Oklahoma Prepared for 'Big Challenge' Battling Mississippi State for a Spot in the WCWS

NORMAN — To get back to the Women’s College World Series, Oklahoma’s offense will have to best an excellent pitching staff.

Mississippi State is led by veteran duo Peja Goold and Alyssa Faircloth, two pitchers who on their best day can quiet any lineup.

The Bulldogs enter Super Regionals with a staff ERA of 2.15, which ranks seventh nationally, and it’s the best staff ERA the Sooners have faced so far in 2026.

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State in the Norman Super Regional

Game 1: Friday, 12 p.m., ESPN2
Game 2: Saturday, 12 p.m., ESPN
Game 3 (if-necessary): Sunday, TBD

“We’re really working hard to kinda crack the code of this group. That’s going to be a big part of this,” OU coach Patty Gasso said on Wednesday.

Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts has built a talented coaching staff in Starkville, and her pitching coach is no exception.

“Their pitching coach is an elite, elite pitcher we had to face back in the day, Taryne Mowatt,” Gasso said. “The pitchers pitch a lot like her. It’s very easy to see who their coach is.”

Mowatt was the ace of Arizona’s back-to-back national title-winning teams in 2006 and 2007, and she earned WCWS MVP honors in 2007.

She helped guide Faircloth to pitch a no-hitter last weekend against Oregon to send the 14-seeded Ducks to the losers’ bracket, and the pitching staff is a big reason why the Bulldogs are in Norman this weekend.

“Faircloth looks like her ball is on a string. It just spins, it moves, extreme break. And she can mix speeds very well,” Gasso said.

“… (Goold) is like Taryne. It’s like when you throw a screwball, you really step out of the pitching lane and throw it, really get around the ball when she is throwing it. She has a unique kind of delivery. But they’re both really good. Their balls move very well.”

Oklahoma’s work all week at practice was essential for getting ready for Mississippi State’s pitching staff, but the Sooners enter the weekend feeling prepared for the challenge.

"Being in the SEC, we face a lot of great pitching all the time, every single weekend,” third baseman Sydney Barker said. “… It's always respect when a team is going to give you their best, and that's exactly what we're going to get from Mississippi State, but they get it right back, so we're really excited for this weekend."

The Sooners should have an advantage when comparing the two offenses.

Mississippi State enters the weekend with two hitters — Kiarra Sells and Nadia Barbary — who have hit 14 home runs. No other Bulldog has more than five deep shots.

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But Gasso said home run power is only part of the game.

“I like our matchup,” Gasso said. “They're all righty. They have one, maybe two lefties, so a lot of righties in their lineup. They do take healthy swings. I mean, really, that's Sam. Sam Ricketts was a big hitter, and it's taught them a lot about just taking hard swings. And so I do expect that we're going to have to play some really good defense.”

Two victories over the Bulldogs will send the 3-seeded Sooners to the WCWS for the 10th-straight time.

“This is going to be a big challenge,” Gasso said. “Looking at all of their games they lost, it was by one run or extra innings or something like that. We’re going to be up to the challenge.”

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