Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Staff Stories: Nicole Pendley
June 23, 2020 | Softball, HailStateBEAT
by Breana Norton, Student Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – 330 minutes. 17 innings.
Game 1 of the 2017 Women's College World Series Championship was the longest of Nicole Pendley's life.
The five-and-a-half-hour marathon between Oklahoma and Florida ended just before midnight after 22 hits and 496 pitches. The Sooners outlasted the Gators, 7-5, in the longest game in Women's College World Series history.
"It was nerve-wracking," Pendley said. "It was all a blur when it happened."
As a student-athlete, she didn't allow the pressure to be the downfall of her game. She used it in big moments to bring confidence and power to the plate.
That night was a frustrating one at the plate for the then-junior centerfielder. After striking out in her first plate appearance, she doubled and scored the Sooner's first run to tie the game in the fifth. She then proceeded to sit down on strikes four more times, twice with runners on.
But she stayed focused on her approach rather than the outcomes. The next day she reached base twice in three trips to the plate as she won her second consecutive national championship with OU.
Now, Pendley has brought that championship experience and a fresh perspective to the softball program at Mississippi State.
Pendley was a standout for the Sooners from 2015-18, winning eight rings along the way. She made four consecutive trips to the WCWS, won four conference championships, two conference tournaments and, of course, two national titles.. She wrapped up her career in the Sooners' all-time top-10 in hits (T-9th, 240), home runs (7th, 47), RBIs (6th, 189) and games played (T-6th, 254).
Her trophy case includes Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 Big 12 Championship, three-time All-Big 12 honors, and a two-time selection to the Big 12 All-Tournament Teams. She continues to play professionally for the Cleveland Comets.
Looking at Pendley's resume, it would be easy to assume she eats, sleeps, and breathes softball. And don't get her wrong – she's committed. But she approaches the game with a different perspective.
She credits her professional, collegiate, and high school experience for showing her that she loved to teach the game as much as she loved playing it. And more than that, she appreciated how the game helped her develop and grow as a young woman.
"At Mississippi State, you're going to be taken care of. We're going to teach you how to thrive on your own, how to be independent, and how to function in life by yourself," Pendley said. "That's more important than any softball technical skill we could teach them."
When student-athletes come to her, Pendley stresses accountability as a team and the value of holding yourself accountable.
She recognizes that these life skills can't happen overnight, in one game, or even in a single season. It takes time, years, to build the skills that are crucial outside the world of collegiate softball.
Pendley knows how meaningful this is, because there was a time when she quit softball. She had been playing nearly non-stop since she was a little girl, and the weight of playing a competitive sport became too heavy in high school.
"I was drained. Playing a sport competitively, especially when you don't experience anything else can be exhausting," Pendley said.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue playing due to the time it took away from academics, her family, and having a social life. She took a year off to experience some other sports and to figure out if she wanted to play at the next level or not.
"The year off helped me re-evaluate if I really loved it or not," she said. "Obviously, it brought me back to softball."
After her stellar career at Oklahoma, she packed her bags and moved to Starkville. She felt like a stranger at first, but not for too long.
"I felt welcome the second I came here. Everyone is close-knit," Pendley said.
She wants to make sure MSU's student-athletes know that everyone has a different role, but all are crucial to the team's success. Working towards one goal as a team is essential. She reiterates often that hard workouts, demanding practice and tough games are going to play a role somehow in life after softball.
"We are trying to teach these girls to be women," she said. "That's our biggest goal."
STARKVILLE – 330 minutes. 17 innings.
Game 1 of the 2017 Women's College World Series Championship was the longest of Nicole Pendley's life.
The five-and-a-half-hour marathon between Oklahoma and Florida ended just before midnight after 22 hits and 496 pitches. The Sooners outlasted the Gators, 7-5, in the longest game in Women's College World Series history.
"It was nerve-wracking," Pendley said. "It was all a blur when it happened."
As a student-athlete, she didn't allow the pressure to be the downfall of her game. She used it in big moments to bring confidence and power to the plate.
That night was a frustrating one at the plate for the then-junior centerfielder. After striking out in her first plate appearance, she doubled and scored the Sooner's first run to tie the game in the fifth. She then proceeded to sit down on strikes four more times, twice with runners on.
But she stayed focused on her approach rather than the outcomes. The next day she reached base twice in three trips to the plate as she won her second consecutive national championship with OU.
Now, Pendley has brought that championship experience and a fresh perspective to the softball program at Mississippi State.
Pendley was a standout for the Sooners from 2015-18, winning eight rings along the way. She made four consecutive trips to the WCWS, won four conference championships, two conference tournaments and, of course, two national titles.. She wrapped up her career in the Sooners' all-time top-10 in hits (T-9th, 240), home runs (7th, 47), RBIs (6th, 189) and games played (T-6th, 254).
Her trophy case includes Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 Big 12 Championship, three-time All-Big 12 honors, and a two-time selection to the Big 12 All-Tournament Teams. She continues to play professionally for the Cleveland Comets.
Looking at Pendley's resume, it would be easy to assume she eats, sleeps, and breathes softball. And don't get her wrong – she's committed. But she approaches the game with a different perspective.
She credits her professional, collegiate, and high school experience for showing her that she loved to teach the game as much as she loved playing it. And more than that, she appreciated how the game helped her develop and grow as a young woman.
"At Mississippi State, you're going to be taken care of. We're going to teach you how to thrive on your own, how to be independent, and how to function in life by yourself," Pendley said. "That's more important than any softball technical skill we could teach them."
When student-athletes come to her, Pendley stresses accountability as a team and the value of holding yourself accountable.
She recognizes that these life skills can't happen overnight, in one game, or even in a single season. It takes time, years, to build the skills that are crucial outside the world of collegiate softball.
Pendley knows how meaningful this is, because there was a time when she quit softball. She had been playing nearly non-stop since she was a little girl, and the weight of playing a competitive sport became too heavy in high school.
"I was drained. Playing a sport competitively, especially when you don't experience anything else can be exhausting," Pendley said.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue playing due to the time it took away from academics, her family, and having a social life. She took a year off to experience some other sports and to figure out if she wanted to play at the next level or not.
"The year off helped me re-evaluate if I really loved it or not," she said. "Obviously, it brought me back to softball."
After her stellar career at Oklahoma, she packed her bags and moved to Starkville. She felt like a stranger at first, but not for too long.
"I felt welcome the second I came here. Everyone is close-knit," Pendley said.
She wants to make sure MSU's student-athletes know that everyone has a different role, but all are crucial to the team's success. Working towards one goal as a team is essential. She reiterates often that hard workouts, demanding practice and tough games are going to play a role somehow in life after softball.
"We are trying to teach these girls to be women," she said. "That's our biggest goal."
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