The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a strong start without one of the better players and leaders, Kinzie Hansen. Hansen missed the first two weekends of action due to appendicitis, requiring surgery.
Making her debut on Friday in a pinch-hit opportunity, Hansen wasted little time reintroducing herself to the softball world. In her first appearance of the season against Cal State Fullerton, Hansen came up with an RBI double to help Oklahoma’s lead to 8-0 to put the Sooners in run-rule territory.
Against Texas A&M, Hansen got her first start of the season behind the plate and went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Her RBI helped get the scoring going in the Sooners’ 8-0 win over the Aggies.
On Saturday, Hansen picked up an RBI in each of the Sooners’ wins over Utah and Loyola Marymount, setting the stage for a huge game on Sunday against UCLA.
In Oklahoma’s 14-0 beatdown of UCLA, Hansen went 2 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs. In just 13 at bats, Hansen’s hitting .308 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Each of her RBIs came at the Mary Nutter Classic.
As important as her work at the plate, Kinzie Hansen was great behind the plate as well, calling a pair of Sooners’ shutouts Against Texas A&M and UCLA.
Though 2022 was a down year at the plate, Hansen had 24 home runs in 2021. With two home runs and nine RBIs in five games, it looks like she’s found her power stroke once again for the Oklahoma Sooners. And that’s a scary proposition as the Sooners boast an already deep lineup.
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Quick breakdown from @kinziehansen & @alexstorako ๐๏ธ pic.twitter.com/OZijTE5YM9
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 26, 2023
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