Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The University of Texas community took to social media to relay positive messages during these trying times.
The University of Texas community is doing their part to spread positivity.
Continue reading “WATCH: Texas Longhorns coaches, staff send uplifting messages”
On March 19 in 1975, Oklahoma softball played its first ever intercollegiate softball game.
On March 19 in 1975, Oklahoma softball played its first ever intercollegiate softball game.
Coached by Amy Dahl, the Sooners earned a 3-1 win over Oklahoma Baptist, sparking a storied tradition that has carried on decades after.
Throwing it back to the 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 for this #TBT.
On this day in 1975, Oklahoma softball was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧. ☝️🥎️ pic.twitter.com/9b5MUsuh8y
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) March 19, 2020
After defeated Oklahoma Baptist to start their season, Oklahoma went on to finish their regular season 14-6, beating the like of USAO, Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Southwestern, just to name a few regional opponents.
Oklahoma made the Women’s College World Series in their very first season. The double elimination tournament included 18 teams. The Sooners were defeated 5-0 by Northern Iowa in the first round, and 9-2 by Texas Women’s in the loser’s bracket. Northern Iowa made the finals, but lost to Nebraska-Omaha, who claimed championship.
Since the start of their program, the Sooners have won four national titles all under current head coach Patty Gasso. Gasso led her teams to win in the 200, 2013, 2016 and 2017 seasons. She’s coached 27 first-team All-Americans.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2020 WCWS that is held annually in Oklahoma City, OK was canceled.
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Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso said she expected Giselle Juarez, Nicole Mendes and Shannon Saile back for the 2021 season.
Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso said she expected Giselle Juarez, Nicole Mendes, and Shannon Saile back for the 2021 season in light of the 2020 season’s cancellation.
After the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of all Division I and Division II spring sports, the NCAA announced on Friday that all Division I student-athletes who participated in the spring season will receive an extra year of eligibility.
“I expect the three seniors back,” Gasso said at her teleconference on Monday.
Gasso explained that Juarez and Mendes, who had already missed significant time in the 2020 season, could receive medical redshirts. Juarez was limited to just 6.2 innings through the Sooners 24 games, and Mendes was just getting back in the swing of things with six at-bats in the last six games.
Saile had thrown more pitches than any other Sooner before the season’s cancellation. She led Oklahoma in innings pitched and strikeouts, and led the Sooners to an 8-3 record when in the circle, allowing just three runs in her last 20 innings pitched.
Oklahoma posted a 20-4 record before their season ended.
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There is now no chance for the Texas baseball and softball programs to continue play at a later date this season.
Rather than cancelling the season entirely, many were hopeful that the Big 12 Conference would leave the door open to continue play in a few weeks for the baseball and softball programs.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. According to Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com, the Big 12 officially announced that there would be no games played for the remainder of the season.
SOURCES: The @Big12Conference has canceled the remainder of its college baseball season. The league had hoped to continue in a few weeks. Not anymore. It’s done. #Big12
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) March 13, 2020
This applies to #Big12 softball, too. 😰 https://t.co/hQZMg7ea63
— D1Softball (@D1Softball) March 13, 2020
Both programs were off to an impressive start to the 2020 season. Texas baseball ended with an overall 14-3 record and was one week away from starting conference play. The Longhorns were scheduled to travel to Norman on March 20 to face the Oklahoma Sooners.
Several baseball teams within the Big 12 looked stout throughout the early part of the season. There was a legitimate chance for six teams to represent the Big 12 in the postseason. Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and TCU finished atop the final conference rankings, with Oklahoma State and West Virginia close behind.
Arguably the most dominant team in all of Texas athletics this season, softball ended the year with an impressive 24-3 overall record. In her final appearance on the mound last week, senior Miranda Elish pitched a perfect game. Texas defeated the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the nation on back-to-back nights, which propelled the Longhorns to the No. 1 team in the nation according to Softball America.
Not only was Texas softball in a great position to take home the Big 12 conference title, they were a favorite to win the College World Series.
The NCAA officially announced the intent to add an extra year of eligibility to seniors who were not able to finish out the season. The details remain in the works, but having a chance to finish their collegiate careers on their own terms is a great place to start.
The public health and safety is top priority amid the Coronavirus outbreak, but it’s understandably an emotional period for college athletes who have dedicated countless hours into this season.
The final touches on the spring season have been put to rest. The Big 12 Conference has shut things down until March 29 and beyond.
The final touches on the spring college sports season have been put to rest.
The Big 12 Conference canceled the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday afternoon. They suspended regular season competition for everyone, on-and-off campus recruiting and out-of-season practices later Thursday afternoon. Now?
Everything is shut down through March 29 and all spring sports seasons for its 10 member league have been canceled.
“Due to the on-going developments related to COVID-19 the Big 12 Conference announces that all organized team activities whether organized or voluntary, including team and individual practices, meetings, and other organized gatherings, have been suspended until March 29 and will be re-evaluated at that time,” the Big 12 announced in a release on Friday evening. “In addition, all conference and non-conference competitions are cancelled through the end of the academic year, including spring sports that compete beyond the academic year.”
This will be the end of Oklahoma baseball’s promising season. The end of Patty Gasso’s late-season reign on college softball. The end of Oklahoma men’s golf’s run to another NCAA Championship.
What has not been decided is the potential for spring football to return. The Big 12 Conference have not decided whether to cancel it all completely, which includes spring games.
The University of Oklahoma has moved to online only classes for the two weeks after spring break. It has not been determined what Oklahoma football is going to do once the March 29 date of the end of the suspension of activities is over.
Sooners Wire will post updates as more information becomes available.
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The coronavirus situation has hit collegiate sports. The NCAA responded on Friday by granting an extra year of eligibly to spring athletes.
The fallout of the coronavirus situation has hit collegiate sports.
Conferences canceled tournaments and athletic departments have shut down activities for their programs for the time being. The NCAA has cancelled winter and spring sport championships, effectively ending the spring sport season as it was getting started.
But the NCAA is moving fast during this situation, already granting an extra of year of competition to student-athletes who have participated in spring sports.
The NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee has agreed to grant relief for the use of a season of competition for student-athletes who have participated in spring sports.
Committee will also discuss issues for winter sport student-athletes.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 13, 2020
Jeff Goodman of Stadium reports that the NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee will also discuss these issues for winter sport student-athletes.
This will hit home with the baseball, softball, rowing as well as men’s and women’s track, golf and tennis. How the scholarships, roster limits and other fine details that go into how the teams operate will be decided at a later time, according to multiple reports.
Oklahoma’s baseball and men’s golf teams had a legitimate shot at making it to the pinnacle of their sports in the College World Series and NCAA Golf Championships respectively. The Oklahoma softball team was hindered by injuries, especially impacted by missing star pitcher Giselle Juarez, but have made the Women’s College World Series in seven of the last eight years.
Sooners Wire will continue to post updates on how the coronavirus impacts Oklahoma athletics moving forward.
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The fun fact Friday edition of the Locked on Longhorns Podcast. Pat and Cami discuss the impact on the cancellations and spring football.
Cami and Patrick bring you another edition of the Locked on Longhorns podcast. What started as just a cancellation of the Texas-Texas Tech game spirals into the Big 12 tournament and more being cancelled. They discussed what impact that could have on the seniors who might have played their final games in burnt orange and white.
Patrick reads a heartbreaking post by one such senior in John Burt from his instagram.
Plus a statement released by Athletic Director Chris Del Conte. What could that mean for football team that was expected to begin spring practice on March 25th. All that and more on the fun fact Friday edition of the podcast.
With the COVID-19 outbreak, there a lot of moving parts in regards to the athletic programs. The updates on how things look for Texas.
The news on NCAA athletics have been released at a fast and furious rate. Following the cancelling of the Texas and Texas Tech Big 12 tournament game on Thursday morning, it was reported following that news that the Big 12 would cancel their tournament much like the rest of the power five conferences.
In wake of the decisions made by the conference commisioners, the news spread about cancellations of spring athletics much like New Mexico University with their upcoming series with the Texas Longhorns baseball team. The opportunity arose for each athletic conference along with the professional sports leagues to try and slow the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus).
The Big 12 later released a tweet that they would be suspending all conference championships until at least April 15th.
The @Big12Conference has announced the immediate suspension of all Conference championships until April 15, resulting in the cancellation of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships.
Conducting future Big 12 championships this season will be evaluated by April 15. pic.twitter.com/HIGxfSrlLn
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 12, 2020
The NCAA later cancelled the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments as well as the men’s and women’s College World Series. Essentially all sports through the academic year of 2019-2020 have been cancelled at this point in time.
The @Big12Conference announces that beginning Friday, March 13, it is suspending all regular-season competitions, on- and off-campus recruiting, and out-of-season practices until Sunday, March 29.
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 12, 2020
Athletic Directory Chris Del Conte released the following statement.
With the Big 12’s recent directive suspending athletics activities until Sunday, March 29, all regular-season Longhorn Athletics competitions will be cancelled until that date, beginning with our Baseball series on Friday. In addition to in-season UT sports with current regular-season competition like Baseball, Golf, Rowing, Softball and Tennis, this also will include the Texas Relays and Spring Soccer matches, and postpone a decision on the start of Spring Football Practice until after the March 29 date.
“That was followed by an announcement from the NCAA that all winter and spring sports championships have been cancelled, which includes those upcoming in Track & Field, Basketball and Swimming & Diving. This is a very fluid situation and one that presents great challenges. The health, safety and well-being of everyone involved is the number one priority and we will be having many discussions in the coming hours, days and weeks to determine what the next steps are. We appreciate everyone’s support and patience on this and will continue to provide updates as decisions are made
At this point in time, spring football is at least pushed back into the month of April most likely but we will provide updates as they are passed along.
The coronavirus has struck the United States and it has trickled down all the way to effecting Oklahoma athletics.
The coronavirus has struck the United States and it has trickled down all the way to effecting Oklahoma athletics.
Conferences began to take initiative on the chance of community spread by limiting fan attendance on Wednesday for Thursdays games and beyond. Then, the NBA suspended the entire season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus—in Oklahoma City, nevertheless.
That became a catalyst on Thursday as the conferences with tournaments over the weekend began cancelling the entirety of the tournaments. Oklahoma’s baseball series was canceled and the Big 12 and Oklahoma eventually cracked down on their own.
Here is the timeline of the impacts the coronavirus has had on the Sooners’ athletic programs and spring football.
Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert has tested positive for coronavirus, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Sources say Gobert is feeling good, strong and stable — and was feeling strong enough to play tonight.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 12, 2020
NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships: https://t.co/qzKAS4McEI pic.twitter.com/G6XreZx35E
— NCAA (@NCAA) March 12, 2020
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The University of Oklahoma’s athletics department has officially made a statement on activities during the coronavirus situation.
The University of Oklahoma’s athletics department has officially made a statement on activities during the coronavirus situation.
The Big 12 Conference and NCAA have already suspended conference tournaments, championship tournaments, championship competition and most activities until March 29 in announcements earlier Thursday. The Sooners will also be closing shop due to the coronavirus.
“The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department announced today it is suspending all athletics competitions, as well as all out-of-season practices and workouts, until further notice,” the University of Oklahoma athletics department said in a press release. “This rapidly developing situation has warranted consideration of many factors, and the health and welfare of people we serve is at the forefront of all of our deliberations. We will communicate updates as appropriate.
“Information regarding refunds/credits for tickets purchased directly through the OU Athletics Ticket Office for affected events will be announced in the near future.”
Events that will be missed until the March 29 date set by the Big 12 include conference series for baseball and softball, as well as postseason play for the winter sports. The NCAA went a step further and cancelled all NCAA Championships for winter and spring sports completely.
Cleveland County and Norman, Oklahoma, where the University of Oklahoma has located, have been coronavirus free so far. Three cases are confirmed in the state in Tulsa and the Altus area in northwest and far southwest Oklahoma.
Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert brought the coronavirus to Oklahoma City as Utah was set to play the Thunder on Wednesday night. Teammate Donovan Mitchell was also confirmed to having the coronavirus as he was tested inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Mitchell spent time in Oklahoma City suburb, Del City, working out at Del City High School with people in attendance and taking pictures.
The University of Oklahoma has moved to online only classes for the two weeks after spring break (March 16-20) amid coronavirus concerns.
No update on the future spring football schedule have been announced.
Sooners Wire will post updates as more information becomes available.
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