The college softball season is just a little over a week old and the reigning national champion Oklahoma softball team is off to a perfect 10-0 start.
Oklahoma softball improved its record to 10-0 after a powerful muscle flex over the weekend, where the Sooners participated in the Houston Classic.
The Sooners played five games in three days. Over the course of the weekend, they outscored their five opponents by a whopping 55-1. OU faced off against Houston and, McNeese State in a couple of games each on Friday and Saturday before finishing things up Sunday afternoon in a single game with Texas State.
During the five-game weekend, Oklahoma showed off its bullpen, its bats and the team’s laser focus on its season goal of getting back to the Women’s College World Series and repeating as national champions.
The Sooners live by the “Championship Mindset” mantra they’ve made popular in recent years. The 10-0 Sooners look to be in midseason form, while their foes appear to only be able to watch in awe as the scoreboard explodes.
Oklahoma defeated McNeese State on Friday 15-1, then again Saturday 11-0. The Sooners shut out Houston twice, 8-0 on Friday and 13-0 on Saturday. OU completed the weekend with another shutout, an 8-0 victory over Texas State on Sunday.
In Saturday’s matchup against McNeese State, Hope Trautwein fanned eight, in a five-inning, 11-0 no-hitter decided by run rule.
Jocelyn Alo enjoyed a big Saturday with a pair of home runs in both games. In doing so, she tied former Sooner great Lauren Chamberlain for the most home runs in NCAA history (95). Alo tied the career record with a first-inning bomb to centerfield in Sunday’s game with Texas State, after which she was mobbed at home plate by her teammates.
Dear @78jocelyn_alo,
— Erin Miller Thiessen (@erinmiller48) February 20, 2022
This pic of Lo & I was just after she broke the HR record. Tears, laughter & a deep breath.
The masses don’t understand the grind. Lauren does. Your teammates do. I do.
Enjoy the moment. Your entire Sooner Sisterhood can’t wait to hug you at home plate ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1sjs6JkV7O
McNeese State scored the only run against the Sooners the entire weekend, and that was off of a Sooner error in Friday’s 15-1 win. Oklahoma has still yet to give up an earned run on the season. In fact, through 10 games, Oklahoma has outscored opponents 95-2. The Sooners have struck out 87, including 36 batters during the Houston Classic.
Another pleasant surprise to this point in 2022 is third baseman Jana Johns, known for her ability as a defensive stalwart, and plays such as these:
Hey @RawlingsSB, we heard you have some new award for college softball? @JohnsJana is making a 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 good case 🧤
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 19, 2022
MID 4 | OU 9, MCN 0 | 📺 @SoonerSportsTV pic.twitter.com/PnTiFUDH8p
Johns has stepped up her game at the plate. After hitting .293, and just 12 home runs in 54 games a season ago she has opened up 2022 with a .400 batting average, and three jacks out of the park in the team’s first 10 games. This has been great for the Sooners, who have to look to replace the offensive production of Nicole Mendes. Johns has also added 13 runs scored, and 10 RBIs.
Next up for the Sooners is the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic tournament, which is held in Cathedral City, California, in the Palm Springs area. The ladies are due to face off against 16th-ranked Arizona, 20th-ranked Tennessee among others in a quality field of competitors. Oklahoma will begin tournament play Friday, against Cal State Fullerton at 2:30 CST on FloSports.