"It just inspires me because he took all that he took when he didn't have to," Coleman said. "He took all that mess from all those people to allow me to play this sport that I love. I just like to honor him. I used to have his tape on my bat and look at him every time I went up to the plate.
"It's amazing what he's done and what he accomplished."
Wearing the No. 42 is something that Coleman wants to carry on next year when she pulls on an Oklahoma Sooner uniform for the first time.
Being a Sooner is something she's known she wanted to be since the eighth grade.
"So, they offered me the summer of my eighth-grade year," Coleman said. "I told [my mom] this is where I want to go. I love the campus, the coaching staff, it's so family-oriented, so I told her I was going to take it. Right on the spot, I took their scholarship."
Since 2017, Coleman, who is the 17th-best 2021 prospect by Softball America, has been solid to the Sooners.
"It's been a long journey, but it was fun. I love OU and I can't wait to be there."
