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Oklahoma softball: Groundbreaking set for new Sooners’ softball stadium

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma and UC stand for the national anthem before the softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and University of Central Florida (UCF)in the NCAA Norman Super Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Saturday, May, 28, 2022.Ou Super Regional
Oklahoma and UC stand for the national anthem before the softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and University of Central Florida (UCF)in the NCAA Norman Super Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Saturday, May, 28, 2022.Ou Super Regional /
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While all attention right now is being rightfully directed to Oklahoma football and the start of the 2022 season, the future of Sooner softball will also get some attention in the next few weeks with the groundbreaking ceremony for the future new home of OU softball.

The groundbreaking ceremony for what will be named Love’s Field will take place on Sept. 23. The new stadium, expected to be ready in time for the 2024 season, will increase seating capacity for softball to 3,000 initially and is being built to accommodate future expansion. Marita Hynes Field, current home of the two-time defending national champions, seats around 1,600.

The new stadium will be located about a half-mile south of where Marita Hynes Field currently sits.

This past June, the Oklahoma Board of Regents approved a $42 million budget for construction of the new softball facility. The largest amount of the budget came from a $12 million donation and naming gift from Love’s Travel Stops. Another $29 million was raised from private donors.

This past season, Patty Gasso’s Sooner softball squad finished off a second consecutive national championship season, going 59-3 and sweeping the Texas Longhorns by scores of 16-1 and 10-5 in the Women’s College World Series. With back-to-back national championships under their belt (the second time in the last seven seasons they have accomplished that feat), Oklahoma has now won a total of six national titles in softball.

The Sooners have won 10 consecutive Big12 championships and 14 in all.

Oklahoma looks to have another strong roster to defend both its Big 12 and 2022 national championship when the season opens in February 2023.

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