Southmoore star shortstop Tallen Edwards had been committed to the Oklahoma State softball program for about four months when Cowgirl coach Kenny Gajewski called her in early March to present a unique idea.

“Hey, I don’t want to pressure you or anything, but how do you feel about graduating early?” Edwards remembers Gajewski asking.

Her immediate response?

“That’s not a softball thing,” she said. “Softball players really don’t do that. That’s a football thing.”

The idea brought a mountain of questions.

Did she want to miss her final year of high school? Was she prepared to handle college softball yet? Was graduating a year early even academically possible this late in her junior year?

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They discussed it for a bit, and Edwards asked Gajewski for a couple weeks to consider it.

After talking it over with her family and her Southmoore coach, Jason Lingo, plus the proper academic people, Edwards had another meeting with Gajewski

And she decided to take the leap.

So, while her future team has been on softball’s biggest stage in the Women’s College World Series the last few days, Edwards has been buried in books.

She took a break from the seven classes she’s taking this summer — yes, seven — to watch the Cowgirls in their first-round game against Arizona on June 2, celebrating the 4-2 victory from the bleachers of Hall of Fame Stadium.

But since then, it’s been back to schoolwork, which includes five high school classes and two college courses, most of which are online, though a couple are in person.

Her last class is set to end on July 22 and she’ll be on campus in Stillwater in August.

“We’re working towards it,” Edwards said. “It’s a lot of work, but I’ll be able to get it done.”

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As odd as it sounds, college life as a 17-year-old freshman might actually be a little calmer than the roller-coaster Edwards has ridden the last nine months.

In October, she helped Southmoore to its second consecutive Class 6A title.

Two days after the tournament ended, her father, Larry, checked into the hospital with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

In November, Edwards committed to OSU.

Roughly a month later, on Dec. 15, her father passed away following a 40-day hospital stay.

“I’m really grateful that he got to see me in my last high school game,” Edwards said.

Four months later, sitting in her mother’s car, all those emotions were churning in Edwards as they discussed the looming decision on graduating early.

She wouldn’t get to try to win a third consecutive state title in her senior season at Southmoore. She wouldn’t get to walk across the stage on graduation day.

“Certain things like that just hit me in the face,” Edwards said.

But in the car that day, Edwards and her mother, Pam, came to terms with what they’d be missing, and it was outweighed by what could be gained by turning to the next chapter of life at OSU.

Edwards knows she had some extra help in making that choice.

“I’m not the best at making hard decisions, so I definitely think my dad was pushing me in the right direction,” Edwards said. “For me to be able to make that decision that fast, my dad would have loved it.”

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Lingo has known Edwards since she was 5 years old. Her older sister, Trenity — who just finished her junior year as a catcher at San Jose State — played for Lingo at Southmoore and the family has been around the program for years.

For many high school players, Lingo would see the idea of graduating a year early as too challenging a task. But with Edwards, the opportunity fits the path of her life.

“She’s a mature young lady,” Lingo said. “She’s went through a lot. Right now is just the right time for her, personally, to go on a new adventure. It really is. We couldn’t be more proud of her. Her teammates were excited for her. Even though the Southmoore SaberCats aren’t as good without her on the field, we cannot be more excited for her.

“For her and her mother and her family, I think this was the best decision for them as a family unit, to maybe move on past this last tough year and get a fresh start and start a new chapter.”

One might wonder about the on-field challenges a 17-year-old college freshman will adapt to facing 22-year-old pitchers.

But to this point in her life, Edwards has already proven age is not a limitation to talent.

She first joined her sister’s 18-and-under travel team, the East Cobb Bullets out of Georgia, as a 10-year-old, and remained with the team for six years.

In sixth grade, she received a scholarship offer and committed to the Missouri softball program, but after the year, the coaching staff left. A year later, she picked Ole Miss, but that staff also departed.

So she waited until her junior year to settle on the Cowgirls.

Last fall, she batted .409 with 17 doubles and 35 runs scored for Southmoore. And perhaps most impressively, she struck out just twice.

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“One was swinging when she got fooled on an outside changeup,” Lingo said. “The other was a called strike, so there’s probably a 50% chance the umpire got it wrong.

“She does a great job handling the stick and putting the ball in play. And I know defensively, she can play anywhere she wants to and help at any level.”

Edwards saw a glimpse of what a Southmoore success looks like on the big stage. Sitting on the front row behind the Cowgirl dugout, Edwards watched Southmoore product and longtime family friend Karli Petty hit a three-run home run that was the deciding swing in the victory over Arizona.

“I’ve never cried so fast in my life. Tears instantly started falling,” Edwards said. “At one point, I was down on my knees with tears of joy rolling down my face.

“Nobody deserves that more than her. I’m so proud of her. She showed the world what us Southmoore girls can do.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Tallen Edwards chose to reclassify, join OSU Cowgirls softball early