Pitching from the circle, at shortstop and at the plate with bat in hand, Allyssa Parker was a key performer for the Lady Indians advancing to the championship finals of the Class 2A fastpitch softball state tournament. VYPE went seven innings with questions for the Pocola junior, recognized as one of the best players in Oklahoma.

VYPE: At what age did you begin playing softball?
 Allyssa Parker: I started playing softball at 8 years old.
 

 VYPE: A perennial state tournament team, what is the key to Pocola’s success?
 AP: Working hard in practice everyday and getting to know each other well so we can gel on the field.
 
 VYPE: What teammate pushes you to be a better player?
 AP: I personally feel like all of my teammates push me to get better, I want to do my best for them so them just being there with me is all I need.
 
 VYPE: In the heat of the battle, what is your go-to pitch? Why?
 AP: I would have to say my drop or change-up. My drop produces a lot of ground balls and sometimes even strikeouts and my change-up throws their timing off.
 
 VYPE: What three words best define you as a person, on and off the field?
 AP: Hard-working, competitive, and humble.
 
 VYPE: Which of these is most important?
 AP: I would have to say humble. I’ve always been raised to be humble about myself and I feel like it’s really important to have that.
 
 VYPE: Among your many college offers, you’ve verbally committed to play college softball at the University of Oklahoma. What made you choose the Sooners?
 AP: Oklahoma is home to me and always will be. I just had a different feeling when I went on my visit there. The coaches, team, and campus are all I could ever ask for in a college. It is amazing to get to represent my home state and get to play with the best in the nation! The competitiveness of the program is what makes them so great and is one thing I love about them.