Oklahoma's Kierston Deal Making the Most of Final Collegiate Year

NORMAN — Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso didn't do a usual vote before the season to name captains.

Instead, she asked players to reach out to her via text if they were interested in being a part of of the leadership group on the team.

One pitcher reached out to her — Kierston Deal.

"She said, 'I want to help,'" Gasso said. "'Let me help from the pitching side,' so she has been someone that I go to if I have questions or I need guidance or 'What do you think of this?'

After Sunday’s game, where Deal made her first SEC start this season in her final regular-season game at Love’s Field, Gasso praised Deal’s approach to this season.

Deal know that innings could be hard to come by for her this season with Audrey Lowry returning healthy, the additions of Sydney Berzon and Miali Guachino in the transfer portal and freshman pitchers Allyssa Parker and Berkley Zache joining the team as well.

But Deal chose to remain in Norman to wrap up her college career with the Sooners.

“It’s rare something that a player will stay at a program for four years and maybe not get exactly what she wants out of it. But she’s been a great teammate, and she’s worked hard in the bullpen, and she’s holding up a national championship trophy. She showed it on the video board (Sunday). She’s been through some wonderful moments with us.”

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Deal is just 2-0 with a 7.92 ERA in 17 2/3 innings this season while the other pitchers outside of Zache have thrown at least 42 1/3 innings.

Deal threw at least 77 2/3 innings in each of the last two seasons.and is 1 2/3 innings away from reaching 200 in her career.

She's won two Women's College World Series titles, earned the win against Alabama in last seasons's Super Regionals, and threw a complete-game victory against Texas earlier that season.

When she meets with her team to go over scenarios and situations and to discuss the environments Oklahoma is going to face, Gasso will often ask, "How many of you have seen this?"

A lot of the time, there's three hands that go in the air — Ella Parker, Kasidi Pickering and Deal.

"I have a lot of trust in KD ...," Gasso said, also revealing that Deal would be remaining with the team as a graduate assistant for next season. "I feel really good about KD. ... She might have wanted moe, and there is more still to come. She just has to stay her course, keep her eyes on the prize."

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