"As far as Kolbey goes, he's talked to his immediate family and they're safe. His best friend lost his father and there's some other people that he's very close to," Head Coach Sunny Golloway said.
A starter at third base this season, Carpenter is batting .258 with a home run and 14 RBI. However, in a time like this baseball becomes less important than everyday life.
"Because it affects Kolbey, it affects us," Golloway added. "We just need to keep him in our thoughts and our prayers and I'm sure our fans understand that if he's not back this weekend, he's where he needs to be."
He certainly will be in our thoughts and prayers, and as Coach G. said, perspective is everything when it comes to matters like this, especially in light of the fact that a tragedy another state away has taken a toll on the Sooner family. "With the events of this week, it's put into perspective. We're not asked to go into a laboratory and find a cure for cancer. It's baseball. It's a game."