Tag: Patty Gasso

When, where, how to watch Oklahoma softball at home this weekend

Oklahoma softball will host a four-game home-stand this weekend Here is everything you need to know about the Sooners weekend at home.

Oklahoma softball isn’t off to the start they had hoped for, but they’re quickly improving.

The Sooners have battled injury and youth early this season, losing four of their 20 games played and dropping from preseason No. 3 to No. 6.

Among Oklahoma’s biggest concerns are pitching consistency and freshman play, both of which looked vastly improved in Oklahoma’s last game on Wednesday.

After freshman Olivia Rains got off to a shaky start against the Shockers, senior Shannon Saile entered the game and threw the remaining seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out five batters. At the plate, the Sooners hit three home runs, but the story of the night was freshman Mackenzie Donihoo. Donhioo has struggled at the plate all season, but had a big hit that scored two and got the ball rolling for the come-from-behind 8-5 win over WSU.

The Sooners have been at home since Feb. 28, and now have four games at home before they begin the OU Tournament next weekend.

Here is everything you need to know about Oklahoma’s weekend at home.

WHERE: Norman, Oklahoma

WHEN:

Friday—2:30 p.m. CT against Mercer and 5 p.m. CT against Utah

Saturday—2:30 p.m. CT against Murray State and 5 p.m. CT against Missouri State

HOW TO STREAM: FloSoftball, SoonerSports.tv

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Oklahoma softball drops to No. 6 in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Oklahoma softball dropped one spot to No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll after losing their fourth game of the year over the weekend. 

Oklahoma softball dropped one spot to No. 6 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll after losing their fourth game of the year over the weekend. 

The Sooners won the Courtyard Marriott Tournament over the weekend, finishing 4-1 with wins over Northwestern, Abilene Christian and North Texas. 

Oklahoma (15-4) is continuing to persevere through youth and injury, but lost Saturday’s early matchup against North Texas 4-3. The loss allowed Arizona (17-3) , who was previously No. 7, to vault over the Sooners to No. 4. Fifth-ranked LSU dropped one spot. Defending champions UCLA hold the top spot, followed by Washington, who beat Oklahoma 12-2 in late February.

Head coach Patty Gasso will be the first to tell you the Sooners aren’t playing their best ball, but there are positives, starting with the fact Oklahoma has already bested the team that jumped them: Arizona. 

When asked when her team should be hitting their stride, Patty Gasso said it would take some time. “I think normally by the time we start Big 12 play.. Sometimes we’re not even ready by then. But as long we get there I’m okay.” she said.

In mid-February, Oklahoma sealed a 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Wildcats by scoring two runs in the top of the 10th inning. The Sooners’ rotation of Macy McAdoo, Olivia Rains and Shannon Saile combined for only three strikeouts.

Oklahoma isn’t where they want to be, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. 

The Sooners’ next matchup is Wednesday, March 4 against Wichita State at 6 p.m. in Norman.

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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 set to host Courtyard Marriott Tournament, how to watch

Oklahoma softball has played 14 straight road games to start their season, but will finally open up at home today.

Oklahoma softball has played 14 straight road games to start their season, but will finally play their home opener today against Northwestern.

The Sooners (11-3) have had an up-and-down beginning to their season. Despite being the fifth-ranked team in the country, the Sooners are nursing two-straight losses, one to No. 2 Washington and the other to unranked Wisconsin.

After winning its first six games of the season, Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season to Long Beach State. The Sooners rebounded with a win over then-No. 4 Arizona before heading to the Mary Nutter Classic.

In Cathedral City, California, Oklahoma finished 3-2, with wins over Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Seattle before losing to the Huskies and Badgers.

Next up the Sooners will host their first home-stand of the season, the Courtyard Marriott Tournament, playing five games over the weekend. They’ll take on Northwestern and Abilene Christian on Friday and North Texas on Saturday, with Saturday’s late game and Sunday’s game TBD.

After Tuesday’s practice, head coach Patty Gasso was extremely high on the level of competition Oklahoma will be playing this weekend.

“The teams that we have coming are playing very well. They’re tough.” she said. “They have very good pitchers and anything we do now we face the best pitchers from every team we play. You just can’t let not having the success you want get in your head. Being at home is gonna make a big difference for us, I believe.”

Here is where you can find this weekend’s matchups.

WHERE: Marita Hynes Field (Norman, Okla.)

WHEN: Friday: 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT

Saturday: 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 CT.

Sunday: 12 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: SoonerSports.tv

HOW TO LISTEN: The Franchise 2 (1560 AM, 103.3 FM)

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma softball practice ahead of first home-stand of the season

Oklahoma softball had an up-and-down weekend. Here are three takeaways from their practice following their back-to-back losses.

Oklahoma softball had an up-and-down weekend, starting off with three-straight wins before dropping their final two games to No. 2 Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

The Sooners fell to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, and understand have some work ahead of them to reach the level head coach Patty Gasso expects of them. Here are three takeaways from their practice following their back-to-back losses.

Motivational Videos

Motivational videos were referenced more than once at Oklahoma’s practice on Tuesday, starting with Kinzie Hansen. “We watched a video about this woman who climbed to the top of Mt. Everest,” Hansen said. “It was a lot about being a selfless teammate and having to adjust and readjust,”

Coach Gasso echoed Hansen’s sentiment, saying the video was similar to the Sooner’s situation. “The message is, each weekend that we play it’s like climbing a mountain,” she said. “and when you climb Mt. Everest you climb a little way and then come back to base camp. Then you recover, you recuperate, then you go to the next level. It’s really relevant to what we’re doing right now. We’re back at base camp trying to recover and be better,”

Home Sweet Home

The Sooners have spent 14 games on the road, and are understandably ready to play in front of their home crowd. “I feel like it’s gonna be really cool,” said junior Taylon Snow, who transferred to Oklahoma from Auburn in the offseason. “Finally getting to feel what the Sooner family is really about for all of us newcomers, I think it’s gonna be great.”

Letting It Go

Back-to-back losses weren’t an ideal way to finish the weekend for Gasso and her Sooners, but with 25 years of coaching experience under her belt, she knew exactly what to tell her team. “It’s just understanding that losses are not the end all be all,” she said. “That no matter what we’re not gonna surrender and I felt like we did.”

Jocelyn Alo, who’s been thrust into a leadership role in her junior season, had plenty of advice for the newcomers on the team. “Just to let it go,” she said when asked what advice she’s giving the freshman. “There’s always gonna be another game, there’s always gonna be another pitch. There’s always gonna be a new day and there’s always room to improve.”

Oklahoma’s home-opener against Northwestern at Marita Hynes Field is on Friday at 3 p.m.

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Oklahoma softball falls to No. 5 in USA TODAY Coaches Poll

After suffering back-to-back losses in last weekend’s Mary Nutter Classic, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

After suffering back-to-back losses in last weekend’s Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The Sooners began their weekend with three-straight wins, but dropped their final two games to No. 2 Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

On Saturday, the second-ranked Huskies got all over Oklahoma early, scoring six runs off three home runs in the first two innings to take an insurmountable lead.

Two runs in the fifth inning would be all the Sooners could muster on a lackluster offensive day. Only Kinzie Hansen, Taylon Snow, Jocelyn Alo and Alycia Flores finished with hits.

On Sunday, the Badgers scored early and often against Oklahoma as well, scoring four runs in second inning that the Sooners wouldn’t overcome. Their best effort came in the form of a three-run third inning highlighted by back-to-back hits from Alo and Hansen. It wouldn’t be enough as Oklahoma fell to 11-3 and Shannon Saile took her second loss of the year in the circle.

After 14 games on the road, the Sooners open their five-game home stand, the Courtyard Marriott Tournament, with Northwestern on Friday at 3 p.m.

Oklahoma finishes 3-2 in Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Oklahoma softball finished 3-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic over the weekend to improve to X-X on the season.

Oklahoma softball finished 3-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic over the weekend to improve to 11-3 on the season.

The Sooners earned wins over Nebraska, Texas A&M, and Seattle University, but dropped a top-five matchup against second-ranked Washington and unranked Wisconsin.

Head coach Patty Gasso and her squad opened the weekend up with a run-rule victory over Nebraska, defeating the Cornhuskers in five innings.

In their second game on Friday, Oklahoma walked it off against the Aggies. In the bottom of the seventh inning Grace Green walked and stole second before Grace Lyons doubled to center to score Green for the 2-1 win.

Early Saturday, the Sooners beat Seattle 2-1, as Lyons and Jocelyn Alo both homered to score Oklahoma’s only two runs of the game.

No. 2 Washington jumped all over Oklahoma early, hitting three home runs in the first two innings to jump out to a 7-0 lead. The Sooners strung together four hits in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t get back in the game, dropping the contest 12-2.

On Sunday, the Sooners lost to Wisconsin 4-3. The Badgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and the Sooners couldn’t complete the comeback.

Brooke Vestal, Giselle Juarez, and Saile earned wins in the circle in the first three games. Juarez suffered her first loss of the season against Washington, and Saile took the loss on Sunday.

Oklahoma is back in action on Friday, Feb. 28 as they host Northwestern for their home-opener.

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When, where, how to watch Oklahoma softball at Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

When, where, and how to watch the Sooners participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this weekend.

Oklahoma softball is continuing its historic ways with an 8-1 start to the 2020 season.

The Sooners, who have dominated the sport for the better part of the past decade, have already earned a top-five win this season, and now travel to California to participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

After losing their first game of the season last Saturday to Long Beach State, Oklahoma bounced-back later than night to beat No. 4 Arizona in extra innings.

The Sooners have traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Tuscon, Arizona, for their 2020 slate thus far. Head coach Patty Gasso and her Sooners won’t see Norman until Feb. 28—when they take on Northwestern for their home-opener.

The entirety of the Mary Nutter Classic will be streamed on the subscription service FloSoftball, including Oklahoma’s matchup against second-ranked Washington on Saturday.

Here is everything you need to know about Oklahoma’s weekend out in California.

WHERE: Palm Springs, California

WHEN:

Friday—12:30 p.m. CT against Nebraska and 3 p.m. CT against Texas A&M

Saturday—12 p.m. CT against Seattle and 2:30 p.m. CT against No. 2 Washington

Sunday—11 a.m. CT against Wisconsin

HOW TO STREAM: FloSoftball

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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 ranked No. 3 in both preseason polls

The Oklahoma softball team will enter the 2020 season ranked No. 3 in both major preseason polls.

The Oklahoma softball team will enter the 2020 season ranked No. 3 in the country in both the USA TODAY/NFCA Div. I Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25.

Alabama and Washington hold the top-two spots, respectively, while UCLA and Arizona hold the fourth and fifth spots. 

Oklahoma earned their 13th appearance in the Women’s College World Series last season, cruising to a 57-6 record but finishing as the runner-ups to UCLA. It was head coach Patty Gasso’s 25th season with the Sooners.

Oklahoma is returning two first-team All-Americans in pitcher Giselle Juarez and utility Jocelyn Alo. Grace Green, a third-team All-American, is also returning. 

This is the 10th-straight year the Sooners have started in the NFCA’s top 10, the nation’s longest active streak. 

As it stands, the Sooners will face eight ranked teams. Their top-five matchups include No. 5 Arizona on Feb. 15 and top-ranked Washington in the Mary Nitter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 22. 

Oklahoma opens their season on Thursday, Feb. 6 against Nevada in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.