Tag: Patty Gasso

Sooners, Longhorns greats talk about move to SEC

With the move to the SEC official, the conference released a video with Sooners and Longhorns legends like Bob Stoops, Patty Gasso, and Baker Mayfield talking about the move.

It’s a great day to be a Sooner as the University of Oklahoma makes the official move to the Southeastern Conference. Joining the SEC doesn’t simply have football ramifications as the conference boasts some of the best programs in the country in softball, baseball, track and field, women’s gymnastics, and women’s basketball.

Oklahoma and Texas are leveling up with the move.

Over at the SEC Network, Sooners and Longhorns legends like [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Griffin[/autotag], T.J. Ford, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], Colt McCoy and more discussed what it means for the Red River Rivals to join the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Stoops spoke about the pageantry of the University of Oklahoma in addition to the excellence of the program that makes it a fantastic fit for its new home. Gameday in Norman will match that of some of the best programs in the SEC. And with 50 conference titles, seven national championships, and seven Heisman winners, the success of the football program and the athletic department as a whole makes the SEC better.

Oklahoma’s softball and women’s gymnastics programs are the best in the nation. They head to a conference that is arguably the deepest for their respective sports.

The University of Oklahoma is venturing into a whole new world, but it’s a world that better fits what OU has accomplished in their history as an athletics program.

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Oklahoma announces celebration information for official SEC move

The Sooners are a matter of days away from officially being a member of the SEC. The university has plenty of events planned to celebrate joining OU’s new conference.

The Oklahoma Sooners will officially join the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] on July 1. OU has been working toward this day since the summer of 2021. The university plans to celebrate the big day with plenty of activities. Details for the event can be found at SoonerSports.com.

According to the school, “The celebration will feature a full slate of fun activities for fans of all ages on OU’s Norman campus, including SEC Network programming, the athletics department’s popular summer equipment sale and open houses at the Barry Switzer Center and Love’s Field, with additional morning events in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It will culminate with a free and family-friendly “Party In The Palace from 5-10 p.m. inside [autotag]Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium[/autotag], with live music, appearances from SEC Commissioner [autotag]Greg Sankey[/autotag], OU President [autotag]Joseph Harroz Jr.[/autotag] and OU Vice President and Director of Athletics [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and a drone show above [autotag]Owen Field[/autotag].”

President Harroz Jr. expressed his excitement about the Sooners finally making the move to the SEC:

“Entering the Southeastern Conference marks a transformative new era for the University of Oklahoma and all of Sooner Nation,” said Harroz Jr. “This day of celebration is a tribute to our iconic traditions, relentless pursuit of excellence and the indomitable spirit of Sooner Magic. We can’t wait to bring our passion and pride to the SEC, and this event provides the perfect opportunity for the OU Family to come together and celebrate all that lies ahead.”

Castiglione also addressed the exciting time surrounding the athletic department and the school as a whole:

“This day is years in the making, so it’s appropriate for us to come together and celebrate,” added Castiglione. “We couldn’t be more excited to join the SEC. Our teams are poised for success and look forward to the competition with many of America’s most outstanding universities. At Oklahoma, we have a story to tell, and we’re invigorated by the opportunity with which we’re presented to share with the world what makes OU so special. Our resolute commitment to our student-athletes and their success and to our fans and their experience will only strengthen with this move. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of new people to our community as well as spread Sooner Magic throughout the SEC.”

In addition, the university has planned a “Race to the SEC 5K Glow,” which begins on June 30. There’s a “Midnight Madness Sale,” during which fans can get SEC-licensed merchandise, and a “Shop and Hop Challenge,” in which businesses that participate will sell OU/SEC merchandise for the first time. Each business will contribute a $25 gift card for a customer drawing.

The university has also announced that parking will be free to the public in certain areas. Students are encouraged to participate, with more details about a celebratory event featuring a musical artist scheduled near the start of the fall semester coming in the near future.

Head to SoonerSports.com for the full list of events happening June 30 and July 1 to commemorate Oklahoma moving into the SEC.

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Oklahoma finishes in the Top 25 in 2023-2024 Director’s Cup standings

Oklahoma Athletics had another strong year, finishing 24th in the Director’s Cup Top 25.

The Oklahoma Sooners had another very strong year, as OU has finished in the Top 25 of the Division 1 LEARFIELD Director’s Cup standings  once again.

The Sooners finished ranked 24th, marking the 21st time in the last 24 years that Oklahoma has made an appearance in the final rankings.

Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA Championships. For Division I, 19 sports are counted, four of which must be baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball. The next highest 15 (maximum) sports scored for each institution, regardless of gender, are used in the standings.

The football team led by [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] participated in the [autotag]Valero Alamo Bowl[/autotag] following a bounce-back season in 2023. The Sooners posted 10 wins for the 42nd time in program history, including the signature win of the Venables era to this point. Oklahoma beat Texas 34-30 on October 7.

Obviously, the Sooners got a big jump from [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag]’s softball team winning their fourth national championship in a row an eighth overall.

But while football is always the headliner at Oklahoma and softball has become a force with their dynastic run under Gasso, plenty of other sports had remarkable seasons as well.

After winning its first-ever [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] regular season title, OU baseball hosted an NCAA regional for the first time since 2010. [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] was named Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Women’s basketball won its second straight Big 12 championship under the direction of head coach [autotag]Jennie Baranczyk[/autotag], and first outright since 2009, en route to a third consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Sooners advanced to the second round of the tournament.

K.J. Kindler and the Women’s Gymnastics team made the NCAA tournament championship finals. Mark Williams and the Men’s team finished third in the NCAA finals.

Men’s and women’s tennis saw both squads advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Men’s golf placed ninth at the national championship, earning the program’s seventh top-10 finish in eight years. The squad won the NCAA Rancho Sante Fe Regional to qualify for the program’s 13th straight NCAA Championships – the second longest streak in the country. Women’s golf, returned to the postseason by earning a spot in regional action.

Joe Castiglione continues to be one of the best athletics directors in the business. The Sooners are in good hands as long as Joe C wants to keep doing it.

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Oklahoma softball earns two ESPY nominations for 2024

Oklahoma softball was nominated for a pair of ESPY awards. .

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team was nominated for a pair of awards at the 2024 ESPYS after bringing home the national championship earlier this month.

[autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag]’s team has been nominated for the Best Team award, after a fantastic [autotag]WCWS[/autotag] run that included one loss in Oklahoma City. It’s the fourth consecutive year Oklahoma has been nominated for the award. This includes last year when OU didn’t win Best Team despite having one loss all season and dominating the NCAA softball tournament field in the midst of the historic winning streak.

This season, the Sooners won the national championship, their eighth since 2000, with Gasso as the head coach. OU has won the past four titles and six of the last eight.

The one loss in the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] was avenged in epic fashion by senior [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]. Her walk-off home run in Game 3 against Florida was nominated for Best Play.

The 2024 ESPYS will be broadcast live on Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. CT on ABC from Los Angeles. Fan voting is underway for all categories and runs through July 11 at 4 p.m. CT. The complete list of 2024 nominees can be viewed here.

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Former Sooner Qunicee Lilio transfers to South Carolina

Former Oklahoma utility player Quincee Lilio has transferred to South Carolina.

It’s the offseason in the world of college softball, and that means the transfer portal is heating up.

After [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners won national championship number eight and completed the four-peat, there was expected to be plenty of roster movement.

So far, two of the three former Sooners who entered the portal had found homes in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Infielder [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] went to LSU and pitcher [autotag]S.J. Geurin[/autotag] transferred to Auburn.

Now, the third OU player in the portal has also found a new home in the Southeastern Conference.

Utility player [autotag]Quincee Lilio[/autotag] will be transferring to South Carolina. Justin McLeod of D1 Softball broke the news on social media.

Lilio made 31 plate appearances in 2024, hitting .129 with five RBIs, 10 walks and six strikeouts. She played second base and outfield in 2023, appearing in a total of 47 contests for the Sooners, starting 12 games. As a redshirt freshman, she hit .275 with one home run and had nine RBIs.

Gasso and the OU staff have also been busy making additions in the portal. [autotag]Isabela Emerling[/autotag], [autotag]Abby Dayton[/autotag] and [autotag]Ailana Agbayani[/autotag] have all joined the roster since the season ended.

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Sooners add former UNC catcher Isabela Emerling via transfer portal

Patty Gasso lands former UNC catcher Isabela Emerling to help replace Kinzie Hansen

The Oklahoma Sooners lost three players to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] earlier in June and 10 seniors. Though they bring in a big signing class in 2024, Oklahoma will need to retool their roster through the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. On Friday, [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] made their first portal addition.

OU earned a commitment from former North Carolina catcher [autotag]Isabela Emerling[/autotag]. The former Tar Heel is a junior who had a nice sophomore season in 2024. Emerling hit .323 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs and posted a .685 slugging percentage. She led the Tar Heels in home runs and RBIs last season.

Over the last two seasons at North Carolina, Emerling started 91 games at catcher and in the infield after missing her freshman season due to injury.

Emerling took to social media to announce her decision, saying she was “so excited for this new chapter.”

Gasso and her staff needed a replacement for the recently departed [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], who won four titles as a Sooner. Hansen had a legendary career, and the catcher is now a member of the Oklahoma City Spark. Emerling will try to help fill that role behind the plate, as the Sooners look for ring number nine.

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Patty Gasso, Oklahoma earn NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year

After another historic season, the Oklahoma Sooners earned the NFCA’s National Coaching Staff of the Year award.

It was another historic season for the Oklahoma Sooners, who earned their fourth consecutive national championship and eighth overall. After a 59-7 season, Big 12 tournament title, and national title, Patty Gasso and her staff were awarded the NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year award for 2024.

The award is voted on by member Division 1 NCAA coaches.

It is the third straight season and the seventh time Gasso and her coaching staff have received the award.

It was a masterful job by Gasso, associate head coaches Jennifer Rocha and J.T. Gasso, and assistant coach Falepolima Steele. In a year where they lost a conference series for the first time in more than a decade and missed out on the regular season title, Gasso and company helped the team rally during a postseason run in which they lost just one game.

Of their 59 wins, 27 came by way of run rule, and the Sooners’ pitching staff recorded 23 shutouts.

In addition to the successful completion of the sport’s first four-peat, Oklahoma opened the largest on-campus softball stadium at Love’s Field. With an expanded capacity, the Sooners averaged 4,328 fans per game for a record attendance of 108,156.

Oklahoma finished the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation after sweeping the Texas Longhorns in the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] Finals by a combined score of 16-7.

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A look back at Jayda Coleman’s time with the Oklahoma Sooners

During her tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners, Jayda Coleman put together one of the greatest careers for a centerfielder we’ve ever seen.

Over the last four years, few players in college softball electrified liked [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag].

The Sooners’ centerfielder was a human highlight reel in the outfield and became arguably the best leadoff hitter in the game. She was the spark for Oklahoma’s four-straight national titles.

Coleman played in 249 games for the Oklahoma Sooners, starting all but one of those games in her illustrious career. During one of the all-time great careers, she hit .414 with 47 home runs and 185 RBIs. She was an on-base machine, recording a .545 on-base percentage for her career.

It was a career that provided a number of memorable moments from home run robberies in finals against Texas and Florida State to the walk-off home run against the Florida Gators in Oklahoma’s elimination game in the Women’s College World Series Semifinals.

“I think she’s an absolute elite athlete and if you just knew her, she’s full of energy and that’s really how she lives every day,” [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] said after Coleman’s eighth inning home run beat the Gators.

The game may never see a player quite like Jayda Coleman, who put together arguably the greatest career for a centerfielder we’ve ever seen. From her prowess at the plate to her dominance in the field to the energetic personality that helped fuel the Sooners over the last few years, Coleman was literally one of a kind.

She leaves the Sooners as a four-time national champion, 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year, earned All-Big 12 first-team honors four years in a row, and was a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week award winner.

Jayda Coleman Photo Gallery

Trio of Oklahoma softball players enter the transfer portal

The Sooners need to replace three players after losing them to the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners are fresh off victory in the Women’s College World Series final, winning their fourth NCAA national championship in row. It’s championship No. 8 overall for the program, all in the 21st century.

But, heavy is the head that wears the crown. OU had three players depart via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] on Monday.

D1softball’s Justin McLeod posted on social media that [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag], [autotag]Quincee Lilio[/autotag] and [autotag]S.J. Geurin[/autotag] will test the portal waters.

Hodge is the most surprising of the departures and the biggest loss of the three. The infielder stepped up when her role increased in the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag]. She is a career .278 hitter in 114 games and 97 at-bats.

Lilio is another loss in the infield, owning a .211 batting average in her career. She’s mostly played in a utility role, coming off the bench in pinch-hit situations. In 88 games, Lilio has just 71 at-bats.

Geurin is the first pitcher to depart the team. She pitched 10 innings in 2024 after a redshirt season in 2023.

While roster turnover is expected every year, the offseason is just beginning in college softball. [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] will no doubt seek to improve the champs via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] to chase ring No. 9. It’s likely the Sooners will be active in the portal, but they are adding eight true freshmen this fall as part of the 2024 signing class.

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Oklahoma Softball Championship celebration open to the public

Oklahoma to host championship celebration at Love’s Field. Festivities are open to the public.

The Oklahoma Sooners made history with their fourth-consecutive national championship. It is the first time in the history of the sport that a program has won four straight.

Oklahoma did so with an 8-4 win over the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns on Thursday evening. It’s the second time in three years that OU won the title in the championship series over their Red River Rivals. In the two-game sweep, the bats came alive, outscoring the Horns 16-7.

It was the most watched Women’s College World Series Finals ever.

To celebrate [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] and her championship squad, the University of Oklahoma is hosting a celebration at [autotag]Love’s Field[/autotag] Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT, which is open to the public. For those not able to be in attendance, fans can stream the celebration live on SoonerSports.com.

Details for the celebration can be found below from the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department.

From the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department

Fans Invited to Championship Celebration Saturday

NORMAN – The University of Oklahoma softball team invites fans to celebrate the program’s fourth straight and eighth overall national title Saturday, June 8, at 6 p.m. CT at Love’s Field. Gates will open at 5 p.m.

Admission is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserved seating for season ticket holders will be general admission in sections 6-10 with passes accessible later today (Friday) via their ticket account. Public parking will be available in the Lloyd Noble Center lot.

Fans will have the opportunity to take photos with the national championship trophy from 5-6 p.m. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a championship poster.

Programming is set to begin at approximately 6 p.m. and fans will hear from head coach Patty Gasso, members of the team and more. National championship merchandise will be available for purchase from the Sooner Shop and limited concessions will be available. Fans are permitted to bring one clear, empty, plastic water bottle (17 oz. or less) and OU’s clear-bag policy will be in effect for the event.

Fans who can’t be in attendance can watch the celebration via https://soonersports.com/watch/.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma Softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter/X and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.