Tag: Jayda Coleman

Kelly Maxwell hitting her stride at the right time

Kelly Maxwell has been huge for Oklahoma this year and lately she’s been taking her game to a new level.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 35-1 on the season after a 5-2 opening series win against the Texas Longhorns. It was a dominant defensive effort led by [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]’s 10 strikeouts.

Maxwell has been hot in her last two outings. She had nine strikeouts last week against the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] and allowed only one run. In this game she allowed only two runs to one of the best offenses in the country while striking out 10 Longhorns.

Through six innings she’s allowed just one walk and one hit before getting into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh.

Maxwell spoke about what has been working for her lately. “I think still just working through what I’ve been working so hard with Coach Rocha, finding my routine and staying with it,” Maxwell said. “Just being in control on my tempo, on my behalf. So, just feeding balls to the defense and letting them be behind me.”

When you’ve got the top defense in the country behind you, that’s all you need to do. Let them do the work for you, just keep the ball in play for them. That’s what the pitching staff has been so good at for Oklahoma the last few seasons.

Maxwell is already a great pitcher so when you put the top defense behind her, it makes her job even easier. But there is no doubt they need her to keep it up to close out the year if they want a chance at winning four straight.

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Oklahoma Sooners hang on to beat Texas 5-2 in series opener

Kelly Maxwell was phenomenal through six innings, and Jayda Coleman provided the difference at the plate in the Oklahoma Sooners 5-2 win over Texas.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] was phenomenal through six innings, and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]’s three-run homer proved to be the difference in the Sooners’ 5-2 win over the Texas Longhorns.

In a highly-anticipated top-five matchup, the game lived up to the billing as Maxwell and Longhorns starter Mac Morgan battled to keep the score low.

The Sooners got things going in the third inning. However, a heads-up challenge from Texas head coach Mike White and solid defensive positioning from the Horns prevented Oklahoma from creating a bigger inning.

After her single moved Maya Bland to third, Kinzie Hansen was called out for leaving the base early on a [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] single, which wiped Oklahoma’s first run off the board and put Bland back on third. Instead of first and third and nobody out, the Sooners gave up an out with Hansen’s aggressiveness.

It ultimately didn’t matter as the Sooners cashed in, but the inning could have been bigger.

But Boone came through with one out, and Jayda Coleman’s drive to left could have gone for extra bases, but White had his team playing the line to take the double away, and [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] was forced to hold Boone at third. Coleman drove in Bland to put the Sooners on the board. On the next at-bat, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] drove in Boone to make it 2-0.

The Sooners then got things going again in the fifth, again on a rally started by the back half of the order.

In the fifth, Hansen looked to drive a double down the line, but another timely challenge from White ruled that the ball was foul as it went past third base. Hansen then grounded into a fielder’s choice. Rylie Boone singled on a chopper to put two on with one out for the reigning Big 12 and National Player of the Week, Jayda Coleman.

Facing a 2-2 count, Coleman launched a ball to right field for a three-run home run to put Oklahoma up 5-0.

More: By the Numbers: No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns

Things got interesting in the bottom of the seventh when Joley Mitchell singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. One of the best hitters in the nation, Reese Atwood, doubled down the left field line to score Mitchell and get the Longhorns on the board. Leighanne Goode walked and Viviana Martinez moved Adayah Wallace to third on a fielder’s choice. Ashton Maloney’s sacrifice fly scored Wallace to make it 5-2 and after a walk to Victoria Hunter, freshman Katie Stewart came up to the plate as the tying run with two outs.

The broadcast team mentioned during her at bat that in pregame batting practice, Stewart hit a ball over the fence and into the apartments beyond the stadium, breaking a window. With that kind of power, Texas was one swing away from tying the ball game. Stewart battled to a full count and Kelly Maxwell induced a groundball to [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to close out the game and secure the win.

The Texas Longhorns offense came into this game sixth in the nation in scoring and second in batting average. Maxwell held them to two runs on three hits, three walks and recorded 10 strikeouts. At one point in time, Maxwell had struck out 7 of the 11 Longhorns batters that she’d faced.

After hitting .857 last weekend against Kansas, Coleman was the hero in this one, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Rylie Boone was the only other Sooners hitter with multiple hits on an evening where the vaunted Sooners lineup only collected seven hits. [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] walked twice

The win moved Oklahoma to 35-1 on the season and 13-0 in Big 12 play. The Sooners are now four games up on Texas in the regular season conference title race. Oklahoma State beat Houston to stay within three games.

It was the Sooners ninth win in a row over the Longhorns and they extended their nation leading win streak to 17 games.

Oklahoma and Texas get back at it on Saturday for game two of the Red River Rivalry series in Austin. That game can be seen on ESPN with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 4 Texas Longhorns

More: Sooners, Blue Devils top consensus top 25 rankings for week 8

Oklahoma Sooners’ defense leading the way in 2024

While the offense gets the headlines, it’s the defense that Patty Gasso says is the best part of their game this year.

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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‘Jayda leads the way’: Patty Gasso on her team taking it to another level

Speaking of her team’s performance of late, Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said, “Jayda leads the way.”

It seems like every single week, we are talking about a different player having a huge series for the Oklahoma Sooners. Over the last four weeks [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] were named Big 12 Player of the Week. Jennings and Coleman also won NFCA National Player of the Week for their efforts.

Last weekend, Coleman put on a show. The Sooners centerfielder, had six hits in seven at-bats in the three games for an .857 batting average. Coleman had three home runs, six RBIs, seven walks, and eight runs scored. She now leads the Sooners with a .466 batting average, walks with 30, and giving her an on-base percentage at .589.

Patty Gasso spoke about how well Coleman is playing of late. “I feel like the bigness of the season is starting to show up right now,” Gasso said. “They get that. So, they want to be at their best. All of them do. Jayda leads the way. She’s a good leader by example and play. Tiare (Jennings) is really swinging really well. (Alyssa) Brito always is swinging really well. It was just very timely and very clutch. That’s what you are going to have to have when you go to Texas.”

It helps that the Sooners have veterans like Coleman, Jennings, and Brito, because they come through in the big moments. Batting 1-2-3 in the Sooners order puts pressure on opposing pitchers right out of the gate. With the best leadoff hitter in the game coming on strong the last several weeks, the Sooners have gotten off to fast starts. And there’s no indication it’ll slow down anytime soon.

More: How to watch No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas

More: By the Numbers: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns

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Tiare Jennings solidifying herself as one of the all-time greats

She might not get all of the love that the others before her got but there is no question Jennings is one of the all-time Sooner greats.

[autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] has coached some of the best players college softball has had to offer. Whether that’s [autotag]Lauren Chamberlain[/autotag], [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Shelby Pendley[/autotag], [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] or [autotag]Kristin Vesely[/autotag] the list goes on and on.

One player who isn’t mentioned as much as she should be alongside the best all-time is [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]. Jennings has hit 88 career home runs, which is currently seventh in NCAA history and climbing. She’s just eight away from passing Chamberlain for second place, which would give Oklahoma the top three home run hitters in the history of the sport.

Jennings also ranks No. 7 in career runs batted in. She would need 37 more RBIs to break that record.

Patty Gasso discussed where Jennings ranks among the great players she’s coached. “You think of Alo and Chamberlain, big-time home runs. Just everyone has seen these big, long 300-foot home runs,” Gasso said. “Tiare you want her in clutch situations because she handles it so well. She’s a great two-strike hitter. She doesn’t strike out a lot. She doesn’t get nervous. She doesn’t try to overswing. She doesn’t try to show off. She’s just very team-oriented. ‘What can I do to help this team?'”

On the season, Jennings is hitting .446 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Sooner Nation has had the opportunity to witness greatness on the diamond at Marita Hynes Field for more than two decades. This year at Love’s Field, Jennings is putting together another strong season on the way to one of the best careers of all time.  When it’s all said and done, she’ll be among the best to play the game. Can she cap off her incredible career winning a fourth national championship in four years?

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Oklahoma Sooners ready for the high-powered Texas Longhorns offense

The Sooners are ready for the challenge of facing one of the toughest offenses in the country.

The Oklahoma Sooners will have their hands full this weekend as they take on one of the best offenses in the country, the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns come in averaging 7.7 runs per game.

Texas is also come in batting .377 on the season which ranks No. 2 in the nation with a slugging percentage of .609 which ranks No. 6.

They also have power in their lineup as they have 43 home runs which ranks No. 17 and an on-base percentage of .453 which ranks No. 4. Oklahoma on the other hand averages 9.2 runs per game, has a batting average of .394, a slugging percentage of .733 and 78 home runs with an on-base percentage of .495.

The big difference for both teams is the defense. Oklahoma comes in at No. 1 in the nation with a fielding percentage of .985. Texas on the other hand ranks No. 165 in the country at .961.

Alyssa Brito talked about the challenges of facing Texas’ offense. “I would say, at third, it’s going to be really fun for me,” Brito said. “I like that they challenge third basemen with the short game and their quick. Their whole lineup has speed but what I think is fun, especially playing against these types of teams is it’s the best games. When they are competitive and giving their best, they’re only making us better.”

The Sooners defense will have their hands full this weekend. It’ll also be up to the pitching staff to be on their game as well. If they can do that, the Sooners should come out on top over the weekend.

More: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas By the Numbers

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‘We’re going to be ready’: The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners ready for the showdown against the No. 4 Texas Longhorns

The biggest series of arguably the entire softball season is here and the Sooners are ready for it.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been the model of consistency in the college softball world for years. The Texas Longhorns, have long been nipping at their heels for some time but have never been able to get over that hump to this point.

The closest they got was just a few years ago when they faced off in the WCWS Final but the Sooners dominated the two games and won the national title.

Now, Texas feels they have a team that can really compete with Oklahoma. They have some really good pitching and one of the best offenses in the country. Combine that with this weekend series being in Austin and the Texas fans have something to be excited about.

Kinzie Hansen spoke about how they prepare for what they are walking into this weekend.

“Challenging ourselves at practice,” Hansen said. “We don’t walk into any series lightly but this one especially. Being confident in our preparation for sure. We’re working on everything that you could throw at us. So, we’re going to be ready and we’re going to be, we’re going to be ready.”

This game has been circled on the calendars of many across the softball world. It’s a series the Sooners can really make a statement in. Very similar to what they did to No. 1 UCLA last year.

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Kinzie Hansen ‘feeling great’ after a nagging injury ahead of the Texas Longhorns series

The Sooners have been without one of their captains for quite a while now but she’s expected to be back against Texas this weekend.

The Oklahoma Sooners are gearing up for a big-time showdown against the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns had been ranked No. 2 for most of the season and actually briefly took over the No. 1 spot from the Sooners. But Texas is coming off of a weekend where they lost two of three to Oklahoma State and were shutout twice by Longhorns ace Lexi Kilfoyl.

As they head down to Austin, Texas to face the Longhorns in a three-game weekend series, the Sooners are hoping to get back one of their key players for this series.

Co-captain [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] has been battling a knee injury recently. She only started one game last weekend vs. the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag].

Hansen spoke to reporters about how she’s feeling ahead of the big rivalry game. “I’m feeling great,” Hansen said. “I’ll be ready for this weekend that’s for sure.”

A knee injury for a catcher can be painful with all of the squatting they have to do. She talked about if she had any problems in her last game. “No, not really,” Hansen said. “I’ve been working back to feel 100%, specifically for this weekend so I was really excited when coach had me suit up this past weekend.”

The Sooners are going to need all of the firepower they can get for this weekend. The Longhorns might be their toughest test to date.

There is no question that getting Hansen back is going to be big for the Sooners the rest of the way.

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Jayda Coleman wins NFCA, Big 12 Player of the Week awards

After an incredible weekend vs. Kansas, Jayda Coleman was named NFCA and Big 12 Player of the Week. It’s the Sooners fourth-straight Big 12 Player of the Week award.

The Oklahoma Sooners offense has settled in well in their 12-0 start to Big 12 play. After tinkering with the top of the order during nonconference, Patty Gasso has the best leadoff hitter in the game back at the top of the order and Jayda Coleman’s responded in a big way.

In the Sooners three-game sweep over Kansas, Coleman was incredible, hitting .857 with three home runs, four RBIs, eight runs scored, and seven walks. All while continuing to play Gold Glove-level centerfield for the Sooners.

It’s the fourth consecutive Big 12 Player of the Week award for the Sooners and the second NFCA Player of the Week award in the last month. Coleman’s conference award follows [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] (also won NFCA Player of the Week), and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] who have each had big weeks over the last month.

She’s been on a tear in Big 12 play, hitting .571 with 5 home runs and 10 RBIs.

Coleman now leads the Sooners with a .466 batting average, .589 on-base percentage, 45 runs, and 30 walks. This is her fourth career player of the week award. She’s up to eight home runs and 27 RBIs as she puts together another fantastic season.

The Sooners next go on the road to take on the Texas Longhorns this weekend in Austin.

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‘This was my dream school’: Kelly Maxwell on growing up an Oklahoma Sooners fan

While most of her career was spent at an in-state rival Oklahoma State, Kelly Maxwell admits Oklahoma was always her dream.

Not everyone’s path to the University of Oklahoma is the same. Some people come there right out of college, but others make it through the transfer portal.

The latter is how [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] found herself playing for the Sooners.

Maxwell spent five seasons with the Sooners in-state rival, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. She received several accolades while playing for the Cowgirls, including selection to the USA Softball Women’s National Team in 2022 and 2023, 2023 NFCA Second Team All-American, 2023 All-Big 12 First Team, 2022 NFCA Unanimous First Team All-American, 2022 Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year and 2022 All-Big 12 First Team among many others.

Maxwell did an interview with KREF in Norman, in which she said while she spent five years at Oklahoma State, Oklahoma was always her dream school.

“Actually, from a young age, I was an OU fan,” Maxwell said. “My dad’s family actually all went to school here, and this was my dream school. I had always admired watching OU football and Adrian Peterson. So whenever 27 was taken (on her travel ball team) my coach at the time, he was an OU fan, he was like, ‘Hey why don’t you wear 28, it’s Adrian Peterson’s number and it’s just one above 27?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure!’ So, then it kind of stuck and I’ve been 28 ever since.”

That is just another example of how everyone’s path is different in how they come to Oklahoma. Maxwell was once a feared pitcher for the rival school but now is helping her “dream school” win another national championship.

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