Oklahoma State University Athletics
Elish Re-Writing The Final Chapter Of Her Collegiate Career
April 07, 2022 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – Miranda Elish, a graduate senior transfer from the University of Texas, found a home in Stillwater after facing the most difficult times in her life.
Elish played her first two seasons at the University of Oregon and played her next two at Texas before quitting softball for what she thought was forever.
"Being at Oregon, then Texas and now here, I am really grateful for my journey," Elish said. "Even though maybe it wasn't ideal to have two previous schools, both of those schools led to me being here today."
The Longhorns had Women's College World Series aspirations in 2020 and Elish was at the very core of the team's success. She was 11-3 with a 1.25 earned run average in a team high 84.0 innings pitched. She also led the team in appearances, wins, strikeouts (96), complete games (11) and opponent batting average (.158).
She also posted a .370 batting average with four home runs, 17 RBI and the second highest slugging percentage on the team at .722.
After the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things did not go as planned.
The fall season of 2021 at Texas was not shaping up to be what she expected. Elish found herself unhappy before going on winter break, where eventually she had time to step away from the game and take a break.
"I was going through a lot personally," Elish said. "It just wasn't a good environment for me to be in, especially dealing with anxiety and depression."
Her time away helped her make a life-changing decision.
"When I left Austin for winter break, I wouldn't be back until May of 2021 to pack up my stuff and move to Alabama," Elish said. "Quitting the sport I dedicated two decades of my life to was not an easy decision."
She felt immense pressure to continue playing despite struggling with her mental health. "The thought of disappointing my parents, my family, my hometown, my teammates, my coaches devastated me," Elish said. "But I never suffered mentally as much as I was and I just wanted to feel the old me again."
In January 2021, she made the decision to opt out of the season with no intentions of playing again. During her time off, she got a couple jobs, including giving lessons for young, aspiring softball players.
"2021 was not fun," Elish said. "It was hard, it was mentally draining, and there were a lot of times I just wanted to give up because nothing was making sense, no matter what I did."
She found that giving lessons to young children was something she was passionate about. "Honestly one of the only things that kept me going through the last year, was watching those little girls grow into great little softball players, Elish said.
In the midst of struggle, she found that giving lessons was something that brought happiness.
"They were a light for me in one of the darkest times in my life and no matter how horrible of a day I was having, I would watch their faces light up when they would learn a new skill or do something they couldn't do the week before, and it made me feel like I was doing something right," Elish said.
Those little girls transformed her life and helped change her mind.
"Those little girls may not know it, but they saved me in a sense," Elish said. "As much as I inspired them to play softball, they inspired me to give [softball] one more shot."
In August of 2021, she entered her name into the transfer portal. She had doubts that schools would want her because she hadn't played for a year and a half.
It wasn't long until Oklahoma State offered her a spot on the team. Elish said that she will never forget talking to head coach Kenny Gajewski for the first time.
"I was a ball of anxiety, but when I talked to him, I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for a long time," Elish said. "I hadn't even met him, and he made me feel like I had a home – like I had a family – and that I was valued, and that I was wanted."
When she went on her official visit, she immediately felt like it was the place for her.
"I knew it was the place where I was meant to end my softball career," Elish said.
After committing and eventually spending some time at OSU, things started to feel normal again.
"I feel more me, more at home, and more a part of a family than I ever have before," Elish said.
After all she had been through, Elish realized that she made the right choice to come to Oklahoma State and back to softball.
"Whether it ends how we want it to or not, I know I made the best decision of my life coming to Stillwater," Elish said. "I wish I could've spent all my years here, but I could not have dreamed of a more special team or place to close out this chapter of my career."
Elish played her first two seasons at the University of Oregon and played her next two at Texas before quitting softball for what she thought was forever.
"Being at Oregon, then Texas and now here, I am really grateful for my journey," Elish said. "Even though maybe it wasn't ideal to have two previous schools, both of those schools led to me being here today."
The Longhorns had Women's College World Series aspirations in 2020 and Elish was at the very core of the team's success. She was 11-3 with a 1.25 earned run average in a team high 84.0 innings pitched. She also led the team in appearances, wins, strikeouts (96), complete games (11) and opponent batting average (.158).
She also posted a .370 batting average with four home runs, 17 RBI and the second highest slugging percentage on the team at .722.
After the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things did not go as planned.
The fall season of 2021 at Texas was not shaping up to be what she expected. Elish found herself unhappy before going on winter break, where eventually she had time to step away from the game and take a break.
"I was going through a lot personally," Elish said. "It just wasn't a good environment for me to be in, especially dealing with anxiety and depression."
Her time away helped her make a life-changing decision.
"When I left Austin for winter break, I wouldn't be back until May of 2021 to pack up my stuff and move to Alabama," Elish said. "Quitting the sport I dedicated two decades of my life to was not an easy decision."
She felt immense pressure to continue playing despite struggling with her mental health. "The thought of disappointing my parents, my family, my hometown, my teammates, my coaches devastated me," Elish said. "But I never suffered mentally as much as I was and I just wanted to feel the old me again."
In January 2021, she made the decision to opt out of the season with no intentions of playing again. During her time off, she got a couple jobs, including giving lessons for young, aspiring softball players.
"2021 was not fun," Elish said. "It was hard, it was mentally draining, and there were a lot of times I just wanted to give up because nothing was making sense, no matter what I did."
She found that giving lessons to young children was something she was passionate about. "Honestly one of the only things that kept me going through the last year, was watching those little girls grow into great little softball players, Elish said.
In the midst of struggle, she found that giving lessons was something that brought happiness.
"They were a light for me in one of the darkest times in my life and no matter how horrible of a day I was having, I would watch their faces light up when they would learn a new skill or do something they couldn't do the week before, and it made me feel like I was doing something right," Elish said.
Those little girls transformed her life and helped change her mind.
"Those little girls may not know it, but they saved me in a sense," Elish said. "As much as I inspired them to play softball, they inspired me to give [softball] one more shot."
In August of 2021, she entered her name into the transfer portal. She had doubts that schools would want her because she hadn't played for a year and a half.
It wasn't long until Oklahoma State offered her a spot on the team. Elish said that she will never forget talking to head coach Kenny Gajewski for the first time.
"I was a ball of anxiety, but when I talked to him, I felt like I was talking to someone I had known for a long time," Elish said. "I hadn't even met him, and he made me feel like I had a home – like I had a family – and that I was valued, and that I was wanted."
When she went on her official visit, she immediately felt like it was the place for her.
"I knew it was the place where I was meant to end my softball career," Elish said.
After committing and eventually spending some time at OSU, things started to feel normal again.
"I feel more me, more at home, and more a part of a family than I ever have before," Elish said.
After all she had been through, Elish realized that she made the right choice to come to Oklahoma State and back to softball.
"Whether it ends how we want it to or not, I know I made the best decision of my life coming to Stillwater," Elish said. "I wish I could've spent all my years here, but I could not have dreamed of a more special team or place to close out this chapter of my career."
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