OU Softball: Why Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings 'Never Would Have Thought' She Could Tie Lauren Chamberlain

Tiare Jennings blasted her 95th career home run at Love's Field on Thursday as the Sooners defeated Florida State.

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Having your name next to Lauren Chamberlain's on any hitting record list is like being next to Wilt Chamberlain on a scoring record list.

Few have done either. If you're there, you’re in transcendental territory.

Forty-two hundred fans at Love’s Field saw Oklahoma senior Tiare Jennings mash a home run to center field Thursday night in the first inning of an 11-3 super regional win over No. 14 Florida State. It was her 95th career home run, tying Sooners legend and once-record-holder Lauren Chamberlain for third-most in NCAA history.

Jennings admitted that, before the postgame press conference, she didn’t realize she had tied Chamberlain.

A 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 guest was in town tonight to see Tiare move into third in NCAA history with her 95th career home run!@LChamberlain44 🤝 @_tiarejennings #ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/KUCnmI2I1R

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 24, 2024

“Gosh, I never would have thought,” Jennings said. “I honestly didn't really know that was the thing. But records are meant to be broken, so it's definitely a huge honor.”

Sooners dominate the top of the list. Jocelyn Alo’s 122 career home runs are unrivaled (and potentially will remain so). Karli Spaid of Miami-OH ended her career this year after hitting 103 from 2021-2024.

“Just shows the power of Sooners and home run power, but it's just super cool,” Jennings said.

Thursday wasn’t just a big night for Jennings. Two other Sooners hit home runs in their run-rule over the Seminoles: Alyssa Brito hit a solo shot to left field in the third, then another to score Ella Parker in the fourth; and Kinzie Hansen hit one to left center to score Kasidi Pickering. Another, Alynah Torres’ second-inning double,  ricocheted about four feet up the back wall to score Rylie Boone. Gasso was elated describing how well the Sooners hit Thursday night.

“Really, really good. Really good,” Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said. “The best I’ve ever seen them. We got to see Cyd [Sanders] come out of her shell tonight, which was really important. Alynah in the lineup was really taking good swings. Top to bottom, it’s hard to breathe when you’re facing these guys when they’re really feeling it.”

Jennings also made an excellent play in the top of the first inning, laying out for a grounder and fielding the ball before rising to her knees and tossing it to Brito at third to tag out the runner from second.

Barring a miracle, Jennings won’t reach Alo’s record, but that’s not the only one she’s chasing. With 323 career RBIs, Alo is second all-time and five behind record-holder Jenny Dalton, who played at Arizona from 1993-1996. Jennings now has 108 career RBIs.