OU Softball: Oklahoma's Young Pieces 'Amaze' Patty Gasso Ahead of WCWS Opener

OKLAHOMA CITY — Patty Gasso is used to leading one the sport’s most experienced teams into the Women’s College World Series.

Oklahoma will open Thursday as the tournament’s top remaining seed, but only a handful of Gasso’s talented Sooners have stepped into the WCWS cauldron.

“It's easy to say we already played here, we played Oklahoma State here, big crowd, but it's still quite different,” Gasso said during WCWS Media Day on Wednesday.

Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker both thrived in the World Series last year, and Cydney Sanders and Hannah Coor are multi-year vets of the annual softball showcase.

Maya Bland was in the dugout last year for the Sooners’ run, as was Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, though she was injured, and Kierston Deal and Paytn Monticelli both return title series experience for the pitching staff.

Abby Dayton made it to Oklahoma City with Utah in 2023, but otherwise Gasso will be breaking in a slew of first-timers.

The preparation understandably didn’t change in the week ahead of the WCWS, because why would OU change a formula that’s taken the program to unprecedented heights over the last decade.

But Gasso said the team would lean on different voices as Oklahoma takes the field against Tennessee at Devon Park on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

“I think the coaches are going to be a little more vocal than maybe we normally are just to keep feet on the ground,” Gasso said. “… So I think we'll be doing maybe a little bit more coaching, a little more talking or gathering together. Tiare's voice is going to be important.”

Tiare Jennings was a centerpiece of the Sooners’ last four titles, and she’ll be a steadying presence as a graduate assistant in the dugout.

“I think she's going to be really helpful this week… Tiare's voice is going to be heard,” Gasso said.

Playing in raucous environments won’t be new to this OU team.

The SEC schedule put the Sooners in hostile road dugouts against both Alabama and Florida.

Those experiences, paired with the work Gasso does with every team, has Oklahoma’s new faces confident that they’re ready for the WCWS stage.

“(Gasso’s instilled) that blue-collar mindset and championship mindset and really working on transforming this team from girls to women,” McEnroe-Marinas said. “I think she's just an amazing role model, and she's been doing a really good job instilling that mindset into us.”

The person most looking forward to seeing how the Sooners adjust to Thursday’s environment might be Gasso herself, as she’s loved getting to see this team grow form the start of fall softball to now.

“If you asked me back in October,” said Gasso, “I would say, ‘man, I hope we finish middle of the pack in the SEC.’ I didn't know, nor did any of us. There's still a lot of things to learn.

“It's been a lot of coaching. It's been a lot of push. And they've taken it, and they've run with it. And they want it, and that's the difference… That's literally why we're here, because they trusted in the coaches and what we were doing, and they always, always want more.

“… This team amazes me. And I am not concerned about them being rattled. I think they're going to come in and just get to work. That's their mentality. Let's get in the dugout, let's get to work, let's go to work. That's how we have been living through this season.”