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Oklahoma Legend Kinzie Hansen Can't Get Enough of 'Tremendous' Freshman Kendall Wells

The four-time national champion was effusive in her praise of Patty Gasso's freshman star.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma infielder Kendall Wells runs home after hitting a home run against Alabama State.
Oklahoma infielder Kendall Wells runs home after hitting a home run against Alabama State. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma catcher Kendall Wells has already won over tons of fans, including four-time national champion Kinzie Hansen. 

The former OU catcher loves what she’s seen so far from the freshman who now digs in at her old position. 

“She’s tremendous,” Hansen said on The Franchise Morning Show. “I don’t really have any other words for what she’s been able to do.” 

Hansen knows what it takes to maintain a high level of excellence. 

She was always clutch during the Sooners’ four-peat, and led both with her words and by example with phenomenal play on the field. 

As the 2026 season has progressed, Hansen has enjoyed getting to watch a star ascend at her position. 

“I think it’s so tremendous just to see the dominant catcher at Oklahoma live on,” Hansen said. “Just to see her do it, I think, is super cool because obviously you have to pass the baton at some point. And to pass it to her, somebody who’s breaking records and killing it and doing an amazing job behind the plate, especially as a freshman, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

With 32 home runs in 45 games, Wells already owns the NCAA freshman home run record. 

She’s two long balls behind Jocelyn Alo for Oklahoma’s program record, and she’s five homers away from tying the NCAA single-season record. 

The Sooners’ remaining schedule is tough, but Hansen sees no reason why Wells would slow down now. 

“What I think is funny is her low point — I think the first game against Texas she didn’t have the best game. And that happens to everybody,” Hansen said. “And then she comes up and hits an absolute nuke the next game and I’m like, ‘OK, she’s back.’ One game and it flushes.”

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Growing up, Wells tried to model her game after the OU greats. 

“I was looking up to people like Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings and Jocelyn Alo,” Wells told Sooners on SI. “Just some of the greats that I really liked the way they played the game. They just played it super passionately. Had a lot of energy, a lot of fun.”

Hansen is just excited to see how Wells continues to grow throughout the rest of her freshman campaign and through the rest of her Oklahoma career. 

“It is every game,” Hansen said. “… The mentality — I haven’t spent too much time with her, but with her personality and how much fun she has, I can only imagine that the bad games don’t really affect her as much as somebody who... thinks too much.” 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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