Oklahoma's 'Merry-go-round' Offense Just Kept Spinning to Start SEC Play

NORMAN — Many across the country waited for Oklahoma to hit SEC play in hopes that OU’s offense would slow down.

Through one weekend, the Sooners’ bats looked like, well, the same group they’ve been all year.

OU scored 35 runs in three games, hitting eight home runs, against Auburn.

The Tigers are ranked last in the SEC in team ERA, as Oklahoma will undoubtedly see better staffs every weekend the rest of the year, but Patty Gasso’s team showed they don’t have to rely on the long ball to light up the scoreboard.

Friday’s 13-5 win was a powerful display, but OU strung together hits to get back into the game on Saturday and put Auburn behind with base hits on Sunday before burying the Tigers with a pair of homers in the series finale.

“Everybody knows we hit a lot of home runs,” Gasso said on Saturday. “And I don’t even know, I don’t count, I don’t care. I just care that we find ways to manufacture runs. So if it’s an error and a bunt and a bloop, I’ll take — it’s about runs, it’s not about home runs.”

Two hitters — freshman Kai Minor and senior Abby Dayton — exemplified that mentality throughout the weekend.

Minor went 5-for-10 at the plate in her first conference series, tallying five RBIs on a pair of doubles and a pair of triples. Minor also stole two bases, and her mere presence in the batter’s box seemed to rattle the Auburn defense.

Oklahoma Sooners, Kai Mino — Kai Minor's excellent start to her freshman season continued over the weekend against Auburn. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It seems kind of quiet, like she quietly does it, but (Minor) hits the ball hard,” Gasso said. “If it’s not going out, it’s screaming past somebody. She really — and it’s like a short, sharp swing and it creates havoc.

“If she gets a ball through a gap, it’s an easy triple for her. She’s on the basepaths, it’s a first-pitch steal. She’s just a pretty elite athlete.”

Dayton went 3-for-5 at the plate for the weekend, driving in a pair of runs, and she also drew three walks.

After falling behind 5-1 on Saturday, Dayton brought some life back to OU’s dugout with a leadoff double in the third inning (Kasidi Pickering immediately hit a home run after), and she started the sixth with a double, which led to a big inning to secure the win.

The ball didn’t fly out of the park on Saturday for OU’s offense, but Dayton and the offense were able to string together enough to still put a big number on the scoreboard.

“I think our offense is so good at just putting the ball in play,” Dayton said on Saturday. “I mean, yeah, we hit home runs and it’s really nice, but we have a lot of tools. We have a lot of speed on our team, a lot more than last year, and I think just being able to put balls in play and get on base, we’re able to create errors, we’re able to create chaos so even if we’re not hitting balls out of the park, it’s fine.”

Oklahoma Sooners, Abby Dayto — Abby Dayton's energy helped fuel the Sooners' offense all weekend. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma took advantage of six Auburn errors to plate six unearned runs across the weekend. OU seemed to immediately punish every Tiger miscue, which is a testament to the Sooners’ plate approach.

“We’re just working on hitting the ball hard,” catcher Kendall Wells said. “Putting strikes in play. Keeping it super simple at the plate, just not trying to do too much.”

There will be ebbs and flows throughout the rest of SEC play, but while OU’s pitching staff continues to try and find a groove without pitching coach Jennifer Rocha, defense and a calm presence at the plate will travel.

The Sooners’ speed should also be a problem all year.

Minor and Dayton are joined in the everyday lineup by Ailana Agbayani, Sydney Barker and Ella Parker, who all have wheels.

Tia Milloy and Chaney Helton are trusted pieces off the bench that Gasso is happy to use in big moments as pinch runners, adding to the chaos on the bases.

And those are roles every member of the lineup is happy to play.

“When I’m getting out of the box I’m just trying to run because I feel like that’s a big part of my game,” Minor said. “Also, I’m just not trying to hit bigger than myself because I’m not gonna always get those really far 300-foot home runs.

“I’m just trying to put the ball in play and start something for the lineup.”

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The Sooners will now depart Love’s Field for a week on the road, culminating in a series at Ole Miss.

Gasso loved the look of her offense to open SEC play, and she hopes it will continue away from home.

“You couldn’t stop it. It just kept going,” Gasso said.

“… It was like a merry-go-round that just wouldn’t stop.”