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Oklahoma softball: The season that was, then wasn’t

By Chip Rouse

TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: A general view of the helmets and bats of the against the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: A general view of the helmets and bats of the against the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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A typical Oklahoma softball season consists of close to 60 games. This season only 24 games were played, as the season was cut short because of the nationwide coronavirus outbreak.

The Sooners won 20 of the 24 and were ranked No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Softball College Softball Top 25 when the 2020 season was cancelled. Although the season hadn’t even reached the halfway mark, the Sooners were off to another strong start with numerous noteworthy achievements.

The 2020 Oklahoma roster included a mixture of experience and newcomers, with 10 new faces starting or making an appearance in the Sooners’ shortened season. Among the standout performances by a newcomer, freshman first basement Kinzie Hansen posted a  .420 betting average, eighth best in the Big 12.

Oklahoma slugged 34 home runs in its 24 games, an average of 1.42 per game, which led the Big 12 and ranked seventh in the nation among Division I teams. Nine of those long balls were off the bat of junior catcher and captain Lynnsie Elam. Her previous high for a season was five.

Junior All-American Jocelyn Alo was right behind Elam in the home run count with eight and finished on a 14-game hitting streak. She was hitting .427 when the season ended along with 21 runs batted in.

Senior captain Nicole Mendes made her first appearance of the season in OU’s 19th game versus Northwestern. She collected three hits in six plate appearances over the final five games, including two home runs, and drove in five runs.

Seven of the Sooners’ 24 games were against ranked teams or teams receiving votes. They went 1-1 against ranked teams: a 6-4, 10-inning win over No. 4 Arizona on the Wildcats’ home field in the Hillenbrand Invitational in February and a 12-2 loss to No. 3 Washington in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs. OU won three of the five games against teams that received votes in the ESPN/USA Softball poll (wins over Texas A&M, Northwestern and Wichita State; losses to Wisconsin and North Texas).

In the pitching department, senior right-hander Shannon Saile carried the biggest load on the staff. She posted a record of 7-2 and a 1.80 in 70.0 innings of work, including eight starts. She also collected five saves. Her 89 strikeouts was well on the way to bettering her career best of 126 punch outs in a season.

The Sooners have won 82 games and lost just four times at Marita Hynes field in the last four seasons. They were 9-1 at home this season

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