Oklahoma 'Ready' to Get NCAA Tournament Underway Against Binghamton

NORMAN — The SEC Tournament is in the rearview. Oklahoma learned those lessons, and Patty Gasso’s Sooners are ready to get started on their final goal for the season: winning another National Championship.

OU earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which comes with Regional hosting duties.

Binghamton, Kansas and Michigan traveled to Norman to open the tournament this weekend, and the Sooners will open with Binghamton (20-25), who won the American East.

The winner of the Sooners and the Bearcats will take on the winner between the Jayhawks (35-19, 14-10 Big 12) and the Wolverines (34-20, 11-13 Big Ten).

All things considered, Gasso was happy with OU’s placement, as she feels her team will host a balanced regional to open the tournament.

“I thought it was fair. I think the entire bracket is pretty fair,” Gasso said. “… I didn’t sit there and like, how did that happen? I didn’t talk about the bracket that way.”

Oklahoma’s opening contest (2:30 p.m., SEC Network) will be the program’s first-ever against Binghamton.

The Bearcats enter the weekend with a 6.07 staff ERA, which ranks 252nd in the country, and the Bearcats are hitting .319 as a team (52nd).

A matchup with Kansas at any point over the weekend would be familiar.

Though the Sooners and the Jayhawks have never met in a Regional, the two programs were intertwined in the Big 12.

Kansas coach Jennifer McFalls was an assistant for Gasso in 1998, and has taken the program to new heights.

“I love Jen McFalls,” Gasso said. “… Couldn’t stay with me because she was part of the Olympic team and won a gold medal with them. I love what she is doing at Kansas and their team has really, really elevated.”

The Wolverines bring pedigree to the regional, too.

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“We’re facing very good, historic teams. Michigan has won a national championship. They know how to win. They played really well in the conference,” Gasso said.

Friday will represent the first chance for Oklahoma’s star-studded freshman class, including Kendall Wells and Kai Minor, who made the top 10 list for NFCA Freshman of the Year, to experience NCAA Tournament play in Norman.

It also represents the first chance for transfer pitchers Miali Guachino and Sydney Berzon to feel the postseason atmosphere at Love’s Field, which is something Gasso values greatly.

“I feel good,” Gasso said. “… We’ll be ready.”

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