OU Softball: Oklahoma Expects 'No Surprises' Against Florida State in WCWS Rematch

The Sooners and the Seminoles met for a national title last year, but they'll play for a chance to return to Oklahoma City in Super Regional action this weekend at Love's Field.

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Oklahoma and Florida State are no strangers to postseason battles. 

Two of the last three postseasons have ended with the Sooners and the Seminoles battling it out in Oklahoma City for a championship.

OU got the best of Florida State in both 2021 and 2023, but in 2024 the two programs will meet at Love’s Field for the right to return to the Women’s College World Series. 

The first Super Regional in Oklahoma’s shiny new palace will feature two of the sport’s dominant programs, as either OU or FSU has won six of the last seven national championships. 

And while one program is settled in the Sunshine State and the other plays just down the road from the center of the softball world, they win in similar ways. 

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How to Watch No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Florida State:

Game 1: Thursday, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 2: Friday, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Game 3 (if-necessary): Saturday, time TBD

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“They're a pretty mirrored image to us in the way of their power, their versatility, the way their defense really tries to work hard to be perfect,” OU third baseman Alyssa Brito said of the Seminoles on Tuesday. “It's a very similar mindset... They're well coached and they always challenge us and make us better probably like we do the same for them.”

The matchups in the circle will be different, but the lineups look similar to last year’s WCWS. 

Jordy Bahl and Kathryn Sandercock have both moved on, but the Seminoles still rely on Michaela Edenfield, Kaley Mudge, Kalei Harding, Devyn Flaherty and Jahni Kerr just as Patty Gasso rolls out Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone and Brito. 

“I know some of these names by heart because we’ve played them so much,” Gasso said with a laugh on Tuesday. “There is good leadership on both sides. Elderly roster for both who have been done there and done that. So there’s no surprises.”

Just as Oklahoma has enjoyed major contributions from a pair of freshmen in Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering, Florida State also has two impactful new faces. 

Freshman Jaysoni Beachum leads Florida State with a .425 batting average, is tied for the team lead with 15 home runs and has driven in a team-high 65 RBIs. 

In the circle, freshman left-hander Ashtyn Danley paces FSU in both innings pitched (137) and leads the pitching staff with a 3.12 ERA. 

“They have a freshman that can swing it,” Gasso said. “And they have some young ones that can really run, too. A couple of our young players are familiar with Danley, their lefty, because of travel ball. She's done a really good job for them.”

There is one major difference between the 2-seeded Sooners and the 15-seeded Seminoles this time around — health. 

Oklahoma is working with the same lineup its deployed all year, but Florida State’s pitching staff has been ravaged by injury. 

Allison Royalty, who has pitched 69 innings across 29 appearances, announced on Wednesday that she’ll miss the rest of the season with an injury. 

Makenna Reid, who is second on the team with 87 1/3 innings pitched, hasn’t taken the circle since an appearance against Boston College on April 21. 

Those losses will heap plenty of pressure on Danley who is facing a lineup the caliber of Oklahoma’s for the first time in a series. 

“I know they've had injuries and so forth, but (Danley’s) tricky, changes speeds,” Gasso said. “We're just really going to get prepared. They have five or six on their roster. And you just have to get prepared for all of them.”

Still, Gasso expects Florida State coach Lonni Alameda to have her team ready to fight and play aggressive softball at Love’s Field. 

“They’ll drop a bunt at anytime,” Gasso said. “They keep you guessing. They’re hard to defend, and we’ve got to be ready to take the extra bag. 

“If a ball’s hit to centerfield on the ground, they’ll go from first to third. They don’t care if it’s Jayda Coleman or not. That’s how they’re trained. That’s how they move. They’re gonna challenge us to play good defense.”

Oklahoma and Florida State will open Super Regional action on Thursday at 6 p.m. in one of the only two games of the evening, before meeting again Friday at Love’s Field. 

Should the teams split the first two contests, they’ll meet again on Saturday with a trip tot he WCWS on the line. 

“The dream team of ESPN is here. It's all lined up for great television,” Gasso said. “It's nighttime games. People want to see it. 

“They want to see the two (teams) knowing one of you are not going to be at the World Series and one of you are. And that's worth watching, because we're both going to fight to the end.”