The Oklahoma Sooners opened the 2023 season with wins over No. 16/19 Duke and Liberty in a Thursday doubleheader. They beat the Blue Devils 4-0 and Liberty 1-0.
Shutting out their opponents to start the season isn’t all that different. The Sooners blanked their first three opponents of the season a year ago. The difference, however, is Oklahoma’s offense powered them to two run-rule wins in those first three shutouts.
On opening day, it was pitching and defense that helped the Sooners start 2023 on a high note.
[autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] threw a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and a pair of walks across seven innings. Bahl struck out eight Blue Devils and drove in a pair of runs from the plate.
In the nightcap, [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] followed up a stellar performance from Bahl with one of her own, striking out 10 in an extra-inning complete game shutout of Liberty. Like Bahl, May only allowed six baserunners (four hits and two walks) but didn’t get much run support from an offense that’s starting off slower than they have in recent years.
But with how deep the Sooners are in the circle, the Oklahoma offense isn’t under the same pressure to score that they’ve had in recent years. But they’re going to score, and they’re going to score a lot. Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, and Cydney Sanders aren’t going to go a combined 4 for 20 like they did in the two wins on opening day.
The Sooners offense will get going, but so far it’s been the pitching that’s carried them. And they haven’t even deployed all of their arms yet. With No. No. 17/14 Stanford on Friday night, it’s likely that we’ll see Michigan transfer [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag]. Storako threw 300 strikeouts in 200 innings last year for the Wolverines.
Oklahoma plays No. 14/16 Washington on Saturday and San Jose State. on Sunday. And this is where things get interesting. Will head coach Patty Gasso use a strict rotation and go with Storako on Friday night and then true freshman [autotag]Kierston Deal[/autotag] on Saturday? Or will she go back to Jordy Bahl against a top-25 opponent and let Deal get her feet wet against San Jose State on Sunday?
After relying on the offense to bully teams over the last several years, in 2023 the pitching staff is going to be as dangerous as Oklahoma’s vaunted lineup. That was on full display on Thursday on the first day of the season.
This Oklahoma Sooners team is going to be challenged every outing, but the pitching has shown on the first day of the season that they’re willing to duel it out with the opposition.
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