Tag: WCWS

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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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’s senior class pulled off the unthinkable with four-peat

Five of Oklahoma’s seniors earned four national title during their time with the Sooners. An absolutely unbelievable run.

Winning one championship in sports is difficult. Winning two straight puts you in the history books forever. Winning three in a row means you’re a legend. But winning four straight? That’s unheard of in team sports, only being accomplished by a small handful of times throughout history.

“People say, ‘Let’s go win one,’” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “You’re like, ‘OK.’ It’s not like that. It’s very difficult. Everything has to go right. The thing about them is they’re resilient. They have a lot of pride in that.

The 2024 senior class for the Oklahoma Sooners softball team will finish their college careers not knowing how it feels to walk away from a season without a championship.

[autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] now have four rings. They’re joined in this senior class by [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], [autotag]Karlie Keeney[/autotag], [autotag]Riley Ludlam[/autotag], [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], all transfers who started their careers elsewhere.

“This one was the hardest one that I’ve ever had to work for in my life,” Jennings said via The Oklahoman. “This team, the adversity that we went through, we did it and we overcame everything.”

Oklahoma’s senior class finished with as many national championships as [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] loses, as OU finished off Texas on Thursday night. It was an 8-4 victory in Game 2 of the [autotag]WCWS[/autotag] final to win championship number eight, tied for the second-most all-time.

The Sooners won their unprecedented fourth-straight championship, giving [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] a record-tying eight rings. Half of them have now come in succession.

The Sooner seniors wowed many inside and outside the world of sports with a career sweep of national championships, but a quote from their head coach tells their story better than anyone else can.

“This is the best senior class that has ever played the game, and I’ll stand behind that as long as I live,” said Gasso of their incredible run.

Patty Gasso has built a historic dynasty in Norman, and this senior class has pulled off something few imagined could ever be done. And we may never see another run like this again. But given what Oklahoma’s done, who’s to say they can’t run it back.

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Kelly Maxwell saves Sooners to earn her first national title

After transferring to Oklahoma from Oklahoma State, Kelly Maxwell was there for the Sooners when her team needed her.

Oklahoma Sooners pitcher [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] received a lot of backlash for her decision to cross the Bedlam lines and transfer to OU last fall.

She faced immense pressure following her decision to move to Norman from Stillwater. Maxwell also stepped into the unenviable role of replacing [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag], a dominant pitcher who was a legend in the crimson and cream.

Maxwell shouldered some of the blame when the 2024 edition of the Sooners didn’t always measure up to previous championship iterations.

But make no mistake about it, the Sooners don’t finish off their four-peat if Maxwell stays in Stillwater instead of moving to Norman. She was instrumental in making history happen. It was an emotional roller coaster of a season and the emotions came to a head on Thursday night.

“Just gratitude,” Maxwell said after helping the Sooners win their unprecedented fourth consecutive WCWS title. “Just thankful for everything that I’ve been through and all that I’ve gone through and just being able to have a team that loves me an supports me — all the glory to God — and I think just being able to fight for them as they had my back too.”

Maxwell’s incredible week included shutting out UCLA in a 1-0 win on Saturday, rescuing the Sooners from elimination in a marathon win over Florida on Tuesday, and winning Game 1 against Texas on Wednesday on no rest.

All of this happened before [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] called her in to seal the deal in Game 2 against the Longhorns on Thursday night.

The game teetered in the balance, as the ‘Horns were making a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. Maxwell, normally a starting pitcher, was brought into the game with two outs and two on to save the day. Maxwell got OU out of the inning with the lead, then finished off Texas 1-2-3 in the seventh to get the sweep.

Maxwell’s performances earned her Most Outstanding Player honors for the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag]. She was 5-0 with two saves and a 1.88 ERA, etching her name in history following a gutsy three week display of excellence.

When the book is written about the Sooners Dynasty, let’s all make sure we save a chapter for Kelly Maxwell. Championship number eight doesn’t happen without No. 28 refusing to back down and rising to the occasion to earn her first national title.

More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s national championship win over Texas

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Best photos from Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns

The Oklahoma Sooners came out swinging in their game-one win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners collected three home runs and three doubles to power past the Longhorns to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

[autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] got things going with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and Oklahoma got back-to-back home runs from [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Kasidi Pickering[/autotag] in the third inning and never looked back.

[autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] threw another complete game, recording eight strikeouts. She allowed just four hits and four walks to arguably the best offense in the country.

Now the Sooners are just one win away from capturing their fourth-straight national championship. But the Texas Longhorns won’t go quietly into the Oklahoma City night. The Sooners will be challenged in game two tonight at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners 8-3 win over the Texas Longhorns.

More: Social Media reacts to Oklahoma’s 8-3 win over Texas in WCWS

Top photos from Alabama softball’s win over No. 10 Duke in WCWS elimination game

Alabama softball’s 2024 season stays alive after the Crimson Tide defeated No. 10 Duke in a Women’s College World Series elimination game.

Despite a rocky 2024 regular season, the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team has made it to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series. After falling to the UCLA Bruins in the opening round, the Crimson Tide fought hard to take down the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils in a win-or-go-home elimination game with a final score of 2-1.

Alabama’s lack of offense throughout the season has resulted in the Crimson Tide being comfortable in low-scoring contests, relying heavily on defense and consistent pitching.

A late solo home run by Marlie Giles was the difference-maker that broke the tie and put Alabama up by one run.

Alabama will next play on Sunday against the loser of the Florida Gators vs. the Texas Longhorns in another must-win game that will end one team’s season.

Before looking ahead to the next game, relive the excitement from the Crimson Tide’s win over Duke.

Photos from Alabama softball’s win over Duke in the WCWS

Alabama softball survives WCWS elimination, defeats No. 10 Duke

Alabama softball takes down Duke in a Women’s College World Series elimination game.

The No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide softball team took down the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils in a Women’s College World Series elimination game with a final score of 2-1, thanks to a sixth-inning home run by Marlie Giles.

A low-scoring contest is not unusual for the Crimson Tide, as the team’s bats have been inconsistent throughout the season, but the pitching has kept them in the game.

Patrick Murphy’s squad managed to hold on to the late lead and will now wait for the Texas Longhorns and the Florida Gators to play on Saturday. On Sunday, the Crimson Tide will face the loser.

The next loss will end Alabama’s 2024 season. It’s win or go home from here on out.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama softball as they look to extend their run in the Women’s College World Series.

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Top photos from Alabama softball’s loss to UCLA in the WCWS

Alabama softball’s season is on thin ice after losing to UCLA in the Women’s College World Series. See the top images from the Crimson Tide in Oklahoma City.

Despite significant improvement in the offense, and strong pitching in the 2024 postseason, No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide softball fell to the No. 6 UCLA Bruins in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series with a final score of 4-1.

This loss does not end the Crimson Tide’s season, but it does mean that they cannot lose another game. One more loss and Alabama gets sent home.

On Friday evening, Alabama will play in the loser’s bracket against the losing team in the Oklahoma Sooner vs. Duke Blue Devils.

In their second game of the WCWS, Patrick Murphy and his team must look to produce more offense. Only scoring one run against UCLA kept the Tide in the game, but it wasn’t enough to stay in the game after the Bruins launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Before looking ahead to the Crimson Tide’s next matchup, relive the excitement of playing in Oklahoma City with the Alabama softball photo gallery.

Alabama Crimson Tide softball in the Women’s College World Series

Alabama softball falls to UCLA in opening round of WCWS

Alabama Softball falls to the No. 6 UCLA Bruins in the opening round of the Women’s College World Series.

Alabama Crimson Tide softball entered the Women’s College World Series ranked No. 14 in the nation and faced the No. 6 UCLA Bruins in the opening round in Oklahoma City. A sixth-inning home run broke a 1-1 tie and sent the UCLA into the winner’s bracket.

With the loss, Patrick Murphy and his team moved on to the loser’s bracket and will face the loser of the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners vs. the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils on Friday evening.

Star pitcher Kayla Beaver pitched a strong game, but a three-run home run made the difference late in the game, and left the Crimson Tide with three outs left to try and tie or take the lead.

Offense had been an issue for Alabama in the 2024 season, but they’ve been able to turn it up in the postseason. Unfortunately for the Tide, the bats were relatively quiet, only scoring one run through a full seven innings.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama softball and the Women’s College World Series a the postseason advances.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Duke draws powerhouse Oklahoma rematch in opening game of Women’s College World Series

For the first time in school history, the Blue Devils softball team reached the Women’s College World Series, but the road doesn’t get easier.

The Duke softball team finally made it to the Women’s College World Series, and the Blue Devils will be rewarded with a game against the most intimidating program in the sport.

Duke will play the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the final bracket. The Sooners have famously won each of the last three national titles, and after the Norman Super Regional, OU has a 54-6 record so far this season.

The Sooners and Blue Devils actually already played once this year, Duke’s first game of the season and Oklahoma’s second. The Blue Devils held their own well down in Mexico, but the Sooners won 3-0 after they scored all of their runs in the third inning. Duke only managed three hits in the game.

Duke comes in as a changed team in phenomenal form, however. After winning both the regular-season title and the conference tournament in the ACC, the Blue Devils swept the Durham Regional before going on the road to Missouri and beating the Tigers in a best-of-three series to advance. After eight scoreless innings, Duke hung four runs on the board in the top of the ninth for the win.

Duke’s first-ever game in Oklahoma City starts at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, and Blue Devils fans can watch on ESPN.