Tag: Jocelyn Alo

Tiare Jennings signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Tiare Jennings is the latest Oklahoma great to sign with the Oklahoma City Spark.

The Oklahoma City Spark added another Sooner superstar to their lineup. Already boasting a squad that features former OU greats [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag], [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], the Spark have added one of the best to ever play the game, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag].

Jennings won four national championships with the Sooners. In 2024, she made the move to shortstop and hit .370 with 25 home runs and 69 RBIs. It was her third season with Oklahoma that she hit more than 20 home runs in a season and finished third all-time in NCAA history in home runs with 98 homers in her career.

The Spark will welcome the Chatanooga Steam for three games at Devon Park starting Tuesday night before hosting the New York Rise for a three-game series starting Friday night in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Sooners Alynah Torres signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Alynah Torres is the latest Sooner to sign professionally to play with the Oklahoma City Spark.

Another Sooner is making her way up I-35 to Devon Park this summer as the Oklahoma City Spark announced on Monday that they’ve signed Oklahoma utility player [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag].

Torres, who came to the Sooners from Arizona State following the 2022 season, spent two years in Norman and played a key role in Oklahoma’s record-breaking 2023 and 2024 seasons.

In 2024, as she platooned with [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] at second base and played some in right field, Torres hit .331 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs.

She’s a versatile defensive piece that can help at third base, second base, first base and in the corner outfield.

Torres joins former Sooners teammates [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with Sooners legends [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] and [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag] with the Spark.

Oklahoma City just completed their first weekend of the season with a series in Chattanooga, Tenn. They’re currently 3-1 on the season as they get set to host Great Britain and Team USA at Devon Park this weekend in the Royal Spark Challenge.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Sooners Rylie Boone signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Another Sooners great is heading to Oklahoma City as Rylie Boone signs with the Spark.

After four straight national championships, several Oklahoma Sooners are making the move up I-35 to continue their softball careers. Both [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] have signed with the [autotag]Oklahoma City Spark[/autotag] and they’ll also add Oklahoma outfielder [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag].

Boone is the third Sooner to sign with the Sprk in the last few days and joins Hansen, Coleman, [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], and Oklahoma legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] in OKC.

In her four-year career with the Sooners, Boone hit .407 and provided a second lead-off hitter at the bottom of Oklahoma’s lineup, setting the table for the top of the order.

Much like Coleman, she was fantastic in the outfield and on the bases, electrifying with her speed and ability to make teams pay for throwing errors.

 

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Jayda Coleman signing with the Oklahoma City Spark

The Oklahoma City Spark add another Sooners great with the signing of Oklahoma centerfielder Jayda Coleman.

There may not be a more fitting professional landing spot that [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and the Oklahoma City Spark. OKC announced on Monday that the former Sooners centerfielder and Gold Glove Award winner has signed to play with the Spark.

Coleman was the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year and the spark to Oklahoma’s offense over the last four years, spending a big portion of that at the top of the lineup. She earned four All-Big 12 first team selections and was a four-time national champion.

She provided highlight reel plays and big-time at-bats for the Oklahoma Sooners, wowing the softball world with her playmaking ability.

More: A look back on Jayda Coleman’s career with the Oklahoma Sooners

In 2024, Jayda Coleman hit .385 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. She started 248 of 249 possible games with the Sooners and hit .414 with 47 home runs and 185 RBIs with an on-base percentage of .545.

Coleman came through in the clutch in Oklahoma’s winner-take-all game against Florida in the national semifinals, hitting the walk-off home run to propel the Sooners into the Women’s College World Series Finals.

Coleman will join former teammates [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee,[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with former Sooner legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] with the Spark, who begin their season this week.

Coleman is the second Sooner to join the Spark over the last few days, following Hansen’s signing late last week.

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Kinzie Hansen is continuing her softball career in the Sooner State, signing with the Oklahoma City Spark.

Coming off another fantastic season behind the plate for the Oklahoma Sooners, captain [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] is staying home to continue her softball career.

On Friday night, the [autotag]Oklahoma City Spark[/autotag] announced that Hansen signed with the ball club.

Hansen joins former Sooner teammates [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with OU legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag].

A fan favorite, Hansen takes her bat to a OKC roster that is full of firepower. In 2024, Hansen hit .404 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs. She had a two-run home run against Texas in game one of the Women’s College World Series Finals to help give the Sooners a 4-1 lead early in the game.

But as important as Hansen’s bat was to the Sooners this year, her work behind the plate was invaluable. Her steady leadership, defense behind the plate, and how she worked with pitchers has been the key to Oklahoma’s success over the last five years.

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners beat UCLA Bruins 1-0

Kelly Maxwell recorded a career high 11 strikeouts as the Oklahoma Sooners beat the UCLA Bruins 1-0 in the Women’s College World Series.

The No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners softball team came into a marquee matchup against fellow softball blue-blood UCLA after beating Duke on Thursday. Saturday’s game against the No. 6 Bruins was a much closer battle, but the Sooners moved on to the NCAA semifinals with a 1-0 win.

After a scoreless first two innings, OU struck first with a solo home run by [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

It was Jennings’ 96th-career home run, which put her in third on the all-time list, passing former Sooner [autotag]Lauren Chamberlain[/autotag]. Jennings trails only Miami (OH)’s Karli Spaid and OU legend [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag].

The story of the rest of the game was Oklahoma’s [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]. The pitcher shut down the Bruin offense with a career-high 11 strikeouts and pitched a gem of a shutout.

UCLA managed to get runners in scoring position in the third and sixth innings, but Maxwell’s career day turned the Bruins away at every turn. The top of the sixth inning, in particular, may have been Maxwell’s finest moment. With two on base for the Bruins, she forced a pop out and got a strikeout to thwart the UCLA threat.

Maxwell faced UCLA’s All-American Maya Brady four times on the afternoon and got the better of Brady each time. The first three were strikeouts before forcing a groundout that ended the game in the top of the seventh.

The Bruins will face Stanford in an elimination game on Sunday night, while the Sooners will wait until Monday for their next game.

[autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag]’s team is one win away from the championship series, and their next game will come against either Alabama or the loser of Saturday night’s Florida–Texas game.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

5 Oklahoma Sooners earn NFCA All-American honors

Led by Tiare Jennings fourth first-team selection, five Sooners earned NFCA All-American Honors.

The Oklahoma Sooners head into the Women’s College World Series with one of the most talented teams in the nation. On Wednesday, five Sooners were selected to the Natioinal Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Teams.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] earned first-team selections. For Jennings, it was her fourth first-team honor and is the sixth Sooner to earn that distinction. Jennings joins a who’s who of players in Oklahoma history. Norrelle Dickson, Keilani Ricketts, [autotag]Lauren Chamberlain[/autotag], Paige Parker, and [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag] also earned four first-team selections in their Sooners career.

Jennings is hitting .372 on the year with 21 home runs and 64 RBIs. It’s been a historic season for the Sooners infielder, who’s climbed into the top three in career home runs.

It’s the second consecutive first-team selection for Brito who had another phenomenal season for the Sooners. Brito is hitting .406 with 18 home runs, 13 doubles, and 59 RBIs this season and has been phenomenal at third base.

Centerfielder [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] joined Jennings with her fourth All-American selection, earning a nod for the second team. Coleman was arguably the biggest snub from the first team as the game’s best centerfielder. In 2024, she’s hitting .394 with 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, and has scored 68 runs. She leads the Sooners with a .532 on-base percentage.

[autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] also earned a second-team selection with nine home runs and 35 RBIs and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. This is Hansen’s third All-American selection.

After a phenomenal first year in Norman, [autotag]Ella Parker[/autotag] earned a third-team All-American pick, which is Oklahoma’s first for a freshman since Coleman and Jennings earned selections back in 2021. Parker is hitting .419 with 12 home runs, 14 doubles, and 57 RBIs.

Oklahoma was one of five teams to earn multiple first-team selections, joining Florida, Duke, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee. The Sooners alsoΒ tied with the Gators with the most All-American selections.

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWire on X, and like our page onΒ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

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.Β  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?

Contact/Follow usΒ @SoonersWireΒ on Twitter, and like our page onΒ FacebookΒ to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on TwitterΒ @JaronSpor.

Every Sooner to win NCAA softball tournament’s Most Outstanding Player

A look at every Oklahoma Sooners star to win Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament.

No team has won more national titles since the turn of the century than the Oklahoma Sooners’ seven. After getting their first ring in 2000, it took Oklahoma 13 years to get their next one.

Since 2013, the Sooners have six national championships, more than any team has since 2000. UCLA has the most championships all time with 14, but it has only won four this millennium. Arizona is one title ahead of Oklahoma, but has just three titles this century and hasn’t won a championship since 2007.

In seven national title runs, Oklahoma had seven players win the NCAA Most Outstanding Player award. Here are the seven:

Oklahoma Softball greats, fans honor Marita Hynes Field in its final homestand

Former Sooners greats and fans share on social media about the final weekend of softball at Marita Hynes Field.

As the Oklahoma Sooners host their super regional matchup with the Clemson Tigers in an effort to defend their back-to-back national championships, they say goodbye to the place they’ve called home for the last 25 years.

With Oklahoma’s Love’s Field set to open in time for the 2024 home slate, the Sooners are playing their last series at Marita Hynes Field in Norman. It’s been the home to national champions and national players of the year. It’s been the place where Patty Gasso has established the legend that’s made her the face of college softball.

With the weekend to say goodbye to Marita Hynes Field, Oklahoma softball greats of the past and fans shared what they felt about one of the legendary sites of collegiate athletics.