for joining me today. Having me, You are jumping into
your rookie season. It is here, it is happening. How
do you feel like it has been so far?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, it's definitely been exciting, something new. It's definitely is
a learning curve for me. You know, it's a lot
more independency and just more relying on your teammates than
you ever had before. So figuring that out and just
going into it really.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, what do you feel like is probably the biggest
transition or the biggest adjustment to make from college to
bro I.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Would definitely say it's more like you feel you're coaching
yourself a lot more like you have your coaches, but
you kind of want to try to do it yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Or maybe that's just me. Maybe it's just.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The problem I deal with. But yeah, I just the
team is so awesome and like just talking to them
is so much fun, and they're so knowledgeable in the
sport that it's like you figure it out pretty quick when.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
You say coaching yourself, what have you taught yourself? What
have you maybe learned about yourself through this process?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's the funny part. I'm still working on that. Okay,
just yourself. That's what life, what life's about.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
We're all working prodss but just trying to figure everything out,
like body wise when pitching and trying to get the
right fills right now and realizing where I'm at and
just kind of trying to push through some of the
exhaustion that comes with coming off of all achieve into this.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So just figuring all that out. I love it. I
jumped right into with you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
But normally I start with an affirmation to get us going,
because you know, we want to be positive and uplifted
as soapball players because this game gets hard. So one
of the quotes that I'm gonna start with, is it's
not about the setback, it's about the comeback. Is there
a quote that you love or that you live by.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
H I would definitely say the thing that I always
repeat to myself.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
It's a Bible verse.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's First Corinthians nine twenty four, and it says, do
you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? So run in such
a way as to obtain it. And I think it's
so important because there's so many like prizes in this life.
And I think that that verse can be taken in
so many different ways. And it's not just about winning
a game, because the prize could be something you learned
from a loss.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
What do you feel like is something you've learned from
a loss a prize? Yeah, it's one of your biggest
prizes you have in your back pocket.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Now, I think I have learned how genuinely how good
God is because I think just where I was at,
and it's something I've talked about a little bit, not much,
but where I was at mentally. I was ready to
quit softball, and I was ready to just walk away
from the game because it was.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
My entire identity.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And I think that after a little bit and understanding
God and what he was doing in my life, it
became like he was my identity. And I don't think
that's something I would have learned if it would have
been when When When, because then I would have fellen
so in love with that feeling of winning all the
time instead of how much I had to rely on
him in those moments.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So you feel like you fell in love with relying
on your faith and on God.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Rather than the win.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yes, yes, what took you there? What do you feel
like I finally got you to a place where it's
just in that point it seems like you have to
kind of just surrender.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, and that can be the hardest thing to do.
What allowed you to do it is so scary.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But I think the that the Oklahoma staff, the team,
everybody gave was something that really helped with that. And
I know me and Coach Gasto had a very hard
conversation one day and she sat me down and we
were talking.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I'm crying. She was like, Sammy, realize the end is
already written. And I was like, oh, you're right. I
was like, you're right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So I think that was such a freeing statement that
she said that I've lived by this past year mainly,
and I'm like, the 's already written, like this loss
is in his plan, like it's going to get me somewhere.
Who knows where that's going to be. We'll find out later,
but it's written. What led to that conversation, I I'm
trying to remember. I think it was when I got
(04:42):
my concussion and I was missing, you know, the first
SEC series. It was senior year. I took it really hard,
just having to sit out. I don't like sitting out,
having to sit out, and I think we had a
really hard conversation because I was so frustrated with everything
that was happening, and so.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We just had to.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
She could see how much I was loving this sport,
define me by how much I was mad that I
wasn't playing, and she was like, you have more to
you than this sport, Like you should be okay with
not playing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
All the time. Well I'm not, so I need to
be out there, but.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
That it was definitely something I needed and something that
definitely flipped my mindset and who I am.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
What affirmation do you feel like we can take from that?
It's not a setback, it's really a comeback. And you
talk about how their end is already written. Well, you
know one of the it goes along the lines of
what you said, where live in such a way that
if someone.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Were to talk negatively about you, people wouldn't even believe it.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, so maybe it's like today my prize, get my
eyes on the prize. Yes, I love a good rhyme.
I get my eyes on the prize, and that is
to live in a way that all I do is.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That was good.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Wow, guys, Okay, I need that in a quote on
a picture of you.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so today what I don't know whatze that today
got to keep my eyes on the prize and live
it away that all I do is rise and live
it away, that all I do is rise.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You continued to rise after you transfer from you Well
to Oklahoma, and you talked about it was something you
really needed. You just needed a new space, you needed
new coaches, new experience. How did go in Oklahoma helped
develop you better as a picture.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I think a lot of it came with the mentality
that I had in the game, and I think Oklahoma
was who got my best assets of my mentality out
and it was the refuse to lose and like just
really playing the game and not trying to please other people.
And I think once I got my mentality right, that helped.
I don't think I advanced as much pitching wise as
(06:57):
people think I did, but when my mental reality got right,
that's what helped the pitching. And I give all the
credit of that to the coaching staff, to coach Rocha.
I think she is genuinely one of the best pitching
coaches in the nation because she knows that it's more
than just mechanics, especially at this like this point in
your career you've been doing it for so long. She
(07:18):
knows that it's not going to always be this tiny
release point that you need to work on. It's like, well,
what were you thinking before you threw that pitch? And
I think that is why she is genuinely the best
pitching coach.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
How do you train yourself to have those positive thoughts
and get to the mentality that you need to have
a championship mentality to evolve this pitcher.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
There's definitely a lot of repetition of like just trusting
her pitches, like I would throw a pitch and she's
like did you trust it? I'm like, yeah, but like
until the end when I tried to, you know, pull
it a little too.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Much, you know, and trust it bad. Yeah, let me
noted rito. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So definitely just a lot of repetition of that, and
then you finally get to a point where you're like.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I'm just gonna throw this pitch, like screw it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
And then you do and it's like the best pitch
you've ever thrown, and you're like, well, how did that happen?
Like I wasn't even thinking about anything, and she's like, exactly, okay. So,
like I said, a lot of repetition, a lot of trust.
I think how much I trusted her and the rest
of the staff allowed me to trust myself a lot more.
And that's just where it kept piling on.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
What do you feel like is probably the best advice
that she gave you, Coach Georgia.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
She gave me so many.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
She honestly is like one of those people that talk
where like everything she says, you're like, let me write
that down. Yeah, like pause, let me write it down please.
I definitely think a lot of it, Like just the
word trust that she would always say. I think a
lot of that can be expanded into like trusting me
with my decisions, with my pitching, with anything I do
(08:52):
outside of softball. So anytime I think of coach Richa,
the word trust always comes to my mind. And like
I said, like I trust her so much, and it
genuinely helps me trust myself more when.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You're getting into a place of trust, because even if
I just think about I'm not a picture, but if
I'm trusting myself in the outfield to make a play,
I have to first make that play and then I'm like, Okay,
I know I can do this again. But then you
get into a place where maybe if you missed it
the second time or the third time, now the trust
is started to go down. How do you, in those
(09:24):
moments build the trust back up.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
So one thing we would do is I would throw
a pitch and it be absolutely terrible, terrible pitch. She like,
did you trust? I'm like yeah, like I genuinely came
out of my release trusting everything that pitch was about
to do. And she was like and it wasn't good.
I was like no, it was like literally the worst
pitch I've ever come on. And she was like, so
what she said?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So what.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yes, she's like, so what do it again? So you
would go in and you're like, I'm still going to
trust it. And then you would see that maybe you
throw another bad pitch and you're like, did you trust in?
You're like, oh, like I was trying to. The last
one was terrible. I was trying to that, you know.
But and so then you would move into the fact
that you have to let everything go. And I think
(10:06):
softball is such a game of short term memory that
I could throw what I think is the best pitch
of my life and they're gonna go yard with it,
and you're like, but I trusted that, Like well, she
trusted her swing as well. So it's just a whole
bunch of like, you you trust it. If it doesn't
work out, so what let it go. If it works out, great,
let it go. You're moving on to the next pitch anyways,
(10:28):
So just letting it go, moving on. You know, it's
one pitch at a time, and everything happens for a reason.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
So is it easy to let it go? It wasn't
at first.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's definitely something that I worked really hard to get to.
And then I'm kind of struggling with again, and so
I'm trying to build that back up, and it's just
I think a lot of that comes with like trusting
yourself and just being very secure with what you're doing
and just knowing that your team's behind your back. And
I know, like me and tire Jennings went through a
(10:58):
lot of the same coaching, just she got a little
bit more than I did, but she knows exactly the
right thing to say. So when I'm pitching and she
comes up behind me, she'll be like, you realize you
have like one of the best defenses behind you right now.
And I'm like, oh, you're right, And so the thing
I'm like, huh I do huh yeah, Oh everybody's in
all America.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
My bad.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
So then you you're more willing to like go through
the zone and you're like, you're right, like, let me
make them hit it, Like I need to quit trying
to bite at the end of the zone. So I
think especially having her right there and just knowing exactly
what to say, knowing what coaches were telling me all year,
is absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Would you say that's probably your philosophy, your coach roach's philosophy.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I'm pitching to trust it, Yes, absolutely, trust and let
go move on.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Trust, let go move on, and then do it again,
and then do it again, do it again.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So that's right.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
What's the longest you, like, repetition wise, you had to
do something till you got to write.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
It was probably longer than Coach Rochell wanted me to
do it. But I was like, Coach Richill, let me
do it please. There was one bullpen she absolutely cutting
off like it was terrible pitching, like worst bullpen I've
ever had, and she was like, Okay, you're done.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
I was like, what, Like, are you up early?
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
She was like you're good. I was like huh. She
was like, you can sleep on it. Come back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
What you're even just like delivering it right now? Yeah,
come back tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
We're not We're not gonna We're not getting better today.
She was like, you're you're just oh.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
I was like, oh my gosh. But came back the
next day is ready to go. One of the best
bullpens in my life.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
But that's so real.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I mean it's the same with hitting, like sometimes it's
like I think you should just let it go today.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Well because it's like if you're just going over and
over and over again, nothing's working. You're getting mad, You're
not trusting anything, like who are you helping? Like you're
just doing so many bad mechanics. You're just you're getting mad,
You're starting to hate it, like all this since come
back tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Yess me.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
As she imagine. She's just very soft spoken and yes, I.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Come back to my one of the most soothing voices
I've ever heard. Yeah, I love hearing her talk.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
I'm like, okay, yeah, well I thought, like, I mean Oklahoma, right,
everybody talks about the dynasty that is Oklahoma and Oklahoma softball.
And you gave a little story about Coach Gaso and
how she pulled you aside and was able to really
get you mentally in a better space. Yea, what is
your favorite Patty Gasso story or moment to where you realized, oh,
(13:22):
this is why this is a dynasty.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, there's so many. I generally think though, it's like
she knows when to be serious and then she knows
when she can joke. And she's gonna kill me for
saying that, because I also said that on like an
sec thing, and she got so mad that I said
she's a jokester.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But she that's so funny. She doesn't want to be seen. Yeah,
she was like, Sam, I'm trying to be serious, but
you're not. You're you're a jokester. But no, I love her.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I know. We had like a loss one time. One
of the first things she was saying was like, she
gets mad, she'll be upset about it, but she's like,
everybody's mad. And I think it was our first loss
of the season. She was like, y'all realize y'all are
like thirty and one right now, and we're like, oh,
(14:10):
like we're thirty one games into the season. We have
one loss. Everybody's mad. She's like, like it was bound
to happen, you know what I mean. So I genuinely
think that she like knew when to be serious and
she knew how to read us, I would say, so,
I think that that's what makes her one of the
best coaches. And then the emphasis that she puts on
in practice of like you play it like it's a game.
(14:31):
Like the first day of practice, I remember somebody bobbled
a ball and then was like, all right, next one,
and she was like, are you gonna finish the play?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Ah? And we're like, oh, We're like, you gotta grab
the ball.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But no, I like, she is definitely one of the
like practice like you play people, and I think that
translates into a game. And our practices are so fast
sometimes that it's a game is slower. So then you're
you're ready for it at all.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Times, ready at all I mean it would seem that way,
ready at all times. Yeah, you wouldn't, you know, you
wouldn't think coach Kassa, what's the joke?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Stret so? Thanks for that. She's funny, she's finny. Did
she tell jokes like she just wait, what's her best joke?
I can't even think right now. I was put on
the spot. Now I can't think. But she trusted.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah, she she liked to she liked to pick on me,
and I would just be like, coach what she Oh?
She ate me alive. I never had to come back.
I never had one. I was like, how do I
even respond to that?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Just like slick comments, like one day she might kill
me for saying this story. But she was like, uh.
She walked out to me, she was like, you look
like Miley Cyrus. I was like anything, it was common, yeah,
like thank you, and.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
She like walked away and like five minutes later she
came back. She was like, oh, by the way, not
Hannah Ontana wrecking ball. It's okay, never mind, I don't
want I don't want the compliment. Never mind.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
It's the fact that she had to think about. It's like,
how do I make this? Notim she's all I liked it?
Had to fix it. Came back and was like, wrecking ball. Okay,
she finished a play a case, she finished a play.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
When we had a Halloween thing, I almost came as Miley. Sorry,
it's like this would be perfect.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Wait that actually been so funny. Oh, I would have left,
So I would have left.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Let's take a quick break to hear a word from
our sponsor. Well, when it comes to fitching and it
comes to perfect games, you know how to complete them
and make them happen. We talk about trusting the process,
(16:48):
but also trusting your defense. When you're in the process
of throwing a perfect game?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Are you aware the one I had the season?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I was, but I wasn't aware until the last setting
because we're scoring the runs and I happened to look
up there to see like if we were in run
roll territory, and I saw like zeros zero zero and
I was like, why do I look like no way?
But so then going back out on defense, I generally
had so much trust for that defense. And like funny
story about Gabby Garcia real quick, the shortstop she made
(17:17):
like one air a game, and should we get to practice?
She was like, touch, I need like five buckets. Really
you made one air? She was like, one air is
five buckets to balls?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh my gosh. I was like, okay, girl.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But I generally trusted them because they all had that
mentality when we were playing like Oklahoma State and bases
are loaded, there's a solid line drive hit back up
the middle, but our second basement dives and makes that play.
She makes us play out practices every day, so we
were like she like she wants those plays. So just
having the trust for them because I know what they
(17:49):
want in practice, so I know they're ready for it
in the game. So the Baylor game, I was ready
for that or I knew the perfect game was going on,
but I also knew that my defense was on lockdown,
like I'd seen them all day and it was just
it was super excited to be.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Able to do for with them, and you can't just
come up to anybody and your teammates come up and say, okay,
keep going.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
No they don't.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
I was surprised. I was surprised that nobody did. Could
I would have cried. If they did, I would have cried.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I know I used to win.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
The reporters Alice, Oh shoot, I've forgot im. I just
wipe my eye. I caught myself a phoenix. The phoenix
is burning. Shoot anyway. I would tell like reporters sometimes
like please don't tell me my stats.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I just don't want to know. I just I really
don't want to know. I don't want to know.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
I would look at the paper like during like post
game conferences or whatever, and you could always tell, Like
when I was mad, I always went back to watch
this teve Like you could tell I was mad, and
you could tell. Could I just be like sitting there
like not saying anything. But if I was like good,
I was like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
He hate Fred?
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Got it? Sam?
Speaker 1 (18:56):
You not only step on the field and like just
your fine. If you just seem like you're just so
chill and cool, cool girl, cool girl. But do you
get angry often or do you just kind of trust
it and go through it.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I trust it, but I will say I get angry
at myself because there are times where I know, like
I'm better than that, right that just happened. I know
I'm better than that, but at the same time, it's
having to move on pretty quickly from that. So coming
back in and just like kind of resetting the mind
and then going back out there. We used to work
on like breathing a lot and that helps, so just
(19:32):
doing that resetting.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
But I do get map, I do get mad. Do
you have breath work technique?
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We did a lot of like box breathing where you
like four in, hold for four, breathe out for four. Okay,
But like if you see me pitch, a lot of
my like motion is built around breathing. So I'll take
a deep breath in like as soon as I get
on the mound, and then blow it out. And then
as soon as I'm starting my pitch, it's a deep
breath in and.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Then you don't really until you released the thing until
I throw hard me It sounds like, yeah, I feel
like when I talk about your pitching and how amazing
you are as a picture, you also bring the style
in the grace unintentionally I wearing your glasses on the field,
I read I read an article on you on MLB
(20:21):
and they were so curious about how it stayed on.
And it all happened because you put hairspray on one day,
put your glasses on, and it just stuck. So that's
the key. When when we're glasses on the field, no
more contacts. Yeah, hairspray, hairspray the glasses. That's routine.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah, because I do my slick back every day, huh,
and I loot up on hairspray. Like it's insane how
much hair spray I put in my hair. But I
like put my glasses on right after I did my hairspray,
and then I like went and did something and I
was like, oh my god, Like I didn't brush out
my blashes or something at the time. So I went
to go take them off and they were like weren't moving,
and I was like, oh my get off. So I
was like, that's why my glasses stay on. I put
(20:58):
so much hairspray in my hair and then it dry.
So if it works, if it works, if it works,
use hairsprays and people love it. Fans have Now you
see them wearing the glasses. What's like the coolest thing
a fan has done in response to you wearing glasses
on the field. I generately think it is so cool
just to see all these little girls and like slick
(21:19):
back button and glasses and.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
They try to like poke them out. Huh or is
it the blue lie? No, don't use like blue light glasses.
That's what I'm saying. I'm like, oh my gosh, even
have the real deal. It is so cute. I'm obsessed
with it.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Wait makes my way and I know I've gotten so
many like dms and they're like my daughter was prescribed glasses,
she doesn't want to wear them, and then she saw
you pitch and now she's okay with wearing them, especially
on the field.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I'm like, that just warms my heart acustually, Like you
inspire people.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I think it's so interesting because we never realize as
players are as people who were inspiring by literally just
existing by being herselves. Right, It's like, I need glasses,
so that's why I them, and then I play and
then you see that there's young girls. That why I
was embarrassed for my glasses. Tell us all, Sam, Now
I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I think it's cool.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I think it's it's just so moving to learn that
and should just see like the position I'm in and
what I can do with like the platform I have
and being able to inspire those young girls or the
next generation, and just like, I don't know, it's just
so surreal. I know my family was asking me about it.
I was like, I genuinely cannot put it into words,
like it's just something like you'd never understand, or like
(22:31):
I don't understand and you'd never expect it, and then
it just happens and you're in that position, but like
you want to fully fulfill your purpose in that.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Position fulfilling your purpose, what do you feel like your
purpose is?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I believe that God put me on this earth to
be in this sport and to spread his message and
to inspire young girls.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Well, you're doing a girl seven year purpose every single day.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
You are the AUSL number one draft pick. Is this
something you always wanted to do? Pay professional softball?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Not? No, no, I did not actually want to play softball,
but I was also going through everything mentally and was
ready to walk away from the game. But I want
to go to medical school, so I was always like,
I'm going to medical school out of college and I'm
not my sootball. But then transferring happened, I wasn't ready
to take the mcat knew I had to take a
break before I went to medical school, and I was like, oh, softball,
(23:39):
I kind.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Of like that again.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I like being there again. So when I was presented
with this opportunity, I was like absolutely, like I want
to do it. I want to be able to continue
this sport. Like I was not ready to walk away
yet once it became my senior year. I was not
ready to walk away.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Was he His senior year is like yeah, no, you're right, Yeah, yeah,
you're right. Not ready.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So I'm truly blessed to be here and that you know,
my coaches, my GM took a chance on me.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
You're here.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
It's the glasses on the field, the slick back on
the field. But also every number has a story. Why
do you wear a number twenty one?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So I originally wore number twelve for Jerry and Glasgow
to honor her, and then when I got to OU,
twelve was taken, so I just switched it with twenty one.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I played with Jerry Ann with Acrin Racers for two
years and to know her is to just know joy
and excitement, and she was always just so happy, like
the smallest things, and like I remember, coming off of
maybe fus chuck out or something, She's like aj Like,
there's just not a moment to be upset around her.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Why was that someone that you really wanted to honor?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I think I've always been so close with Coach Glasgow
and just the bond that we had. When everything happened
and I saw how he was dealing with it, I
just something in my heart told me that I needed
to change my number to twelve because I was number two.
So I was like, I need to do number twelve.
I don't know, I need to honor her. She was
such an amazing person. Anytime I was around her, I
(25:12):
was laughing. So it's just I don't I have no
other reason behind it, except like I felt God pulling
me to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
For those that Don'tald Jerry in Glasgow played softball collegially,
also played professionally, and she tragically passed away in a
car accident. Being able to play against Coach Glasgow at
the World Series.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
He had nothing but.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Oh, just like the love for you was almost palpable,
like you could just feel it through the screen, the
way he talked about you. Can you tell me a
little bit about y'all's relationship and how you developed became
so close.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
I don't even remember like why we got so close.
We just did, Like I think for some reason, God
called us like both together to just like form this bond.
Even in college, you know, he was always the first
person I called if something went wrong. Finals a week,
he was watching my dog for me. Side note, my
dog is one of his dogs. I just stole him, yea,
so he but he would baby sit him for me.
(26:06):
I genuinely don't know what made us so close, but
he is definitely a father figure to me, and he
is one of the first people I want to talk
to when anything goes wrong, when it goes right. I
know when I was going through like my visits and
the transfer portal, I was calling him after every single one.
I was like, well this is how that was, and
he was like, okay, okay. So I just genuinely love him,
(26:27):
his family, his daughters. I talked to them every now
and then his wife. I love Miss Vicky so much.
We just have a very good bond. And it's just
always something that's kept me in the game longer and
just pushed me more because I know that he's always there.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Well was his response when he changed the number to twelve.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I don't think I was able to talk to him
at that time, so he I don't think new, And
then it was like or he maybe knew, but he
couldn't say anything to me because of the rules. In
September first came around my junior year, and I think
he called and was like, gonna, we're twelve. Yeah I am,
I sure am, But I love him. Playing him in
(27:05):
the World Series was surreal. I think the end is written,
like I said, and I think my end of my
collegiate career was it was obviously that game, but there
was something so powerful in that game, and I think
I got a lot of peace from walking away from
my collegiate career at that time ending it that way.
And I was just so happy for him and his
(27:25):
team and my old teammate, and I was extremely happy
for our team and what they learned, and a lot
of those girls are going back next year to Oklahoma
and they were such a young like we were such
a young team. Yeah, So I think they learned so
much from that game as well, and they're going to
have a fight to this coming season, and I just
I'm praying for them.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
I know they're going to do so well. That's going
to be a fight. Texas Tech is definitely it's auditary.
That doesn't look like it's going to stop. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Well, what's my favorite segment. It's the no fly Zone
segment where returned the field too no fly zone. You
as a picture also turn the field in a fly zone,
whether through your pitches or making really cool plays. Do
you have a favorite play that you've ever made or
maybe a favorite outing. You can't name a favorite play.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I can't even remember, like what game or anything. I
just know it was a bunt and I just like
ran up grabbed a bare hand through it.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Ooh Jeter. But it was my favorite thing.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Because at practice, coach Guess it was always like you
you're too slow to the butt. She was like, you're
too slow. So the next day at practice she was like,
you know, it's an illusion because you're so slow to
the ball, but you just throw it.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I was like, it works.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
So I think that stuck with me because I was like,
she always tells me I'm too slow, but I'm gonna
get there. Just give me time.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
And so then you made the play. What does she
say you have to made that play? She married? Yeah,
she just she was like, good play. I was like, thanks,
I'm not going to choke on my words, but you
did well?
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
Yeah, thanks love? It was I too slow? Or do
you ever give herself back? Like I tried? But then
I'm like, oh my gosh, she gonna make me run.
I'm just kidding. She would number Sam.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
What do you think is your favorite failure, because it's
inevitable in this game that's ultimately led to one of
your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
I would say one of my first outings with the
Oklahoma was we played San Diego State and I did
not do good. I did absolutely terrible. And I think
where my mind was at when I start pitching like that,
And I think with most coaches you would assume too,
when you start pitching like that, they're gonna pull you.
(29:40):
When I came back in the dugout and they're like, okay,
you're doing You're gonna do this next s inning, I
was like, wait, I'm going back out there and they're like, yeah,
you are.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I was like, oh, okay, And so.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I think what I originally thought was like a failure
and how bad I was doing. That game taught me
so much and like it taught me that these coaches
had trusted me, and it helped me. You go out
there with so much more trust in myself and so
much more confidence because I was like, like, there's only
one reason they're putting me back out here right now.
I think they had scored like five runs off of
me in like three innings, and I was like, there's
(30:10):
only one reason they're letting me go out back out here.
So I really have to like dial in and figure
this out. And I think that taught me so much,
like more than any other game could have taught me.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I feel like it all goes back to trust exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It all goes back to trust, trusting yourself and surrounding
yourself with people that also trust you.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yes, what is your favorite pitch to throw? Change up?
Change up? I love the change You love the change up?
Can you show us your pitching grips? I can ball? Okay,
so this is my change up? Okay? Yeah this, yeah,
I'm trying to think through. This is screw curve rise
(30:51):
changed just a place.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
That's just how I released this screw curve rise and
then a lot of people disagree with this one because
they think a drop ball should be four seams. But
I feel like I have greater control with it when
I throw it two seams.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
So this is my drop ball.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
But you've tried four and I tried for It's just
I don't know why it doesn't work out for me,
so I just switched to two seam.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I think.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Actually one of the freshmen at OU, Audrey Lowry, she
was like, I throw it like this. I was like, well,
your dropball's sick, so I mean to try that.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
So I tried that. I loved it. So I've been
throwing it like this since so I love that droll sin.
Let me just try.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
She was like, well, she's the most soft spoken person
you'll ever meet, like more than coach Georga.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
But why I do this? I was like, oh, great,
I'm gonna do it. I'm going to do it because
you're amazing. So I take a while to get it
like that. It was no, it was like first pitch,
Oh wow. I was like, oh, I was like Audrey,
she was like she was like, that was so good.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Yeah, oh Sam, thank you so much for teaching us
about trusting the process, our affirmation, eyes on the prize,
on the prize live in a way that all we
do is rise or I make.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
A great drop ball rise or drop? Well, don't drop.
Let's keep driving.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Let's keep rising as we close out. I know you
know American Sign language? Can you say I love you?
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Guys? And wait?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
So you say I love you like that? I love you?
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Or you can say have a great We can tell
them to have a great day. Okay, have a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
How do we do that?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Okay? You would say have have and then you would
say great.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Great day, Say yes, okay, almost have again, Okay, have
a great.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Okay, have a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Amen, and then amen, I don't know that signa last day.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
What you learn Sign language? When did you start learning?
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I started learning in fourth grade. There was a little
girl at my school only communicated using sign language, so
I started learning it to talk to her.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Fell in love with the language. I think it is
so beautiful, and just kept learning it and kept learning.
That's so lovely. Did you up your best friend? I
wish she did.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
We talked every now and then, but it was just
something that you know, I don't want to. I can't
say what she needed. No, just having somebody to talk
to you sure, And I was always glad I was
able to do that part, be somebody that could bring.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
That light to it. And how do you say you're amazing?
It's same as great, like you're amazing. We'll see you're amazing.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Thank you so much for joining me on Dropping Diamonds
and dropping your diamond Yeah, thank you for having me.
We'll catch you guys next week back at the diamond.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Have a great day.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our
supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and mastered by
Mary Do. Listen to Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dropping Diamonds with aj Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes, Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. Welcome to Dropping Diamonds with Me
aj Andrews, where we dive headfirst into the world of
(00:21):
softball today. Joining me is a absolute stud superstar. She's
a two time first team NFCA First Team All American,
Top twenty five finalists, USA Softball Player the Year Award
winner and Sunbelt Champion Most Outstanding Player. It is the one,
it is the only. Sam Leandrew, Hey, girl, thank you
(00:44):
for joining me today. Having me, You are jumping into
your rookie season. It is here, it is happening. How
do you feel like it has been so far?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, it's definitely been exciting, something new. It's definitely is
a learning curve for me. You know, it's a lot
more independency and just more relying on your teammates than
you ever had before. So figuring that out and just
going into it really.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, what do you feel like is probably the biggest
transition or the biggest adjustment to make from college to
bro I.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Would definitely say it's more like you feel you're coaching
yourself a lot more like you have your coaches, but
you kind of want to try to do it yourself.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Or maybe that's just me. Maybe it's just.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The problem I deal with. But yeah, I just the
team is so awesome and like just talking to them
is so much fun, and they're so knowledgeable in the
sport that it's like you figure it out pretty quick when.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
You say coaching yourself, what have you taught yourself? What
have you maybe learned about yourself through this process?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's the funny part. I'm still working on that. Okay,
just yourself. That's what life, what life's about.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
We're all working prodss but just trying to figure everything out,
like body wise when pitching and trying to get the
right fills right now and realizing where I'm at and
just kind of trying to push through some of the
exhaustion that comes with coming off of all achieve into this.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So just figuring all that out. I love it. I
jumped right into with you.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
But normally I start with an affirmation to get us going,
because you know, we want to be positive and uplifted
as soapball players because this game gets hard. So one
of the quotes that I'm gonna start with, is it's
not about the setback, it's about the comeback. Is there
a quote that you love or that you live by.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
H I would definitely say the thing that I always
repeat to myself.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
It's a Bible verse.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It's First Corinthians nine twenty four, and it says, do
you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? So run in such
a way as to obtain it. And I think it's
so important because there's so many like prizes in this life.
And I think that that verse can be taken in
so many different ways. And it's not just about winning
a game, because the prize could be something you learned
from a loss.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
What do you feel like is something you've learned from
a loss a prize? Yeah, it's one of your biggest
prizes you have in your back pocket.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Now, I think I have learned how genuinely how good
God is because I think just where I was at,
and it's something I've talked about a little bit, not much,
but where I was at mentally. I was ready to
quit softball, and I was ready to just walk away
from the game because it was.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
My entire identity.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
And I think that after a little bit and understanding
God and what he was doing in my life, it
became like he was my identity. And I don't think
that's something I would have learned if it would have
been when When When, because then I would have fellen
so in love with that feeling of winning all the
time instead of how much I had to rely on
him in those moments.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So you feel like you fell in love with relying
on your faith and on God.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Rather than the win.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yes, yes, what took you there? What do you feel
like I finally got you to a place where it's
just in that point it seems like you have to
kind of just surrender.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, and that can be the hardest thing to do.
What allowed you to do it is so scary.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
But I think the that the Oklahoma staff, the team,
everybody gave was something that really helped with that. And
I know me and Coach Gasto had a very hard
conversation one day and she sat me down and we
were talking.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I'm crying. She was like, Sammy, realize the end is
already written. And I was like, oh, you're right. I
was like, you're right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So I think that was such a freeing statement that
she said that I've lived by this past year mainly,
and I'm like, the 's already written, like this loss
is in his plan, like it's going to get me somewhere.
Who knows where that's going to be. We'll find out later,
but it's written. What led to that conversation, I I'm
trying to remember. I think it was when I got
(04:42):
my concussion and I was missing, you know, the first
SEC series. It was senior year. I took it really hard,
just having to sit out. I don't like sitting out,
having to sit out, and I think we had a
really hard conversation because I was so frustrated with everything
that was happening, and so.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We just had to.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
She could see how much I was loving this sport,
define me by how much I was mad that I
wasn't playing, and she was like, you have more to
you than this sport, Like you should be okay with
not playing.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
All the time. Well I'm not, so I need to
be out there, but.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
That it was definitely something I needed and something that
definitely flipped my mindset and who I am.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
What affirmation do you feel like we can take from that?
It's not a setback, it's really a comeback. And you
talk about how their end is already written. Well, you
know one of the it goes along the lines of
what you said, where live in such a way that
if someone.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Were to talk negatively about you, people wouldn't even believe it.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Yeah, so maybe it's like today my prize, get my
eyes on the prize. Yes, I love a good rhyme.
I get my eyes on the prize, and that is
to live in a way that all I do is.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That was good.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Wow, guys, Okay, I need that in a quote on
a picture of you.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so today what I don't know whatze that today
got to keep my eyes on the prize and live
it away that all I do is rise and live
it away, that all I do is rise.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Amen.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
You continued to rise after you transfer from you Well
to Oklahoma, and you talked about it was something you
really needed. You just needed a new space, you needed
new coaches, new experience. How did go in Oklahoma helped
develop you better as a picture.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I think a lot of it came with the mentality
that I had in the game, and I think Oklahoma
was who got my best assets of my mentality out
and it was the refuse to lose and like just
really playing the game and not trying to please other people.
And I think once I got my mentality right, that helped.
I don't think I advanced as much pitching wise as
(06:57):
people think I did, but when my mental reality got right,
that's what helped the pitching. And I give all the
credit of that to the coaching staff, to coach Rocha.
I think she is genuinely one of the best pitching
coaches in the nation because she knows that it's more
than just mechanics, especially at this like this point in
your career you've been doing it for so long. She
(07:18):
knows that it's not going to always be this tiny
release point that you need to work on. It's like, well,
what were you thinking before you threw that pitch? And
I think that is why she is genuinely the best
pitching coach.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
How do you train yourself to have those positive thoughts
and get to the mentality that you need to have
a championship mentality to evolve this pitcher.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
There's definitely a lot of repetition of like just trusting
her pitches, like I would throw a pitch and she's
like did you trust it? I'm like, yeah, but like
until the end when I tried to, you know, pull
it a little too.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Much, you know, and trust it bad. Yeah, let me
noted rito. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So definitely just a lot of repetition of that, and
then you finally get to a point where you're like.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I'm just gonna throw this pitch, like screw it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
And then you do and it's like the best pitch
you've ever thrown, and you're like, well, how did that happen?
Like I wasn't even thinking about anything, and she's like, exactly, okay. So,
like I said, a lot of repetition, a lot of trust.
I think how much I trusted her and the rest
of the staff allowed me to trust myself a lot more.
And that's just where it kept piling on.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
What do you feel like is probably the best advice
that she gave you, Coach Georgia.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
She gave me so many.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
She honestly is like one of those people that talk
where like everything she says, you're like, let me write
that down. Yeah, like pause, let me write it down please.
I definitely think a lot of it, Like just the
word trust that she would always say. I think a
lot of that can be expanded into like trusting me
with my decisions, with my pitching, with anything I do
(08:52):
outside of softball. So anytime I think of coach Richa,
the word trust always comes to my mind. And like
I said, like I trust her so much, and it
genuinely helps me trust myself more when.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You're getting into a place of trust, because even if
I just think about I'm not a picture, but if
I'm trusting myself in the outfield to make a play,
I have to first make that play and then I'm like, Okay,
I know I can do this again. But then you
get into a place where maybe if you missed it
the second time or the third time, now the trust
is started to go down. How do you, in those
(09:24):
moments build the trust back up.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
So one thing we would do is I would throw
a pitch and it be absolutely terrible, terrible pitch. She like,
did you trust? I'm like yeah, like I genuinely came
out of my release trusting everything that pitch was about
to do. And she was like and it wasn't good.
I was like no, it was like literally the worst
pitch I've ever come on. And she was like, so
what she said?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
So what.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yes, she's like, so what do it again? So you
would go in and you're like, I'm still going to
trust it. And then you would see that maybe you
throw another bad pitch and you're like, did you trust in?
You're like, oh, like I was trying to. The last
one was terrible. I was trying to that, you know.
But and so then you would move into the fact
that you have to let everything go. And I think
(10:06):
softball is such a game of short term memory that
I could throw what I think is the best pitch
of my life and they're gonna go yard with it,
and you're like, but I trusted that, Like well, she
trusted her swing as well. So it's just a whole
bunch of like, you you trust it. If it doesn't
work out, so what let it go. If it works out, great,
let it go. You're moving on to the next pitch anyways,
(10:28):
So just letting it go, moving on. You know, it's
one pitch at a time, and everything happens for a reason.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
So is it easy to let it go? It wasn't
at first.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's definitely something that I worked really hard to get to.
And then I'm kind of struggling with again, and so
I'm trying to build that back up, and it's just
I think a lot of that comes with like trusting
yourself and just being very secure with what you're doing
and just knowing that your team's behind your back. And
I know, like me and tire Jennings went through a
(10:58):
lot of the same coaching, just she got a little
bit more than I did, but she knows exactly the
right thing to say. So when I'm pitching and she
comes up behind me, she'll be like, you realize you
have like one of the best defenses behind you right now.
And I'm like, oh, you're right, And so the thing
I'm like, huh I do huh yeah, Oh everybody's in
all America.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
My bad.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
So then you you're more willing to like go through
the zone and you're like, you're right, like, let me
make them hit it, Like I need to quit trying
to bite at the end of the zone. So I
think especially having her right there and just knowing exactly
what to say, knowing what coaches were telling me all year,
is absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Would you say that's probably your philosophy, your coach roach's philosophy.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I'm pitching to trust it, Yes, absolutely, trust and let
go move on.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Trust, let go move on, and then do it again,
and then do it again, do it again.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So that's right.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
What's the longest you, like, repetition wise, you had to
do something till you got to write.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
It was probably longer than Coach Rochell wanted me to
do it. But I was like, Coach Richill, let me
do it please. There was one bullpen she absolutely cutting
off like it was terrible pitching, like worst bullpen I've
ever had, and she was like, Okay, you're done.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
I was like, what, Like, are you up early?
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
She was like you're good. I was like huh. She
was like, you can sleep on it. Come back tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
What you're even just like delivering it right now? Yeah,
come back tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
We're not We're not gonna We're not getting better today.
She was like, you're you're just oh.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
I was like, oh my gosh. But came back the
next day is ready to go. One of the best
bullpens in my life.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
But that's so real.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I mean it's the same with hitting, like sometimes it's
like I think you should just let it go today.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Well because it's like if you're just going over and
over and over again, nothing's working. You're getting mad, You're
not trusting anything, like who are you helping? Like you're
just doing so many bad mechanics. You're just you're getting mad,
You're starting to hate it, like all this since come
back tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Yess me.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
As she imagine. She's just very soft spoken and yes, I.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Come back to my one of the most soothing voices
I've ever heard. Yeah, I love hearing her talk.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
I'm like, okay, yeah, well I thought, like, I mean Oklahoma, right,
everybody talks about the dynasty that is Oklahoma and Oklahoma softball.
And you gave a little story about Coach Gaso and
how she pulled you aside and was able to really
get you mentally in a better space. Yea, what is
your favorite Patty Gasso story or moment to where you realized, oh,
(13:22):
this is why this is a dynasty.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Yeah, there's so many. I generally think though, it's like
she knows when to be serious and then she knows
when she can joke. And she's gonna kill me for
saying that, because I also said that on like an
sec thing, and she got so mad that I said
she's a jokester.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
But she that's so funny. She doesn't want to be seen. Yeah,
she was like, Sam, I'm trying to be serious, but
you're not. You're you're a jokester. But no, I love her.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I know. We had like a loss one time. One
of the first things she was saying was like, she
gets mad, she'll be upset about it, but she's like,
everybody's mad. And I think it was our first loss
of the season. She was like, y'all realize y'all are
like thirty and one right now, and we're like, oh,
(14:10):
like we're thirty one games into the season. We have
one loss. Everybody's mad. She's like, like it was bound
to happen, you know what I mean. So I genuinely
think that she like knew when to be serious and
she knew how to read us, I would say, so,
I think that that's what makes her one of the
best coaches. And then the emphasis that she puts on
in practice of like you play it like it's a game.
(14:31):
Like the first day of practice, I remember somebody bobbled
a ball and then was like, all right, next one,
and she was like, are you gonna finish the play?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Ah? And we're like, oh, We're like, you gotta grab
the ball.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
But no, I like, she is definitely one of the
like practice like you play people, and I think that
translates into a game. And our practices are so fast
sometimes that it's a game is slower. So then you're
you're ready for it at all.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Times, ready at all I mean it would seem that way,
ready at all times. Yeah, you wouldn't, you know, you
wouldn't think coach Kassa, what's the joke?
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Stret so? Thanks for that. She's funny, she's finny. Did
she tell jokes like she just wait, what's her best joke?
I can't even think right now. I was put on
the spot. Now I can't think. But she trusted.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah, she she liked to she liked to pick on me,
and I would just be like, coach what she Oh?
She ate me alive. I never had to come back.
I never had one. I was like, how do I
even respond to that?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Just like slick comments, like one day she might kill
me for saying this story. But she was like, uh.
She walked out to me, she was like, you look
like Miley Cyrus. I was like anything, it was common, yeah,
like thank you, and.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
She like walked away and like five minutes later she
came back. She was like, oh, by the way, not
Hannah Ontana wrecking ball. It's okay, never mind, I don't
want I don't want the compliment. Never mind.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
It's the fact that she had to think about. It's like,
how do I make this? Notim she's all I liked it?
Had to fix it. Came back and was like, wrecking ball. Okay,
she finished a play a case, she finished a play.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
When we had a Halloween thing, I almost came as Miley. Sorry,
it's like this would be perfect.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Wait that actually been so funny. Oh, I would have left,
So I would have left.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Let's take a quick break to hear a word from
our sponsor. Well, when it comes to fitching and it
comes to perfect games, you know how to complete them
and make them happen. We talk about trusting the process,
(16:48):
but also trusting your defense. When you're in the process
of throwing a perfect game?
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Are you aware the one I had the season?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I was, but I wasn't aware until the last setting
because we're scoring the runs and I happened to look
up there to see like if we were in run
roll territory, and I saw like zeros zero zero and
I was like, why do I look like no way?
But so then going back out on defense, I generally
had so much trust for that defense. And like funny
story about Gabby Garcia real quick, the shortstop she made
(17:17):
like one air a game, and should we get to practice?
She was like, touch, I need like five buckets. Really
you made one air? She was like, one air is
five buckets to balls?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Oh my gosh. I was like, okay, girl.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
But I generally trusted them because they all had that
mentality when we were playing like Oklahoma State and bases
are loaded, there's a solid line drive hit back up
the middle, but our second basement dives and makes that play.
She makes us play out practices every day, so we
were like she like she wants those plays. So just
having the trust for them because I know what they
(17:49):
want in practice, so I know they're ready for it
in the game. So the Baylor game, I was ready
for that or I knew the perfect game was going on,
but I also knew that my defense was on lockdown,
like I'd seen them all day and it was just
it was super excited to be.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Able to do for with them, and you can't just
come up to anybody and your teammates come up and say, okay,
keep going.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
No they don't.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
I was surprised. I was surprised that nobody did. Could
I would have cried. If they did, I would have cried.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I know I used to win.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
The reporters Alice, Oh shoot, I've forgot im. I just
wipe my eye. I caught myself a phoenix. The phoenix
is burning. Shoot anyway. I would tell like reporters sometimes
like please don't tell me my stats.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I just don't want to know. I just I really
don't want to know. I don't want to know.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
I would look at the paper like during like post
game conferences or whatever, and you could always tell, Like
when I was mad, I always went back to watch
this teve Like you could tell I was mad, and
you could tell. Could I just be like sitting there
like not saying anything. But if I was like good,
I was like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
He hate Fred?
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Got it? Sam?
Speaker 1 (18:56):
You not only step on the field and like just
your fine. If you just seem like you're just so
chill and cool, cool girl, cool girl. But do you
get angry often or do you just kind of trust
it and go through it.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I trust it, but I will say I get angry
at myself because there are times where I know, like
I'm better than that, right that just happened. I know
I'm better than that, but at the same time, it's
having to move on pretty quickly from that. So coming
back in and just like kind of resetting the mind
and then going back out there. We used to work
on like breathing a lot and that helps, so just
(19:32):
doing that resetting.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
But I do get map, I do get mad. Do
you have breath work technique?
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We did a lot of like box breathing where you
like four in, hold for four, breathe out for four. Okay,
But like if you see me pitch, a lot of
my like motion is built around breathing. So I'll take
a deep breath in like as soon as I get
on the mound, and then blow it out. And then
as soon as I'm starting my pitch, it's a deep
breath in and.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Then you don't really until you released the thing until
I throw hard me It sounds like, yeah, I feel
like when I talk about your pitching and how amazing
you are as a picture, you also bring the style
in the grace unintentionally I wearing your glasses on the field,
I read I read an article on you on MLB
(20:21):
and they were so curious about how it stayed on.
And it all happened because you put hairspray on one day,
put your glasses on, and it just stuck. So that's
the key. When when we're glasses on the field, no
more contacts. Yeah, hairspray, hairspray the glasses. That's routine.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah, because I do my slick back every day, huh,
and I loot up on hairspray. Like it's insane how
much hair spray I put in my hair. But I
like put my glasses on right after I did my hairspray,
and then I like went and did something and I
was like, oh my god, Like I didn't brush out
my blashes or something at the time. So I went
to go take them off and they were like weren't moving,
and I was like, oh my get off. So I
was like, that's why my glasses stay on. I put
(20:58):
so much hairspray in my hair and then it dry.
So if it works, if it works, if it works,
use hairsprays and people love it. Fans have Now you
see them wearing the glasses. What's like the coolest thing
a fan has done in response to you wearing glasses
on the field. I generately think it is so cool
just to see all these little girls and like slick
(21:19):
back button and glasses and.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
They try to like poke them out. Huh or is
it the blue lie? No, don't use like blue light glasses.
That's what I'm saying. I'm like, oh my gosh, even
have the real deal. It is so cute. I'm obsessed
with it.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Wait makes my way and I know I've gotten so
many like dms and they're like my daughter was prescribed glasses,
she doesn't want to wear them, and then she saw
you pitch and now she's okay with wearing them, especially
on the field.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I'm like, that just warms my heart acustually, Like you
inspire people.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
I think it's so interesting because we never realize as
players are as people who were inspiring by literally just
existing by being herselves. Right, It's like, I need glasses,
so that's why I them, and then I play and
then you see that there's young girls. That why I
was embarrassed for my glasses. Tell us all, Sam, Now
I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I think it's cool.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I think it's it's just so moving to learn that
and should just see like the position I'm in and
what I can do with like the platform I have
and being able to inspire those young girls or the
next generation, and just like, I don't know, it's just
so surreal. I know my family was asking me about it.
I was like, I genuinely cannot put it into words,
like it's just something like you'd never understand, or like
(22:31):
I don't understand and you'd never expect it, and then
it just happens and you're in that position, but like
you want to fully fulfill your purpose in that.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Position fulfilling your purpose, what do you feel like your
purpose is?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I believe that God put me on this earth to
be in this sport and to spread his message and
to inspire young girls.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Well, you're doing a girl seven year purpose every single day.
Speaker 3 (22:57):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
There's more to cover, but first let's take a quick break.
You are the AUSL number one draft pick. Is this
something you always wanted to do? Pay professional softball?
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Not? No, no, I did not actually want to play softball,
but I was also going through everything mentally and was
ready to walk away from the game. But I want
to go to medical school, so I was always like,
I'm going to medical school out of college and I'm
not my sootball. But then transferring happened, I wasn't ready
to take the mcat knew I had to take a
break before I went to medical school, and I was like, oh, softball,
(23:39):
I kind.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Of like that again.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I like being there again. So when I was presented
with this opportunity, I was like absolutely, like I want
to do it. I want to be able to continue
this sport. Like I was not ready to walk away
yet once it became my senior year. I was not
ready to walk away.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Was he His senior year is like yeah, no, you're right, Yeah, yeah,
you're right. Not ready.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So I'm truly blessed to be here and that you know,
my coaches, my GM took a chance on me.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
You're here.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
It's the glasses on the field, the slick back on
the field. But also every number has a story. Why
do you wear a number twenty one?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So I originally wore number twelve for Jerry and Glasgow
to honor her, and then when I got to OU,
twelve was taken, so I just switched it with twenty one.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I played with Jerry Ann with Acrin Racers for two
years and to know her is to just know joy
and excitement, and she was always just so happy, like
the smallest things, and like I remember, coming off of
maybe fus chuck out or something, She's like aj Like,
there's just not a moment to be upset around her.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Why was that someone that you really wanted to honor?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I think I've always been so close with Coach Glasgow
and just the bond that we had. When everything happened
and I saw how he was dealing with it, I
just something in my heart told me that I needed
to change my number to twelve because I was number two.
So I was like, I need to do number twelve.
I don't know, I need to honor her. She was
such an amazing person. Anytime I was around her, I
(25:12):
was laughing. So it's just I don't I have no
other reason behind it, except like I felt God pulling
me to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
For those that Don'tald Jerry in Glasgow played softball collegially,
also played professionally, and she tragically passed away in a
car accident. Being able to play against Coach Glasgow at
the World Series.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
He had nothing but.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Oh, just like the love for you was almost palpable,
like you could just feel it through the screen, the
way he talked about you. Can you tell me a
little bit about y'all's relationship and how you developed became
so close.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
I don't even remember like why we got so close.
We just did, Like I think for some reason, God
called us like both together to just like form this bond.
Even in college, you know, he was always the first
person I called if something went wrong. Finals a week,
he was watching my dog for me. Side note, my
dog is one of his dogs. I just stole him, yea,
so he but he would baby sit him for me.
(26:06):
I genuinely don't know what made us so close, but
he is definitely a father figure to me, and he
is one of the first people I want to talk
to when anything goes wrong, when it goes right. I
know when I was going through like my visits and
the transfer portal, I was calling him after every single one.
I was like, well this is how that was, and
he was like, okay, okay. So I just genuinely love him,
(26:27):
his family, his daughters. I talked to them every now
and then his wife. I love Miss Vicky so much.
We just have a very good bond. And it's just
always something that's kept me in the game longer and
just pushed me more because I know that he's always there.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Well was his response when he changed the number to twelve.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
I don't think I was able to talk to him
at that time, so he I don't think new, And
then it was like or he maybe knew, but he
couldn't say anything to me because of the rules. In
September first came around my junior year, and I think
he called and was like, gonna, we're twelve. Yeah I am,
I sure am, But I love him. Playing him in
(27:05):
the World Series was surreal. I think the end is written,
like I said, and I think my end of my
collegiate career was it was obviously that game, but there
was something so powerful in that game, and I think
I got a lot of peace from walking away from
my collegiate career at that time ending it that way.
And I was just so happy for him and his
(27:25):
team and my old teammate, and I was extremely happy
for our team and what they learned, and a lot
of those girls are going back next year to Oklahoma
and they were such a young like we were such
a young team. Yeah, So I think they learned so
much from that game as well, and they're going to
have a fight to this coming season, and I just
I'm praying for them.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
I know they're going to do so well. That's going
to be a fight. Texas Tech is definitely it's auditary.
That doesn't look like it's going to stop. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Well, what's my favorite segment. It's the no fly Zone
segment where returned the field too no fly zone. You
as a picture also turn the field in a fly zone,
whether through your pitches or making really cool plays. Do
you have a favorite play that you've ever made or
maybe a favorite outing. You can't name a favorite play.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I can't even remember, like what game or anything. I
just know it was a bunt and I just like
ran up grabbed a bare hand through it.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Ooh Jeter. But it was my favorite thing.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
Because at practice, coach Guess it was always like you
you're too slow to the butt. She was like, you're
too slow. So the next day at practice she was like,
you know, it's an illusion because you're so slow to
the ball, but you just throw it.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I was like, it works.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
So I think that stuck with me because I was like,
she always tells me I'm too slow, but I'm gonna
get there. Just give me time.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
And so then you made the play. What does she
say you have to made that play? She married? Yeah,
she just she was like, good play. I was like, thanks,
I'm not going to choke on my words, but you
did well?
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
Yeah, thanks love? It was I too slow? Or do
you ever give herself back? Like I tried? But then
I'm like, oh my gosh, she gonna make me run.
I'm just kidding. She would number Sam.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
What do you think is your favorite failure, because it's
inevitable in this game that's ultimately led to one of
your biggest successes.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
I would say one of my first outings with the
Oklahoma was we played San Diego State and I did
not do good. I did absolutely terrible. And I think
where my mind was at when I start pitching like that,
And I think with most coaches you would assume too,
when you start pitching like that, they're gonna pull you.
(29:40):
When I came back in the dugout and they're like, okay,
you're doing You're gonna do this next s inning, I
was like, wait, I'm going back out there and they're like, yeah,
you are.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I was like, oh, okay, And so.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I think what I originally thought was like a failure
and how bad I was doing. That game taught me
so much and like it taught me that these coaches
had trusted me, and it helped me. You go out
there with so much more trust in myself and so
much more confidence because I was like, like, there's only
one reason they're putting me back out here right now.
I think they had scored like five runs off of
me in like three innings, and I was like, there's
(30:10):
only one reason they're letting me go out back out here.
So I really have to like dial in and figure
this out. And I think that taught me so much,
like more than any other game could have taught me.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I feel like it all goes back to trust exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
It all goes back to trust, trusting yourself and surrounding
yourself with people that also trust you.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yes, what is your favorite pitch to throw? Change up?
Change up? I love the change You love the change up?
Can you show us your pitching grips? I can ball? Okay,
so this is my change up? Okay? Yeah this, yeah,
I'm trying to think through. This is screw curve rise
(30:51):
changed just a place.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
That's just how I released this screw curve rise and
then a lot of people disagree with this one because
they think a drop ball should be four seams. But
I feel like I have greater control with it when
I throw it two seams.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
So this is my drop ball.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
But you've tried four and I tried for It's just
I don't know why it doesn't work out for me,
so I just switched to two seam.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I think.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Actually one of the freshmen at OU, Audrey Lowry, she
was like, I throw it like this. I was like, well,
your dropball's sick, so I mean to try that.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
So I tried that. I loved it. So I've been
throwing it like this since so I love that droll sin.
Let me just try.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
She was like, well, she's the most soft spoken person
you'll ever meet, like more than coach Georga.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
But why I do this? I was like, oh, great,
I'm gonna do it. I'm going to do it because
you're amazing. So I take a while to get it
like that. It was no, it was like first pitch,
Oh wow. I was like, oh, I was like Audrey,
she was like she was like, that was so good.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Yeah, oh Sam, thank you so much for teaching us
about trusting the process, our affirmation, eyes on the prize,
on the prize live in a way that all we
do is rise or I make.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
A great drop ball rise or drop? Well, don't drop.
Let's keep driving.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Let's keep rising as we close out. I know you
know American Sign language? Can you say I love you?
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Guys? And wait?
Speaker 3 (32:22):
So you say I love you like that? I love you?
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Or you can say have a great We can tell
them to have a great day. Okay, have a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
How do we do that?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Okay? You would say have have and then you would
say great.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Great day, Say yes, okay, almost have again, Okay, have
a great.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
Okay, have a great day.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Amen, and then amen, I don't know that signa last day.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
What you learn Sign language? When did you start learning?
Speaker 2 (32:59):
I started learning in fourth grade. There was a little
girl at my school only communicated using sign language, so
I started learning it to talk to her.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Fell in love with the language. I think it is
so beautiful, and just kept learning it and kept learning.
That's so lovely. Did you up your best friend? I
wish she did.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
We talked every now and then, but it was just
something that you know, I don't want to. I can't
say what she needed. No, just having somebody to talk
to you sure, And I was always glad I was
able to do that part, be somebody that could bring.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
That light to it. And how do you say you're amazing?
It's same as great, like you're amazing. We'll see you're amazing.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Thank you so much for joining me on Dropping Diamonds
and dropping your diamond Yeah, thank you for having me.
We'll catch you guys next week back at the diamond.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
Have a great day.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm your host, AJ Andrews.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Tari Harrison is our
supervising producer, and this episode was mixed and mastered by
Mary Do. Listen to Dropping Diamonds with AJ Andrews on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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