That’s a wrap on 2023 fast-pitch softball season

We were hoping to see some local softball teams either be at their respective state tournament, or in a super regional in the case of Sallisaw and Muldrow, but it wasn’t in the cards this fall season.

We did have one team, the Vian Lady Wolverines, get to their Class 3A Super Regional in Lindsay in which they were swept by the host Leopardettes.

The Lady Diamonds and Lady Bulldogs went to their respective Class 4A Regional Tournament. In fact, Sallisaw won a game in its regional, while Muldrow suffered a pair of losses to Dewey in its regional.

With the end of the 2023 fast-pitch softball season, for those teams who were in a district since they were either a Class 2A, 3A or 4A team, there are all-district teams.

If you coaches in these classes can get me your respective player(s) who made your respective district’s all-district team, I’ll do stories about the local all-district teams. I do have to wait until all teams of each district are finished playing before such stories can publish. It’s sort of an unwritten rule.

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I want to congratulate the Moffett Lady Wildcats and the Brushy Lady Mountaineers got to participate in the 2023 Organization of Rural Elementary Schools (ORES) Division II State Softball Tournament on Sept. 22 at Ballfields at Firelake in Shawnee.

Look for this story and photographs in Friday’s edition.

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As I wrote this column Tuesday morning, by the end of the day, four Major League Baseball Wild-Card series will have gotten underway. In the American League, Texas faced Tampa Bay and Toronto met Minnesota, while Arizona met Milwaukee and Miami faced Philadelphia in the National League.

The Rangers are in the spot their in because they lost to Seattle on the final day of the regular season on Sunday, while Houston beat Arizona. That forced a tie atop the AL West, and Houston had the tiebreaker over Texas.

The Chicago Cubs were in line to be one of the NL Wild Card teams, but they faded and the Marlins were able to overtake them — and the Diamondbacks, too — to nab the No. 5 seed in the NL playoffs.

So, while you’re getting your fill of the college football and National Football League games this month, and the start of the National Hockey League and National Basketball Association seasons, get prepared to get your fill of the MLB playoffs. If the playoff series leading up to the 2023 World Series go the distance, it likely will be almost Halloween time before “The Fall Classic” will get started.

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Sunday marked the end of two Major League Baseball veterans’ careers — St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and Detroit Tigers designated hitter Miguel Cabrera, both likely first-ballot Hall of Famers in five years.

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Unfortunately, Sunday also was a sad day in the Major League Baseball world with the passing of Boston Red Sox knuckleball pitcher Tim Wakefield, who lost his battle with brain cancer. There’s not too many, if any, knuckleballers around. He was one of the last ones.

R.I.P., Tim Wakefield.

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WEEK 8 INDIVIDUAL HITTING HIGHLIGHTS

• Sallisaw’s Channing Wilson hit her first varsity home run in last Wednesday’s Class 4A Regional Tournament win over Seminole.

WEEK 8 INDIVIDUAL PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS

• Vian’s Kala Gibbins recorded 23 strikeouts last week — nine against Checotah, eight against Fort Gibson and six in the first game of Thursday’s Class 3A Super Regional Tournament against Lindsay.

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IN CLOSING

Today’s column ends the inaugural Diamond Notes column for the 2023 fast-pitch softball season. It is my sincere hope you all enjoyed it.

The next installment of Diamond Notes will return in March for the 2024 spring baseball and slowpitch softball seasons.

Until then, may all your pitches be strikes and hits be home runs. We’ll see you this spring.

David Seeley is sports editor for Your TIMES. He can be reached by telephone at (918) 775-4433, ext. 139 or by email at davids@cookson.news.