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Oklahoma softball: Sooners respond with vengeance after being knocked down

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma celebrates the home run of Jocelyn Alo (78) in the second inning of the Women's College World Series softball game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the UCLA Bruins at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Monday, June 6, 2022. Oklahoma won the if-necessary game 15-0.2022 Wcws Ou Ucla
Oklahoma celebrates the home run of Jocelyn Alo (78) in the second inning of the Women's College World Series softball game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the UCLA Bruins at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Monday, June 6, 2022. Oklahoma won the if-necessary game 15-0.2022 Wcws Ou Ucla /
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It didn’t take long to find out the character of the 2023 edition of Oklahoma softball and the team’s ability to respond to adversity.

Everyone knew coming into the new season that the two-time defending national champions were loaded again this year and a prime contender not just to make it to Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series but to win it all again.

Oklahoma opened the season as a consensus No. 1 and picked up eight straight wins — six by shutout and five ended early because of the run rule — before suffering a 4-3 nonconference loss to Big 12 foe Baylor, picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 this season. OU fell to No, 2 after the Baylor loss.

A year ago, the Sooners did not lose their first game until the 39th game, a 4-2 conference loss to Texas, which OU would later beat in the championship series of the Women’s College World Series. The Sooners would lose just two more times the entire 2022 season and finished with a 59-3 record.

Head coach Patty Gasso feels the loss to Baylor very early in the season is a blessing in disquise for the Sooners.

"“I want everyone to understand that the world is not crashing in on us,” Gasso said to reporters after the Baylor game.“What just happened is extremely valuable. What’s valuable is the response, the rebound and the extra work that is going to be put in to make us better.”"

The response the veteran OU head coach was talking about came this past weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Pam Springs, California. The Sooners rolled into Southern California with a big-time chip on their shoulder, rolled over five opponents, including — as fate and a fortuitous opportunity would have it — a marquee matchup with 2nd-ranked UCLA, and left town leaving no doubt who the real No, 1 team was.

The Sooners were elevated back to the top spot this week in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top-25 polls.

"“I don’t want them to feel that kind of pressure,” Gasso said about the long 60-plus game grind that is Division I softball.“I want them to learn to play free and confident and not be worried about the outcomes. That’s when problems come in when you’re afraid.”"

Through 14 games and three weeks of action in the 2023 season, Gasso’s team shows little sign of letting up or slowing down in their quest for a college softball three-peat.

The 2023 edition of Sooner softball ranks in the top-10 in at least nine major team NCAA categories:

1. Slugging percentage (.682)

2. Scoring (8.8 runs per game)

2. Batting average (.382)

2. Shutouts (9)

3. Fielding percentage (.990 with 3 errors)

4. On-base percentage (.469)

4. Earned run average (1.12)

8T. Home runs (21).

Oklahoma returns home this weekend after three consecutive road tournaments for a four-game series with the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames and the Kentucky Wildcats (10-3-1) from the SEC. The Sooners will play each team twice on Friday and Saturday.

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