OU Softball: No. 1 Oklahoma Ready to Begin National Title Defense Against Hofstra
NORMAN — Finally, it’s showtime.
The Oklahoma Sooners have through the softball season, arriving as the No. 1-overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Patty Gasso’s back-to-back defending national champions rolled through their schedule, reeling off 43-straight wins and staying unblemished in Big 12 play for the first time since 2019.
OU now won’t have to leave the OKC metro area to capture a third straight crown.
But first, the Sooners will have to take care of business in the Norman Regional.
The Selection Committee sent the California Golden Bears, Missouri Tigers and Hofstra Pride to battle at Marita Hynes Field for a spot in next weekend’s Super Regionals.
Oklahoma’s journey will start Friday with Hofstra, who punched their ticket by winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.
Led by power hitter Meghan Giordano and her 15 home runs in 2023, the Pride will try to pull a monumental upset to kick off regional play.
“(Hofstra deserves) to be here,” OU second baseman Tiare Jennings said on Wednesday. “So we’re just gonna go out there and put in our game plan and just stick to what we know. But they’re all definitely super competitive and we’re gonna have to be on our game.”
Outside of the Pride, the regional is far from straightforward.
California and Missouri were both underwater in conference play, with the Bears finishing 9-14-1 in Pac 12 action and the Tigers ending the SEC season with a 7-17 record, but both teams are battle tested.
The Golden Bears popped up at times to upend their conference foes, run-ruling No. 2-seed UCLA 8-0 in March and taking a series win over the 15-seeded Utah Utes early in April.
Missouri took games off 5-seeded Alabama, 12-seeded Northwestern, 10-seeded LSU and a series off of 11-seeded Arkansas over the course of the SEC season as well.
“I do not think this is an easy regional by any means,” Gasso said. “These teams play hard. They play in tough conferences week after week after week.
“… Our team knows we’re going to have to play really, really good softball in order to get through this weekend. We’re not taking anything for granted.”
Thankfully for Gasso, the Sooners are in a better spot entering the 2023 tournament than they were at this point last year.
Right-handed ace Jordy Bahl is healthy and ready to roll after missing a majority of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Alongside her, Nicole May and Alex Storako have also been dominant as a pitching staff, combining with true freshman Kierston Deal to post a team ERA of 0.86.
Behind the pitchers, Gasso’s defense has made game changing-play after game-changing play this year, and the offense still leads the country with a .368 batting average.
Five different Sooners have blasted double digit home runs already in 2023, and Oklahoma has a habit of raising their level as they reach each stage in the postseason.
Still, the approach must remain steady for the Sooners to find success this weekend.
“(We need) good eyes at the plate,” Gasso said. “Getting your swing off. Being calm, not being over anxious, keeping your feet on the ground, so to speak, and your head in the game, not getting overwhelmed with the moment.
“We have a lot of experienced players who know how to get through this. They need to be the leaders and teaching some of the others. Some who have come from other programs are gonna be nervous here, even though they’ve already played in these settings, not here though.”
OU’s march back to Oklahoma City will start against Hofstra on Friday at 4 p.m. at Marita Hynes Field.
If the Sooners win that contest, they’ll play the winner of California and Missouri on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“We’re feeling really excited,” Jennings said. “Just getting out to practice, getting in our preparation. Our team is feeling good and we’re feeling good so I’m super, super excited.
“… We’re not taking any team lightly. (We’re) just going out there and doing what we know how to do.”
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