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    Patty Gasso Presser 3-19-24

    OU Softball: Oklahoma Coach Patty Gasso Discusses C Kinzie Hansen's Injury

    The Sooners' All-American catcher was voted a team captain this season, but has been out of the lineup for previously undisclosed reasons.

    Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso on Tuesday described catcher Kinzie Hansen as “day-to-day” after Hansen missed almost all of last week’s five games with an injury.

    At her weekly press conference from the Marita Hynes Field team room, Gasso described the injury as a “a little bit of a tweak in the knee that we don't want to mess around with right now. So we're just kind of playing it very cautiously."

    Hansen, a senior from Norco, CA, was voted alongside Tiare Jennings a co-captain prior to this season.

    "She's not out for the season or anything like that," Gasso said. "We're just taking it day-to-day."

    She has started 23 games for the Sooners this season, but missed both games of last week’s midweek doubleheader against Tarleton State with what Gasso described then as an "illness," then started the opener Friday at Texas Tech and got just one at-bat before heading back to the bench and missing the rest of the series with the Red Raiders.

    When coming out of the lineup this year, Hansen has been replaced by senior Riley Ludlam, a transfer from Furman.

    In 26 games this season, Ludlam has 12 starts and is batting .385 with one double, two home runs and 16 RBIs.

    "Riley Ludlam's done a great job in that spot," Gasso said. 

    Gasso said senior Alynah Torres is Ludlam’s backup.

    Hansen is batting .367 on the season with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Of her 22 hits, 10 are for extra bases.

    She came into this season batting .387 for her career, with three seasons batting over .400. Last season Hansen hit .409 with 13 home runs. In 2021, Hanson hit a career-best .438 with 24 homers.

    She’s a two-time NFCA All-American and last year won the Johnny Bench Award as college softball's best catcher.

    The Sooners have won three consecutive national championships with Hansen as the primary catcher. 

    No. 1-ranked OU is 27-1 this season and hosts four games this week: Wednesday against UT-Arlington, and Friday through Sunday against Big 12 Conference foe Baylor.

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