Carlson: Kelly Maxwell's move from Oklahoma State solidifies OU softball as 'Evil Empire'

Kelly Maxwell has left orange for crimson, Stillwater for Norman, “Go Pokes” for “Boomer Sooner.”

Yes, the Oklahoma State softball ace is now the Oklahoma softball ace, a stunning Bedlam swap that went from speculation Wednesday night when OU softball coach Patty Gasso tweeted a couple of bomb emojis, her social-media signal for having landed a new player, to reality Thursday morning with a source confirming the move to our man Ryan Aber.

Maxwell made it official Thursday afternoon, changing her Instagram bio.

Also official: a couple of conclusions.

First, Maxwell will become Public Enemy No. 1 for many OSU fans.

Not saying that’s how it should be, but that’s how it will be for some. And yes, I’d put her above Trace Ford on the orange-and-black villain scale, unless he makes a sack or something to win Bedlam this fall.

But second, and much more far-reaching, is the stamp this puts on OU softball.

It’s now the Evil Empire.

More: OU softball lands Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell via transfer portal

It was already trending that way, and then and now, it's likely Gasso doesn’t care one bit how the softball world feels about her program. Last June after OU won its third consecutive national title at the Women’s College World Series, she acknowledged the target that has been on her Sooners’ backs.

“To be sitting up here … is still kind of amazing because everybody’s out to get us,” she said. “They want to bring down the Evil Empire, whatever it is. I don’t know.

“We just want to play ball. That’s all.”

That desire to play ball and play it well is why Maxwell is now a Sooner. She has been a consensus All-American the past two seasons, years in which she won a combined 37 games, struck out a combined 542 batters and led the Cowgirls to the WCWS. She is a supremely talented veteran who fills the void left by Jordy Bahl's departure.

Sure, Gasso knew that bringing in Maxwell would cause waves. Waves with the Cowgirls. Waves with a Bedlam rivalry that already runs hot. Waves with the college softball world.

But you know what Gasso did?

She signed Maxwell anyway.

Because getting the best players and building the best roster trumps any brouhaha that might be created. Gasso has stockpiled talent for years, and even though you’d think there might come a point where players get frustrated by a lack of playing time or starts or at-bats, the Sooners have limited any hard feelings.

Have players gotten disgruntled?

More: Kenny Gajewski explains why he believes Kelly Maxwell is leaving Oklahoma State softball

I’m sure it’s happened. There have been Sooners who transferred out over the past few years ― Bahl falls into a category all her own because the program wasn’t the problem but rather its zip code ― so at the very least, those players decided to leave because they weren’t happy about something.

Still, the willingness to bring in as much talent as possible, then figure out how to juggle it all has been a winning strategy for Gasso.

No reason not to do the same with Maxwell.

But of course, she is different. Never before have the Sooner softballers brought in a rival’s superstar.

Now, some OSU fans argue Maxwell wasn’t the best pitcher on the Cowgirls’ staff the second half of last season, and you could make a case for that. But look at the totality of her career, and you can safely say she’s among the top five players in program history.

OSU coach Kenny Gajewski once called Maxwell “one of the best left-handers in the world, pure and simple.”

So, yes, Maxwell moving to the Sooners is different than Haley Lee or Sydney Sanders, Hope Trautwein or Giselle Juarez. When those transfers landed in Norman, the college softball world rolled its collective eyes and said, “Like OU needs any more talent.”

But the Sooners adding Maxwell hits differently.

Like Luke Skywalker defending the Death Star instead of trying to destroy it.

More: Tramel's ScissorTales: Jordy Bahl's transfer from OU softball shows home still counts

I know for lots of OU fans, none of this makes sense. They love their Sooners. They adore Gasso and her girls. But I’m sure New England Patriots fans felt a similar affinity for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Co. back in the day. Sort of like Georgia football fans for Kirby Smart and his players or Alabama fans for Nick Saban and his squad.

But for the rest of the sports world, dynasties like that don’t feel warm and fuzzy. They feel dark and cold and ruthless. We loathe what their fans love about them.

That’s how the college softball world now looks at the Sooners.

Such sentiment has been growing. During the WCWS, many softball types crowed the Sooners. Was their dominance really good for softball? How was it fair for OU to play for a national title only a half an hour from campus with such a home-field advantage?

That sort of talk is only going to grow now.

The Evil Empire is on the march, and along the way, it convinced a blonde ace to join it.

Not Luke Skywalker. He's still part of the Rebel Alliance.

But many in the softball world believe Kelly Maxwell has gone to the Dark Side.

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at 405-475-4125 or jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok or on Threads at jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kelly Maxwell transfer to OU softball stamps Sooners as Evil Empire