OU Softball: Meet Oklahoma's Opponents in the Norman Regional
As has become the norm, the Oklahoma Sooners won’t have to travel far to capture a national title this summer.
The Sooners earned the No. 1-overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, meaning they’ll host Regional and Super Regional play at Marita Hynes Field as the program looks to notch its third straight national championship.
Patty Gasso’s team will look to defend its home field from May 19-21, as California, Missouri and Hofstra will all travel to Norman to compete in the Norman Regional.
OU’s march back to the Women’s College World Series will begin against Hofstra on Friday at 4 p.m. as the Sooners look to keep their 43-game winning streak rolling.
Get to know Oklahoma’s opponents in the Norman Regional:
Team: California Golden Bears
Record: 33-19-1 (9-14-1 Pac 12)
Head Coach: Chelsea Spencer
Notable Wins: UCLA (8-0 on March 11), Utah (5-1 on April 1, 5-4 on April 2), Stanford (3-2 on April 22)
Staff Ace: Haylei Archer
Entering the NCAA Tournament with 117 innings pitched, Haylei Archer has been California’s go-to pitcher in 2023. Opposing teams are hitting .232 off the junior, and she’s struck out 70 batters in 2023 while only giving up eight home runs in 37 appearances. Archer does have to work around traffic at times, as she’s given up 75 walks this year.
Standout Hitter: Makena Smith
Makena Smith can change any game with one swing of the bat for the Golden Bears. She leads the team in home runs (14), RBIs (44), slugging percentage (.691), and is bating .352 with 29 walks and only eight strikeouts.
Team: Missouri Tigers
Record: 34-24 (7-17 SEC)
Head Coach: Larissa Anderson
Notable Wins: Northwestern (6-1 on Feb. 11), Florida (7-3 on March 17), Alabama (11-3 on April 2), LSU (8-6 on April 6), Texas A&M (8-1 on April 29), Arkansas (4-3 on May 6, 7-6 on May 7)
Staff Ace: Laurin Krings
Laurin Krings has dominated the innings on the Tigers’ staff this year, pitching 152 innings in 33 appearances. The junior right-hander has struck out 140 batters this year while only allowing 33 walks. Opponents are hitting .263 off Krings, but they have had success with the long ball, blasting 20 home runs against her this year.
Standout Hitter: Alex Honnold
Alex Honnold paces Missouri in virtually every offensive stat. The right fielder leads the Tigers in batting average (.414), home runs (13), RBIs (46), slugging percentage (.800) and on-base percentage (.554).
Team: Hofstra Pride
Record: 29-25 (16-7 CAA)
Head Coach: Adrienne Clark
Notable Wins: UMBC (5-2 on March 23), Stony Brook (9-8 on May 12 in CAA semifinals), Towson (6-4 and 5-4 on May 13 in CAA Championship)
Staff Ace: Julia Apsel
Julia Apsel leads the pride with 112.2 innings pitched across 31 appearances this year. She enters the NCAA Tournament with a 3.98 ERA, allowing opponents to hit .299 off her. Apsel has allowed 13 home runs and recorded 66 strikeouts, allowing 39 walks and hitting 11 batters.
Standout Hitter: Meghan Giordano
Super senior infielder Meghan Giordano has been Hofstra’s difference maker at the plate in 2023. She’s blasted 15 home runs and is batting .352, and she also leads the Pride in doubles (11), slugging percentage (.717) and on-base percentage (.459). Giordano was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship, hitting 3-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs in two games against Towson.
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