Oklahoma Pitching 'Trending up' as Texas Series Looms Large

After a sometimes shaky start to the season, the Sooners are showing pitching depth.

Oklahoma pitcher Sydney Berzon stares to home against Kentucky. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

NORMAN — It didn’t take long after Oklahoma finished off a three-game sweep of Kentucky with a 12-2, five-inning win Saturday that Sooners coach Patty Gasso started turning her eye toward the coming weekend.

“Feel confident that we can use any of our pitchers now this weekend,” Gasso said. “All of them got to throw this weekend, so next weekend, we’ll be able to continue to use them.”

Next weekend, Texas looms.

The top-ranked — for now — Longhorns are coming off a series loss at Alabama.

Before the season, Gasso spoke repeatedly of the importance of building depth in the pitching staff so that one pitcher wouldn’t have to quarry the load quite like Sam Landry did a year ago.

But for much of the first half of the season, it looked like Audrey Lowry was going to need to be a workhorse.

Steadily, Gasso’s options in big games have grown.

Ole Miss transfer Miali Guachino was the first to take a turn in the right direction. Sydney Berzon, who threw four no-hit innings in Saturday’s win, followed.

Oklahoma pitcher Miali Guachino stares in at home plate against Kentucky at Love's Field. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Freshman Allyssa Parker continues to be an option and Berkley Zache made her SEC debut against the Wildcats. Senior Kierston Deal has been used sporadically and gave up two runs Saturday in an inning of work but Gasso said she was still encouraged by the way Deal was throwing.

“Really, really happy with the weekend,” Gasso said. “Really happy with the energy and the way we played today.”

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The Sooners have given up as many as four runs just once in 12 games since March 15 after giving up four or more runs 10 times in the first 29 games.

Oklahoma has moved into the top 25 nationally in team ERA over the past few weeks.

In 15 innings of work against the Wildcats, the six OU pitchers allowed just 13 hits, four walks and five runs.

“We’re trending up, and still a lot of room to grow,” Sooners pitching coach Jennifer Rocha said. “... I’m anticipating that we’re only going to continue to get better.”

The OU defense committed just one error — a fourth-inning error by Parker at third base in Thursday’s opener that only extended the inning by one pitch — against Kentucky.

“If you can feed us and minimize walks — that's the thing that I'm loving,” Gasso said.

Oklahoma doesn't have a midweek game this week before beginning the series against Texas at 6 p.m. Friday in Austin.

The Sooners (38-3, 11-1 SEC) come into the weekend with a two-game lead over the Longhorns and Crimson Tide in the SEC race.