Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Looking to Close Regular Season With Bedlam Sweep

NORMAN — Oklahoma has a chance to close out the regular season in style.

The No. 1-ranked Sooners (47-1) already have the Bedlam series and Big 12 regular season title in hand, but will have a chance to send out their super seniors with a sweep.

Jocelyn Alo, Lynnsie Elam, Jana Johns, Taylon Snow and Hope Trautwein will all play in their final regular season home game against the No. 7 Oklahoma State Cowgirls (38-11) on Saturday afternoon.

Though Alo and Elam are the only super seniors who have spent their entire career in Norman, Patty Gasso said all five of her departing players have been key in setting the culture of the program.

“It’s very heartfelt for me watching these (super seniors),” Gasso said after Friday’s Bedlam contest. “These super seniors have been game changers for this program.

“… (The program) can almost run itself because they buy in and they believe in what we’re doing.”

That culture has allowed for Gasso and the coaching staff to go out in the transfer portal and find other key players.

Johns, Snow, Trautwein and Alyssa Brito have just been the most recent set of Sooner stars who started their careers elsewhere, but Trautwein said the transition from her previous stop to Norman was seamless due to how the established veterans received her.

“I’ve never been through anything like this before and I’m just taking in every moment,” Trautwein said of the season so far. “It’s really just awesome to have this opportunity and I can’t thank (the program) enough for bringing me in and bringing me up and letting me have this journey.”

Hansen said Trautwein made the transition easy from the onset due to her attitude toward putting in the work to improve.

“We welcomed her and she walked up and she was like, ‘I’m ready to go, let’s win a Natty,’” Hansen said. “And I approached that with all my heart. So when we’re on the field, it’s just — it’s lights out.”

The Sooners will need to be lights out one more time on Saturday, as a dangerous Oklahoma State team waits in the wings to spoil the super seniors’ party.

Thus far through two games, Gasso’s team has been able to make constant adjustments to the Cowgirl pitching. Kelly Maxwell and Morgan Day both started the first two games strong, but the Sooners have scored a combined nine runs against OSU in the third inning.

OU’s lineup has been able to dial into the Cowgirl pitchers when the lineup turns over for a second time, something Gasso said is a testament to the team’s preparation in the batter’s box.

“I think at-bats just kind of bleed over,” Gasso said. “Like it’s kind of a pass the bat. If it’s a walk, if it’s a hit by pitch, I mean we’re loading the bases without really hitting the ball hard.

“… Everybody’s kind of doing their job.”

As explosive as the OU bats have been, the pitching staff has been even more dominant.

Jordy Bahl and Trautwein have combined to allow just one run across the pair of games, and Gasso hasn’t yet needed to turn to Nicole May to throw another different look at the OSU offense.

If the Sooners can close the regular season out with a win, they’ll cap off one of the most impressive regular season campaigns in college softball history, dropping only one game.

OU will get its chance on Saturday at Marita Hynes Field. First pitch between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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