The Oklahoma Sooners are once again a juggernaut on the softball diamond. This weekend they’ll play a three-game series against their Red River rivals, the Texas Longhorns, who are currently a top-four team in the latest consensus rankings.
The Sooners’ offense has stolen the headlines once again, but the defense shouldn’t be overlooked. The Sooners rank No. 1 in the nation in fielding percentage. It’s part of why their lone loss was so baffling. They made a number of costly defensive errors that put them in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.
Patty Gasso spoke about the Sooners’ defense so far this season. “Defense is probably the best part of our game right now,” Gasso said. “I like the Alynah Torres, Avery Hodge (at second). You get the best defender and then the best out of your hitter. Both can do both things well. So, I’ve really liked how that has transgressed. The left side of the infield is money. Our outfielders, all of them, are great. Defensively I can bring in people later in the game who are more like defensive specialists. Kinzie Hansen is back so I feel really good about walking into there.”
The Sooners are going to need that defense not just this weekend against a high-powered offense but also the rest of the way. It’s what separates them from other teams and why they’ve won three straight national titles.
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