Tag: Jordy Bahl

5 takeaways from Oklahoma Sooners record-breaking national championship season

2023 was an incredible season for Oklahoma Sooners Softball. Here are five takeaways from the record-breaking, championship run.

It’s been a few days since the Oklahoma Sooners clinched their seventh straight national championship. Still, it feels surreal the kind of season the Sooners had.

They finished 61-1. They have a 53-game winning streak. They possess the No. 1 offense, ERA and fielding percentage in college softball despite not having a National Player of the Year finalist. They had a 14-0 beat down of then No. 1 UCLA. The countless clutch, come-from-behind moments. A perfect postseason. A three-peat.

It was an incredible season that created a number of memories for the team and its fan base. It was a run that helped further elevate the game of softball to national consciousness. Here are five takeaways from the 2023 season for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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:

What can we expect from Oklahoma softball in 2024?

After a tremendous 2023 season, what can we expect from Oklahoma Softball in 2024?

The Sooners are days removed from winning their seventh national title and third straight. But it’s never too early to look at what 2024 has in store.

After the incredible 2022 season, many thought the Sooners would take a dip after losing arguably the best player of all time, Jocelyn Alo.

Not only did they not take a dip in 2023, they were even better, finishing 61-1 and on a 53-game-winning streak.

So, what can fans expect for the 2024 season? Well, it’s not fair to ask the Sooners to be better than were. Sure, they can be. But that would be asking them to do something that’s never been done before.

No team has gone undefeated. To be fair, no team had gone a whole season with only one loss until Oklahoma did it.

Next year is shaping up to be a great season. The Sooners lose Alex Storako, Grace Lyons, Haley Lee and Grace Green.

Those are big losses for the team. Storako was one of the game’s best pitchers. Lyons might be the best shortstop to ever play. Lee was a huge contributor this year after transferring from Texas A&M. Green was a role player off the bench who always seemed to get a hit when called upon.

But look for the Sooners to reload. Kierston Deal was the nation’s No. 1 player coming out of high school in 2022 and had some really good moments as a true freshman. She will most likely replace Storako.

Jocelyn Erickson was a top-10 player in that class. She flashed this season as well and will most likely get more playing time in the designated player role and in a platoon with Cydney Sanders at first base.

The Sooners also return a bunch of talent. Tiare Jennings, Jordy Bahl, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Nicole May, Cydney Sanders, Alyssa Brito and Rylie Boone are returning. All five of the players named to the NCAA All-Tournament team are on that list.

That doesn’t even include the additions in the recruiting class or the transfer portal.

It’s unclear what the Sooners’ record will be next year. But one thing is for sure, softball fans nationwide better get used to it because as long as Patty Gasso is at the helm, the Sooners will be contenders.

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5 Oklahoma Sooners earn NCAA All-Tournament team selections

Five Oklahoma Sooners selected to NCAA All-Tournament team after clinching national championship.

After an incredible run during the NCAA tournament, five Oklahoma Sooners were named to the All-Tournament team.

The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag], is joined by battery mate [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], second basemen [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and outfielders [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Rylie Boone.[/autotag]

Only four teams were represented on the All-Tournament team, with the Sooners’ five leading the way. Florida State had three selections: Kathryn Sandercock, Kaley Mudge and Michaela Edenfield. Tennessee was represented by Kiki Milloy and Zaida Puni, and Stanford was represented by NiJaree Canady and Taylor Gindlesperger.

Here’s a look at what Oklahoma’s selections did during the NCAA tournament to earn their all-tournament team honors.

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.

Jordy Bahl does it again in Oklahoma’s shutout win over Florida State

With 10 strikeouts, Oklahoma’s Jordy Bahl put on another dominant display against Florida State in what’s been an incredible postseason run.

The last time the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida State Seminoles took the field together before game one of the Women’s College World Series championship, Sooners’ ace Jordy Bahl had an ERA hovering above 2.00.

Bahl had an ERA of 2.23  before throwing three shutout innings of relief in Oklahoma’s 5-4 win over the Seminoles.

Since the win over Florida State on March 14, Jordy Bahl’s allowed runs in just three appearances and just five total runs. She’s allowed just five runs in her last 26 appearances, which accounts for 100.1 innings pitched.

Over that span, she’s lowered her ERA to 0.92 on the season.

Wednesday night’s performance against Florida State was just another in a long run of outings that has cemented Bahl as the best pitcher in softball. This is her second complete game shutout in the last week after throwing seven innings of shutout ball against Stanford.

Through four appearances in the Women’s College World Series, Jordy Bahl hasn’t allowed a run and is 4-0.

The thing that’s been most impressive is Bahl’s ability to lock in when opposing runners get into scoring position.

When Florida State did get runners on base, they weren’t able to take advantage because of Bahl’s ability to work around a jam. In the third inning, Florida State had a runner on second and one out and wasn’t able to score, with Bahl ending the inning with a flyout and a strikeout to get out of trouble.

In the top of the fourth, the Seminoles put runners on second and third with two outs. Again, Bahl came up with the clutch strikeout to end the inning. Oklahoma’s sophomore ace stole the show when Florida State had opportunities to cash in.

And in the bottom of the fourth, when Oklahoma’s offense got going, it was too late for the Seminoles. Over their final three at bats, Florida State managed just a hit and a walk and couldn’t get a runner into scoring position.

Adding to her legend, Bahl provided the breakthrough run for the Oklahoma Sooners, scoring from first on Kinzie Hansen’s double. In a game where it looked like runs would be difficult to come by, Bahl’s speed and baserunning ability came through in the clutch to help put the Sooners on the scoreboard and ahead for good.

One game doesn’t win a championship for Oklahoma, but this performance from Jordy Bahl put them in a strong position to win their third straight national championship. All that stands in their way is one more win against a formidable Florida State Seminoles team.

Here’s a look at the best photos from Wednesday’s win over Florida State.

Jordy Bahl shuts out Florida State, leads Oklahoma Sooners to 5-0 win

The Sooners got a fantastic performance from Jordy Bahl, who recorded 10 strikeouts in Oklahoma’s 5-0 win over Florida State in game one of the Women’s College World Series.

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in their Women’s College World Series championship showdown with Florida State with a 5-0 win to take game one.

[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] got the start for the Sooners and she was absolutely dominant. Bahl kept the Florida State bats at bay, allowing just two hits and a walk in a complete game shutout. She struck out 10 Seminoles. It was the second time in the last week that Bahl recorded a complete game shutout after blanking the Cardinal 2-0 in an 11-strikeout performance.

It took a while for Oklahoma’s offense to get going in this one. But with Bahl dealing, they could afford to be patient at the plate.

But in the fourth inning, the Sooners broke through. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] reached on a hit-by-pitch after Patty Gasso successfully challenged the call at the plate. Then Gasso inserted Bahl to pinch run for Lee at first. And Bahl made the call look genius on [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag]’s double, coming all the way around from first to put the first run of the game on the board.

After Hansen advanced on a passed ball, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] brought her in with an RBI single to make it 2-0. Brito advanced to second on a fielder’s choice before going to third on [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] single that died at the plate. Brito scored on a throwing error on the play, putting Oklahoma up 3-0.

Bahl provided the shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth, retiring the Seminoles in order.

In the bottom of the fifth, [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. Hansen came through again with her second RBI again, driving Coleman in from second base.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] added an RBI single in the fifth to make it 5-0 and set a new record for RBIs in a career in the Women’s College World Series with 29 in her three trips to the Women’s College World Series.

Kinzie Hansen continued her hot run through the NCAA tournament, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. She’s batting .500 throughout the postseason and has three home runs and 13 RBIs for the Sooners.

But the story of the game was the pitching. Jordy Bahl has been the most outstanding player of the Women’s College World Series. She’s 4-0 and hasn’t allowed a run in 21.2 innings pitched in the WCWS, and has 30 strikeouts across four appearances.

Oklahoma forced Florida State to use four pitchers to keep from utilizing their ace Kathryn Sandercock, who will most assuredly start game two against the Oklahoma Sooners. [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] will have a decision to make between Alex Storako and Nicole May in game two of the series.

The Sooners and Seminoles square off Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Game three, if necessary, will be played on Friday on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT.

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Twitter reacts to Oklahoma’s 5-0 Women’s College World Series win over Florida State

Jordy Bahl and the Oklahoma Sooners had Twitter buzzing with their 5-0 win over the Florida State Seminoles to take a 1-0 WCWS championship series lead.

Not even the Oklahoma weather can slow the Sooners, who picked up their 52nd consecutive win to take Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series championship.

Their 5-0 win over Florida State was a dominant pitching performance from Jordy Bahl, who improved to 22-1. Bahl recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed two hits and a walk in the epic performance.

In addition to her pitching, Bahl helped the Sooners get on the board in the fourth inning, scoring from first on Kinzie Hansen’s RBI double.

Bahl still hasn’t allowed a run in the Women’s College World Series and hasn’t allowed a run in her last 24.2 innings pitched. It was her second shutout in a week. She blanked Stanford, 2-0, and also had double-digit strikeouts (11).

After being limited in the 2022 postseason due to a shoulder injury, Bahl has roared through the NCAA tournament and taken her game to another level in the Women’s College World Series.

In addition to Bahl’s performance, the Sooners received clutch at-bats from Kinzie Hansen, who had a pair of RBIs to continue her incredible postseason run. She’s hitting .500 in the NCAA Tournament with three home runs and 13 RBIs.

The Sooners are 60-1 and one win away from their third straight national championship.

Here’s how social media reacted to the win.

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 3 Florida State: WCWS championship key players, game preview, prediction

Women’s College World Series Championship preview between No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 3 Florida State: How to watch, key players and prediction.

After surviving the Women’s College World Series field unscathed, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida State Seminoles meet in the championship series starting Wednesday night.

This year’s championship is a rematch of the 2021 series that the Oklahoma Sooners won after dropping Game 1 of the three-game series. In 2021, Florida State was the No. 10 seed in the tournament and had to overcome an opening day loss in the WCWS, beating third-seeded Alabama twice to get to the finals.

This year, both the Sooners and Seminoles were the highest remaining seeds in the WCWS after UCLA was bounced in the Los Angeles Regional. Neither team suffered a loss in Oklahoma City, setting up a showdown of national powerhouses.

Led by Patty Gasso and Lonni Alameda, the two schools have rich histories. The Sooners have five more championships than Florida State, but the Seminoles have reached the championship series three times in the last six years and won it in 2018.

Here’s a look at the matchup between the No.1 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 3 Florida State Seminoles for the NCAA championship.