Tag: Grace Lyons

Oklahoma Sooners Softball full 2024 schedule

Oklahoma Sooners softball 2024 schedule.

2023 was a historic season for the Oklahoma Sooners softball program. From breaking the regular season attendance record in a game with Texas to their national title three-peat and win streak, the Sooners were awe-inspiring a season ago.

The three-time defending national champion Sooners have a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done before: win four consecutive national championships.

The Oklahoma Sooners are currently riding a 57-game winning streak.

Though they suffered critical losses to the transfer portal ([autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]) and graduation ([autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]), they’ll enter the season as the overwhelming favorites once again. Especially after retooling with additions like [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] through the transfer portal and a freshmen class that could contribute immediately.

Oklahoma will move into a new home at Love’s Field. The Sooners’ new home increases their capacity for home games from 1,378 to 4,200 seats.

OU Softball 2024 Schedule

‘We already have a good feel together’: Alyssa Brito, Tiare Jennings at home playing left side of infield together

While Jennings move to shortstop is new at Oklahoma, it’s something she has familiarity with as well as playing next to Alyssa Brito at 3rd.

We are one day away from the start of the 2024 softball season. The Oklahoma Sooners are in Puerto Vallarta for their first set of games.

But this year’s Oklahoma team has a big position to fill in their infield. Gone is [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag], who was a staple and leader for the team at shortstop for the past five seasons.

There had been some speculation about who would be taking that spot. Would it possibly be [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag]? Head Coach Patty Gasso shot that down, saying she was too good at third base to move. So Gasso announced at her press conference earlier in the week it would be [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] moving to short.

Jennings had started the past three seasons at second base. Brito spoke about the change of having Jennings closer to her in the field something she’s familiar with. “I played third next to her in travel ball,” Brito said. “It’s kind of just going back to the old days. We already have a good feel together. She constantly talks to me, and we’re on the same page at all times. So it’s been really fun again to be right next to her. But defense is really fun for both of us. Just communicating a lot and just experiencing so many years of us playing together, we’ve just got it down.”

The Sooners hope that familiarity means no drop-off with the loss of Lyons as they strive for their fourth straight national title.

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Tiare Jennings taking over at shortstop for the Oklahoma Sooners

Meeting with the media Monday, Patty Gasso revealed that Tiare Jennings will be the Sooners new shortstop in 2024.

She’s had a remarkable run at second base during her career with the Oklahoma Sooners, but [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] has found a new home.

Meeting with the media on Monday ahead of this week’s season opener in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] revealed that her All-American second baseman will be sliding over to shortstop for 2024.

Replacing [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag], the game’s best defender for the last several seasons, is no small task. Though she’s been mostly known for her work at the plate, Jennings has been phenomenal at second base during Oklahoma’s three consecutive national championship runs.

Jennings has a career fielding percentage of .982 after posting a career-high .992 in 2023, a season in which she had just one error. She’s been as steady as they come at second base while combining with Lyons to form a deadly double-play duo the last several seasons.

While we have an answer for shortstop, the question moves to who will take over at second base. Gasso plans to platoon [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag], [autotag]Quincee Lilio[/autotag], and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] at that spot for the time being.

Hodge has made her mark as a pinch runner during her time with the Sooners, flashing her speed to put pressure on opposing defenses. Lilio has been a reliable bench piece for the Sooners, hitting .275 with a home run and nine RBIs in 40 plate appearances in 2023. Torres was the Sooners’ everyday right fielder in 2023 and hit .350 with two home runs and 23 RBIs last year. She has experience playing in the infield from her time at Arizona State and has a career fielding percentage of .944.

The Oklahoma Sooners will begin their title defense this weekend with a series in Puerto Vallarta vs. Utah Valley, No. 9/11 Duke, No. 10/7 Washington, and Long Beach State.

Oklahoma enters the season riding a 53-game winning streak.

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9 Oklahoma Sooners included in D1Softball’s top 100 players from 2023

After a historic year, nine Oklahoma Sooners were featured in the top 50 of D1Softball’s top 100 players of the 2023 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a historic year. They had a record-breaking win streak that reached 53 games by the end of their national championship three-peat. The three national titles in a row mark only the second time it’s been done in the history of the sport under the NCAA.

You have to go back to the early days when UCLA won three in a row in the 1980s. At a time when the talent is at an all-time high and it’s spread throughout the nation, Patty Gasso’s Sooners beat the best of the best on their way to their third straight national championship and a 53-game win streak to close the season.

It was a total team effort, but there were several individuals that played significant roles along the way to help Oklahoma secure its seventh national title in school history.

Reflecting on the offseason, D1Softball ranked the top 100 players from the 2023 season, and nine Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 50. Let’s take a look.

Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Erickson enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma Softball’s Jocelyn Erickson enters the transfer portal per report.

Since the end of the 2023 season, the Oklahoma Sooners have had several departures via graduation and the transfer portal. None were bigger than Jordy Bahl’s relocation back to her home state of Nebraska. Another significant transfer portal entry occurred Monday: [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag].

According to D1Softball’s Brady Vernon, Erickson is in the portal after spending one year with the Sooners.

As a true freshman, Erickson saw a great deal of playing time early in the season for the Oklahoma Sooners, especially while [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] were sidelined.

In her lone season, Erickson appeared in 57 games and registered 32 starts. She hit .337 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. Erickson was hitting .371 entering the NCAA Tournament but went 2-for-11 in the postseason.

With the losses Oklahoma had suffered this offseason, there was a chance Erickson would have seen some time in the designated player role while continuing to back up Kinzie Hansen at catcher.

Instead, Erickson follows Bahl and [autotag]Sophia Nugent[/autotag] into the portal. Bahl landed with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Nugent with the Tennessee Volunteers.

Erickson was the No. 10 player in the nation according to Extra Inning Softball and the No. 7 player in the 2022 class according to Max Preps. She was a first-team All-American and the Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022.

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Grace Lyons named Defensive Player of the Year by Softball America

Oklahoma Sooners shortstop Grace Lyons named Softball America’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had the luxury of the two best defensive players in the game on the field at the same time over the last three seasons. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] were incredible for the Sooners again in 2023.

Coleman was named D1Softball’s Defensive Player of the Year, and now it’s Lyons’ turn to earn an award. The Sooners’ captain and shortstop was named Defensive Player of the Year by Softball America for her efforts in 2023.

Lyons, who had a stellar career at shortstop for the Sooners, posted a career-best .978 fielding percentage in 2023. She had just three errors in 134 chances during her final season of college softball.

Oklahoma’s captain, who was a five-year starter at shortstop for the Sooners, won the Rawlings Gold Glove award at her position this spring. She is Oklahoma’s first Gold Glove recipient in the two-year history of the award. – Softball America

The Sooners had the best pitching staff in the game in 2023, marked by their NCAA-low ERA of 0.96. Jordy Bahl, Nicole May, Alex Storako, and Kierston Deal were fantastic in their own right, and a big reason for their success was the play of their defense behind them.

The Sooners had the best fielding percentage in the country, with Lyons and Coleman leading the way.

Heading into the offseason with their third straight national championship, the Sooners have a big hole to fill at shortstop with the graduation of Grace Lyons. She’s been a game-changing presence at short for the Sooners during her five-year tenure. Her leadership, ability at the plate, and defensive prowess will be truly missed when Oklahoma opens the 2024 season.

Jayda Coleman named D1Softball’s Defensive Player of the Year

After another tremendous season patrolling centerfield, Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman was named D1Softball’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had arguably the two best defensive players in college softball for the last several years: [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag], the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], the Big 12 Player of the Year.

In Oklahoma’s national championship run, it was Coleman who stole the show with her incredible athleticism and playmaking ability that made her the ace up the pitching staff’s sleeves. What she’s able to do patrolling center field for the Sooners has been a cheat code. A home run hit to center isn’t a home run unless it’s hit 20 feet beyond the wall. There’s no sneaking it over the fence in center because Jayda Coleman will not let you.

After another incredible season, Jayda Coleman earned D1Softball’s Defensive Player of the Year award for 2023.

Coleman finished the season with a perfect fielding percentage and three assists. She showed how much she can impact a contest in the championship series, and unfortunately for Florida State’s Kalei Harding. In Game 1, Coleman erased one of the FSU’s two hits by throwing a strike to second base to prevent a double from Harding. The next day, Coleman kept Game 2 scoreless by robbing a would-be three-run homer off the bat of Harding. – D1Softball

There’s a case to be made that Coleman is the best player in softball. Though several players have strong arguments, Coleman’s ability to regularly take runs off the board is an X-factor that few teams can match. Her range and ability to go up over the center field wall reminds of the former Seattle Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey made a habit of robbing home run balls and in turn, snatching momentum.

Coleman does the same.

In both games of the WCWS championship series against Florida State, Coleman made momentum-stealing plays to keep the Seminoles’ offense at bay.

She’s simply the best there is, and we get to witness her greatness again in 2024.

 

Team effort highlights Oklahoma’s national championship win

Oklahoma’s depth has been a key factor to its success in 2023 and it was on full display in their national title win over Florida State.

In Oklahoma’s magical run in 2023, the Sooners reset the standard for excellence in college softball. Their 61-1 record made them the winningest team in history after extending the game’s best all-time winning streak to 53 games.

On the final night of the season, in the game that clinched the Sooners’ third consecutive national title, Oklahoma’s deep roster powered the Sooners.

Alex Storako gave Oklahoma four strong innings before giving way to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Jordy Bahl. Storako allowed three hits and one run in the start. Though the home run put the Sooners behind in the game, she limited the damage when in danger with the help of some excellent defense behind her.

The Michigan transfer had been a huge key to Oklahoma’s success early in the season when Bahl was going through a bit of a sophomore slump. And on the grandest stage, Storako had a fantastic performance to keep Oklahoma in the game long enough for the bats to take off.

In the Sooners’ next at-bat, back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons put Oklahoma up, 2-1, in the game. That was the ninth home run of the season for both players. Sanders and Lyons each had more than 20 home runs in 2022, but this year the long ball was more difficult to come by. When it mattered most, the two power hitters powered Oklahoma to a lead and, ultimately a national title.

And that’s what has been special about this team. Despite Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings going hitless, the Sooners’ lineup is full of players that can hurt the opposition with one swing of the bat.

Their depth was the difference all season long. As Oklahoma dealt with injuries in the early part of the season or with early season struggles, the depth helped keep them afloat. And as the season wore on, it came through in critical moments, as it did on Thursday night.

In the wake of making their trip to the championship series, the Sooners celebrated with chants of “we too deep.” In their sweep of Florida State for the national title, they put that depth on display.

Best photos from the Sooners’ national title win

Oklahoma beats Florida State 3-1 for their third straight national championship

The Oklahoma Sooners cap off another dominant season with a 3-1 win to claim their third-straight national championship.

Oklahoma capped off a historic season with a 3-1 win over Florida State to win the national championship for a third straight season. The Sooners have now won seven national championships and six in the last ten years.

Alex Storako and Kathryn Sandercock were battling back and forth through the first three innings of the game. Storako got into some trouble in the third inning. With runners on first and second and one out, Kalei Harding drove a ball to deep center field, where Jayda Coleman tracked it down and robbed Florida State of a three-run home run.

Florida State got on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Mack Leonard home run that made it 1-0 in favor of the Seminoles.

Oklahoma quickly responded in the top of the fifth inning with back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons, which made it 2-1 in favor of the Sooners. Jordy Bahl provided herself an insurance run in the top of the sixth to put Oklahoma up 3-1 on Alynah Torres’ single.

From their, it was all Jordy Bahl, who retired all nine batters she faced in what was another sensational performance for the sophomore pitcher. Bahl was named Most Outstanding Player of the Women’s College World Series. In the NCAA tournament, she was 7-0 and allowed just one run, back in the super regionals vs. Clemson. In Oklahoma City, Bahl was flawless, going 4-0 and allowing no runs across four appearances, which included a pair of complete game shutouts.

Storkao was really good for the Sooners in the first four innings of the game. She allowed three hits, one run, and recorded two strikeouts.

Oklahoma finished the season 61-1 as the winningest team in college softball history. They extended their all-time win streak record to 53 games and became just the second team in softball history to win three national titles in a row. There appear to be no signs of this run ending anytime soon. Patty Gasso has created a dynasty.

All season long, the Oklahoma Sooners created magic. In the circle, in the field, and at the plate. This national title-clinching win over Florida State had memorable moments in every phase of the game.

Simply put, Patty Gasso and her team rose to the occasion every time they faced adversity and wouldn’t be denied.

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Twitter reacts to Oklahoma’s win over Florida State and 3rd straight national championship

Twitter reacts to Oklahoma’s win over Florida State to complete the national championship three-peat.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the back-to-back-to-back national champions. Oklahoma clinched its third straight national title, sixth in the last decade and seventh overall with a 3-1 win over Florida State on Thursday night.

It was another in a long line of incredibly clutch performances for what is being deemed the greatest softball team in the history of the sport. With their 61-1 record, the Sooners are the winningest team in the sport’s history. They finished the season on a 53-game winning streak and became the first program to score 500 runs in three straight seasons.

Their ace, Jordy Bahl, went 4-0 in the Women’s College World Series, and didn’t allow a run in the effort. She threw two shutouts, including in Game 1, and had two relief appearances of at least three innings that led to Sooners wins. For her effort, she was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The national title win was the culmination of a season filled with pressure-packed moments and incredible comebacks during their dominant run.

These Oklahoma Sooners somehow found a way to raise the bar yet again for the college softball world. They found a way to still amaze a fan base that has been in awe for years at what Patty Gasso’s program is capable of.

And in the win that clinched their third straight national title, the Sooners received a strong performance from Alex Storako, an incredible defensive play from Jayda Coleman, back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons and another dominant performance from ace Jordy Bahl.

From the first pitch to the final out, Twitter was buzzing, but it reached a fever pitch when Oklahoma clinched their third straight national title.