Tag: Kinzie Hansen

Oklahoma Sooners sweep day one of Mary Nutter Classic with 11-3 win over Long Beach State

The Oklahoma Sooners improved to 12-0 on the season with a win over Long Beach State led by Kinzie Hansen, Grace Lyons, and Alyssa Brito.

The No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners improved to 12-0 on the season with an 11-3 run rule win over Long Beach State on day one of the Mary Nutter Classic in California.

After Jordy Bahl’s perfect game in a 10-0 win against Cal-State Fullerton, the Sooners got a bit more of a challenge from Long Beach State who notched the first earned run of the season off of a Sooners pitcher in the three-run third inning.

Hope Trautwein hadn’t allowed an earned run coming into the game got into some trouble in the bottom third inning allowing three runs (two unearned) cutting the Sooners lead to 6-3. Nicole May entered the game to get the Sooners out of a jam and pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits to close out the game.

Oklahoma responded in the top of the fourth thanks to Alyssa Brito’s base-clearing triple that drove in three runs to make it 9-3. They added another one later in the inning to go into the bottom of the fourth up 10-3. Oklahoma would add another run in the top of the fifth and May finished it off in the bottom of the fifth for the Sooners run-rule win.

At the plate, Kinzie Hansen and Grace Lyons hit home runs as the Sooners continued their offensive tear to start the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners will play two games on Saturday, first against No. 8/10 Arizona at 12 p.m. CT and then No. 17/17 Tennessee at 2:30 p.m. CT. They’ll close out the weekend series at 11 a.m. on against Utah on Sunday.

Here’s how you can watch or listen to the Oklahoma Sooners as they look to stay unbeaten and as Jocelyn Alo attempts to break the NCAA all-time home run record.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Opposition between a rock and a hard place when facing Oklahoma lineup

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a torrid pace in 2022 putting pressure on opposing pitchers up and down the lineup.

Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo is on a tear to start the 2022 season with seven home runs in 37 plate appearances. Tied with Lauren Chamberlain for the NCAA all-time home run record, Alo will likely set the new standard this weekend and put it far out of reach for any home run challengers. Her start has been incredible and there’s not much the opposition can do about it.

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The lineup the Oklahoma Sooners are rolling out has hitting depth up and down the order. With Alo typically hitting second in the order, leadoff hitter Tiare Jennings gets a boost as teams have to pitch aggressively to her in order to try and get an out before Alo comes to the plate. And Jennings is making teams pay.

The sophomore out of San Pedro, Calif. is hitting .440 with five home runs and 15 RBIs on the season. She’s second to Alo in just about every offensive category, building off of a tremendous freshman campaign that saw her win freshman of the year honors in 2021.

And as Alo continues to set a new standard for power hitting, she’s also getting the added benefit of a lineup that’s producing behind her.

To start the season, the most typical lineup Patty Gasso was rolling out had Jennings batting leadoff, Alo hitting second, and catcher Kinzie Hansen hitting third. Since the opening week, there’s been a bit more variation but wherever Alo hits, there’s a player hitting behind her that’s having a nice start to the season as well.

Hansen’s hitting .440 with two home runs and six RBIs. Jana Johns spent much of the Houston Classic batting behind Alo is hitting .400 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Jayda Coleman has worked her way up in the lineup and is hitting .348 with eight RBIs and an on base percentage of .515.

Grace Lyons, who’s hit clean up for the Sooners for much of 2022, is hitting .440 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

There isn’t an easy out in the Oklahoma Sooners lineup. The Sooners put constant pressure on opposing pitchers as they attempt to work through a lineup that returned much of their record-setting 2021 team.

As the Oklahoma Sooners look to defend their national championship, they’ve gotten off to a hot 10-0 start. The numbers really speak for themselves.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Oklahoma Sooners dominate in season opening blowout of UC Santa Barbara

The Oklahoma Sooners used a nine-run first inning and a combined perfect game to open the season with a 14-0 win over UC-Santa Barbara.

The Oklahoma Sooners started the 2022 softball season off with a bang in their season opener against UC Santa Barbara, picking up the 14-0 run-rule win.

On the backs of an offense that exploded for nine runs in the top of the first, the Sooners picked up right where they left off from their historic national championship run in 2021. Last season, the Sooners set an NCAA record for home runs and they wasted little time hitting the long ball in this one.

Second baseman Tiare Jennings got Oklahoma going in the top of the first with a lead off home run to give the Sooners a 1-0 lead. The Sooners erupted in their first at bat of the season with nine runs, including a grand slam from 2021’s national player of the year Jocelyn Alo to cap off the explosive inning.

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Jennings’ lead-off home run would be the game winner as three Sooners pitchers combined for the perfect game victory over UCSB. True freshman Jordy Bahl got her first start of the season for the Sooners and led the way with 2.2 innings pitched and four strikeouts. She retired all eight batters she faced before giving way to sophomore Nicole May, who struck out the only batter she faced. Hope Trautwein took over in the bottom of the fourth and closed out the game for the Sooners, striking out three of the six batters she faced in her two innings of work.

The Sooners would get another home run from Jennings and Kinzie Hanson hit her first of the season to help Oklahoma erupt for their first win of the season.

On the afternoon, nine players recorded a hit and nine players drove in a runner for Oklahoma. Jennings, Alo, Hansen, and shortstop Grace Lyons combined to go 7 for 13 with four home runs, seven RBIs, and 10 runs scored.

The Sooners quest to defend their 2021 national title got off to a great start with the offensive explosion and the pitching dominance. If the Oklahoma Sooners continue to get performances like this from their pitching staff, they’ll be incredibly difficult to beat all year.

The Sooners will next compete in the Mark Campbell Invitational where they’ll face Loyola Marymount and Mississippi State on Friday, before a pivotal early-season matchup with UCLA on Saturday. They’ll close out the weekend against UC-San Diego on Sunday.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Oklahoma Sooners lead USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen were named to USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners come into the 2022 season with incredibly high expectations. Based on their 2021, they’re warranted. After setting a new record for home runs in a season and returning much of the team that set a new standard for run-rule wins, the Oklahoma Sooners are the far and away favorite for the 2022 national title based on preseason rankings.

Both D1 Softball and USA Softball voted the Sooners their unanimous preseason No. 1. With just a couple of weeks until the Sooners’ season opener against UC-Santa Barbara, USA Softball released its preseason National Player of the Year watch list.

The 2021 National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo leads the way and is the favorite to repeat as winner of the prestigious award. Joining her are freshman of the year Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen.

Alo was a force all season from her designated hitter role, setting career highs across the board. She hit .475 with 34 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.109. Her home runs and slugging percentage were the best in the NCAA.

Tiare Jennings was just as remarkable in her freshman season for the Sooners. She was second in the country with 27 home runs and collected an NCAA freshman record 92 RBIs. She had an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and led the nation in doubles with 25.

Fellow freshman Jayda Coleman was impressive in her first year with the Sooners. She was electric in center field, providing highlight-reel defense for the No. 1 team in the nation. On the season, she hit .444 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs while leading the team with 20 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-American and National Freshman of the Year Finalist.

Starting 58 games for the Sooners last season, Kinzie Hansen hit .438 as a sophomore. Her 24 home runs were fifth in the nation and added 66 RBIs. Hansen registered a .990 fielding percentage from behind the plate with 279 putouts and 21 assists.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a ton of talent in their lineup and will be a force to be reckoned with on the diamond. Any one of these four on the preseason watch list could end up as National Player of the Year.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Oklahoma Sooners unanimous No. 1 in USA Softball preseason top 25

As they get set to defend their 2021 national championship, the Oklahoma Sooners were voted unanimously the preseason No. 1 by USA Softball.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the team to beat on the softball diamond in 2022. Of that there is no dispute. After being voted the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in D1 Softball’s preseason poll last week, the Sooners were also unanimously voted the preseason No. 1 team in the country by USA Softball.

According to the University of Oklahoma, it’s the second time in program history that they were the unanimous No. 1. It was also the third time the Sooners have been voted the No. 1 team overall.

Bringing back the National Player of the Year in Jocelyn Alo, the Sooners hope to replicate their 2021 that saw them set a new all-time mark for home runs in a season. In addition to Alo, the Sooners return four other All-Americans: Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, and Grace Lyons.

Head coach Patty Gasso will be going for her sixth national championship, all with the Sooners. With all the returning firepower the Sooners have on offense, they’ll have a shot to be back-to-back national champions like they did in 2016 and 2017.

The Oklahoma Sooners were also selected as the preseason No. 1 by the Big 12 coaches and are the favorites to win the conference yet again.

The Sooners will open their season Feb. 10 in Southern California against UC-Santa Barbara.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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No. 6 Oklahoma softball has undefeated weekend in Norman

No. 6 Oklahoma Softball capped off its second straight weekend at home with four wins in a row, moving to 20-4 on the season.

No. 6 Oklahoma Softball capped off its second straight weekend at home with four wins in a row, moving to 20-4 on the season.

After losing at least one game in each of the last three weekends, the Sooners beat all five of their opponents this week, starting with Wichita State on Wednesday. After getting down 4-0 early in the first due to freshman pitching struggles, senior Shannon Saile entered the game and allowed just one run in seven innings. OU strung together several hits in the second and third innings, including three home runs, and cruised to an 8-5 victory over the Shockers.

On Friday, Oklahoma earned a pair of wins over Mercer and Utah, scoring 10 runs in both contests. Nicole Mendes had a home run in both games, and finished with four RBI’s on the day as a designated hitter. 

In their first game Saturday, freshman pitcher Brooke Vestal put together arguably her best game of the season, going all seven innings and allowing just one run against Murray State. Freshman Kenzie Hansen and Alycia Flores led the Sooners at the plate with a pair of home runs. 

The last bout of the weekend for Oklahoma yielded one of its most exciting yet, as senior captain Lynnsie Elam walked off Missouri State on an RBI single in the eighth inning that scored Hansen. Shannon Saile moved to 8-3 on the year with the win, and freshman Olivia Rains put together one of her best performances in the circle.

Oklahoma now looks to host the OU Tournament, the last leg of their three-week home-stand. They’ll start with New Mexico State at 3 p.m. on Friday.

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No. 5 Oklahoma wins Courtyard Marriott Tournament

The Sooners exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to top Northwestern 5-1 and claim the Courtyard Marriott Tournament. 

For the first time since the 2019 World Series, Nicole Mendes stepped up to the plate with a chance to give Oklahoma the lead on Sunday.

The senior’s brace was the only indicator of a torn ACL last fall, as her swing was smooth early in her at bat.

On the fifth, she connected hard enough to ricochet the ball off the Northwestern first baseman’s glove. Mendes reach first safely, and freshman Kinzie Hansen streaked home to put the Sooners ahead 2-1.

Mendes was among the four Sooners with an RBI in the fifth inning Sunday, as they exploded for five runs in the inning to top Northwestern 5-1 and claim the Courtyard Marriott Tournament.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a really hard process,” Mendes said after Sunday’s game. “I’ve had to learn a lot. Make a lot of adjustments and grow up as a person and as a player. But to be able to watch this team, as young as we are and as depleted as we are, watch us grow and work together… It’s been really fun to watch.”

Oklahoma’s weekend began with an 8-3 win over the very same team, as Lynnsie Elam finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBI’s.

In their second game Friday, Elam, Eliyah Flores and Raylee Pogue all hit solo home runs in the third inning to push the Sooners past Abilene Christian 4-2.

The Sooners split Saturday’s games with North Texas, dropping the first game in a tight contest 4-3. The Mean Green out-hit the Sooners 9-8.

After suffering their fifth loss of the year, the Sooners turned around and smacked 17 hits in their second game against UNT. Eight different players finished with home runs in the contest.

On Sunday, Shannon Saile put together the Sooners most consistent pitching performance of the weekend, going all seven innings and striking out 10 different batters.

“Today was her best day, no doubt.” head coach Patty Gasso said after Saile’s performance Sunday. “Just really calm, very much in control. Much better job being ahead of hitters. We’ve got a lot of work to do and this team is ready to do it.”

Oklahoma now looks to a five-game home-stand that begins this Wednesday. The Sooners slate starts with Wichita State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and Mercer and Utah at 2:30 and 5 p.m. on Friday, respectively. They’ll finish their week with Murray State at 2:30 p.m. and Missouri State at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

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Oklahoma softball falls to second-ranked Washington 12-2

Oklahoma softball lost their second game of the year on Saturday to No. 2 Washington 12-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

Oklahoma softball lost their second game of the year on Saturday to No. 2 Washington 12-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Huskies were all over the third-ranked Sooners from the get-go, jumping out to 7-0 lead before Oklahoma could answer back. They scored two runs in the first inning and poured on four more in the second.

Washington was one run away from a run-rule before the Sooners scored their only two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Taylon Snow singled to scored Alycia Flores. Freshman Kinzie Hansen would then single to score Snow.

Only four Sooners finished with hits against Washington’s starting pitcher Kelley Lynch. Huskies’ reliever Gabbie Plain didn’t allow a hit in two innings of work.

The Huskies scored four more runs in the last inning.

After run-ruling Nebraska early Friday, the Sooners beat Texas A&M and Seattle University by just one point each. Both contests finished 2-1 in favor of Oklahoma.

The Sooners, now 11-2, will finish off the Mary Nutter Classic with a Sunday matchup against Wisconsin at 11 a.m.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma softball practice before Mary Nutter Classic

Third-ranked Oklahoma is off to a 8-1 start, and is looking to be in prime position to make another Women’s College World Series run.

Third-ranked Oklahoma is off to an 8-1 start and is looking to be in prime position to make another Women’s College World Series run. After suffering their first loss of the season on Saturday, the Sooners bounced-back later that night to earn a signature, extra-inning win over No. 4 Arizona. After practice on Tuesday, the team had plenty to say about what made this Sooners team special.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Despite another great start to the season, head coach Patty Gasso said at Tuesday’s practice the Sooners are nowhere near their maximum potential.

“I kinda told the team, ‘it’s like when your parents tell you to make your bed and you just throw the covers up and make it looks like it’s right, versus really pulling the sheets right and tucking them in strong and putting everything where it needs to be. That’s sort’ve how we’ve been playing.”

Gasso said the team wasn’t playing their best this past weekend but should be full-speed ahead by the time Big 12 play begins.

STAR POWER

Oklahoma has had its fair share of softball superstars and looks to have another in freshman Kinzie Hansen

Through nine games, she leads the team with 13 hits and 14 RBI’s. For coach Gasso, her play is something reminiscent of her past players.

“It reminds me a lot of those players like the Lauren Chamberlains and even the Syd Romero’s and Shay Knightens. She’s coming in pretty fearless.”

FRESHMAN FEVER

Oklahoma has been heavily reliant on its core of freshman up to this point, using Olivia Rains and Macy McAdoo in the pitching rotation, and relying on Hansen and Rylie Boone offensively.

McAdoo picked up the first ranked win of her collegiate career against No. 5 Arizona on Saturday. “I would say that I was ready for it, mentally and physically,” she said.

Oklahoma is back in action Friday against Nebraska at 12:30 p.m. at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California.

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Oklahoma softball goes undefeated in Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Oklahoma softball (4-0) went a perfect 3-0 in the PV College Challenge on Friday and Saturday to close out the weekend. 

After winning their season opener 9-3 over Nevada on Thursday, Oklahoma softball went 3-0 on Friday and Saturday to close out the weekend. 

All four games were apart of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Oklahoma (4-0) and Oregon (5-0) finished as the only two undefeated teams in session one.

On Friday the Sooners earned their largest win of the season with a 10-3 victory over Long Beach State. Much like their opener, true freshman Kinzie Hansen had another solid outing, earning two RBI’s in the first inning to give the Sooners an early lead. From there, Oklahoma added three more runs in the second inning and coasted to a 7-point win.

Oklahoma picked up a pair of close wins on Saturday with a 5-2 win over George Washington University and a 3-1 win over BYU.

Brooke Vestal, Macy McAdoo and Shannon Saile all contributed to the Sooners win in the circle against George Washington. Saile is the only player to have pitched in all four games for the Sooners. 

Oklahoma trailed 2-1 after the third inning, but scored four runs in the fourth inning to power past GW. Sophomore Grace Green had two hits and two RBI’s.

In their second game on Saturday, the Sooners finally broke out All-American pitcher Giselle Juarez. Saile started five innings in the circle before Juarez entered in relief, allowing one run and striking out three. 

Next up, Oklahoma travels to Tuscon, Arizona to participate in the Hillenbrand Invitational, taking on Bryant, Northern Iowa, Long Beach and Arizona Feb. 14-16.