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.
𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝 when we’re back 🏠 this weekend 😁 pic.twitter.com/gAeDR0u4zD
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 26, 2020
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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