OU Softball: Oklahoma Seeking Big 12 Tournament Crown vs. Texas on Saturday
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the fourth time this season, Oklahoma and Texas will meet.
The top-ranked Sooners swept the Longhorns earlier this season in a rematch of last year’s Women’s College World Series Championship Series, but hardware will be on the line again on Saturday.
This time, the Red River rivals meet with their eye on the Big 12 Tournament prize.
Oklahoma is in a familiar spot, as the Sooners have won four of the last five Big 12 Tournament titles, but OU fell short in 2022.
How to Watch the Big 12 Championship:
- OU vs. Texas, Saturday, 12 p.m., ESPN+
Oklahoma State notched a win in the championship last year, beating the Sooners 4-3.
Despite coming up short a year ago, the Sooners carry no sense of unfinished business into Saturday’s contest.
“It’s always been the same goal,” OU third baseman Alyssa Brito said after the victory over Iowa State on Friday. “Just to get another trophy and go out there and continue to do what we do every day. So, we don’t really look at the past.
“That’s something that we really (have) taken a lot this year to focus on, is not looking in the rearview mirror. And looking ahead to what we have coming and every game right now is important to set us up for June.”
Oklahoma swept the Longhorns in the regular season, but Mike White’s team was one of the few that had the Sooners on the ropes this year.
Texas took a 3-1 lead into the bottom seventh inning in game two of the regular season series at Marita Hynes Field, but a two-run home run from Jayda Coleman leveled the contest and Kinzie Hansen walked it off with a bases loaded single.
OU coach Patty Gasso will hope her team’s performance mirrors the first meeting between the two teams this year, where the Sooners cruised to an 8-1 win in front of a record-setting crowd at Hall of Fame Stadium.
Right-handed pitcher Jordy Bahl got the start on March 31, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out six Longhorn batters in seven innings.
Tiare Jennings, Haley Lee and Hansen all hit homer that night, as the Sooners looked incredibly comfortable at their second home in Oklahoma City.
Neither team should carry much pressure into the game, as they are both in great shape to not only host Regionals in next week’s NCAA Tournament, but both programs are also on track to finish as top-eight seeds, meaning they would host Super Regionals should they advance out of the first weekend of the tournament.
Still, bragging rights are on the line anytime Oklahoma and Texas step onto the same field — especially when White and Gasso are involved.
First pitch between the bitter rivals will be at 12 p.m., as the start time was forced to shift up two hours due to fears of severe weather, and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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