Tag: Tiare Jennings

Twitter Reacts: ESPY award goes to the more popular team, not the ‘best team’

At the ESPYs, the award went to the more popular team and not the “best team” and social media reacted accordingly.

In an event that is supposed to be the sporting world’s answer to the Oscars or the Grammy’s, the ESPYs fell short of legitimacy in their Best Team award on Wednesday night.

A fan vote decided that the Kansas City Chiefs were the best team of the last year, snubbing an award that should have very easily gone to the record-setting Oklahoma Sooners softball team.

Led by Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and former Sooners [autotag]Creed Humphrey[/autotag] and [autotag]Orlando Brown Jr.[/autotag] (now with Cincinnati), the Chiefs were great in 2022 on their way to a Super Bowl win over [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag], [autotag]Lane Johnson[/autotag] and the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the fan voting aspect of the award took away a chance to recognize the greatness that was Oklahoma softball in 2023.

The Sooners lost one game in their third straight national title run. In February, they lost a one-run affair, 4-3, to the Baylor Bears. They didn’t lose another game the rest of the season. Not in Big 12 play. Not in the regionals or super regionals. Not in the Women’s College World Series.

The Sooners ended the season on a record-setting 53-game winning streak to capture their third consecutive national title. Their three-peat is only the second time the feat has been accomplished. The last time was nearly 40 years ago in the infancy of the sport at the NCAA level.

This team had the best offense in the country, the best ERA in the country, the best player in the NCAA tournament ([autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag]), and arguably two of the best position players in the sport in [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag]. And there’s no argument that they have the best coach in the sport leading the best team in sports with [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] at the helm.

Yes, it was a fan vote. Yes, the NFL is the more popular sport. And yes, the ESPYs missed an opportunity to honor a phenomenal feat on a public stage when the award was given to the more popular team and not the best team.

Here’s a look at how Twitter reacted to the snub.

9 Oklahoma Sooners included in D1Softball’s top 100 players from 2023

After a historic year, nine Oklahoma Sooners were featured in the top 50 of D1Softball’s top 100 players of the 2023 season.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a historic year. They had a record-breaking win streak that reached 53 games by the end of their national championship three-peat. The three national titles in a row mark only the second time it’s been done in the history of the sport under the NCAA.

You have to go back to the early days when UCLA won three in a row in the 1980s. At a time when the talent is at an all-time high and it’s spread throughout the nation, Patty Gasso’s Sooners beat the best of the best on their way to their third straight national championship and a 53-game win streak to close the season.

It was a total team effort, but there were several individuals that played significant roles along the way to help Oklahoma secure its seventh national title in school history.

Reflecting on the offseason, D1Softball ranked the top 100 players from the 2023 season, and nine Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 50. Let’s take a look.

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.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=683578888]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma should target Indiana All-American Taryn Kern in the transfer portal

If the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to add another bat to their lineup, Indiana transfer Taryn Kern may be the answer.

The Oklahoma Sooners have done a fantastic job retooling their roster with their high school recruiting prowess and through the transfer portal. Oklahoma’s star power is homegrown, but there’s no denying the impact the portal had on this year’s team.

[autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] played significant roles in Oklahoma’s 61-1 national championship season. With Storako and Lee out of eligibility and Grace Lyons departing, there’s room for the Sooners to dip into the portal for an infusion of talent.

One player they should take a look at is Indiana’s [autotag]Taryn Kern[/autotag]. Kern led the Hoosiers with a .404 batting average, 23 home runs, 68 RBIs and 68 runs scored. Each of those marks broke Indiana softball single-season records. She was second in the nation in home runs and fifth in runs batted in.

In the NCAA tournament, Kern hit ,300 with one home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored in four games in the Knoxville Regional.

As a freshman, Kern was a D1Softball All-American and NFCA second-team All-American and an NFCA freshman of the year finalist in 2023. Kern was Big Ten Freshman of the Week six times and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023.

She played second base for Indiana, which would either require Kern or [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] to move to shortstop.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a great deal of talent coming back for the 2024 season, and they will be the favorite to win the national title yet again. But if they wanted to bolster their ranks further, taking a run at Kern would provide another great bat to the lineup.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=683578888]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

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.

Team effort highlights Oklahoma’s national championship win

Oklahoma’s depth has been a key factor to its success in 2023 and it was on full display in their national title win over Florida State.

In Oklahoma’s magical run in 2023, the Sooners reset the standard for excellence in college softball. Their 61-1 record made them the winningest team in history after extending the game’s best all-time winning streak to 53 games.

On the final night of the season, in the game that clinched the Sooners’ third consecutive national title, Oklahoma’s deep roster powered the Sooners.

Alex Storako gave Oklahoma four strong innings before giving way to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Jordy Bahl. Storako allowed three hits and one run in the start. Though the home run put the Sooners behind in the game, she limited the damage when in danger with the help of some excellent defense behind her.

The Michigan transfer had been a huge key to Oklahoma’s success early in the season when Bahl was going through a bit of a sophomore slump. And on the grandest stage, Storako had a fantastic performance to keep Oklahoma in the game long enough for the bats to take off.

In the Sooners’ next at-bat, back-to-back home runs from Cydney Sanders and Grace Lyons put Oklahoma up, 2-1, in the game. That was the ninth home run of the season for both players. Sanders and Lyons each had more than 20 home runs in 2022, but this year the long ball was more difficult to come by. When it mattered most, the two power hitters powered Oklahoma to a lead and, ultimately a national title.

And that’s what has been special about this team. Despite Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings going hitless, the Sooners’ lineup is full of players that can hurt the opposition with one swing of the bat.

Their depth was the difference all season long. As Oklahoma dealt with injuries in the early part of the season or with early season struggles, the depth helped keep them afloat. And as the season wore on, it came through in critical moments, as it did on Thursday night.

In the wake of making their trip to the championship series, the Sooners celebrated with chants of “we too deep.” In their sweep of Florida State for the national title, they put that depth on display.

Best photos from the Sooners’ national title win

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=683578888]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

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.