Patty Gasso Believes Allyssa Parker is on a Special Trajectory at Oklahoma

NORMAN — To close out the first two SEC games of the year, Patty Gasso has turned to freshman Allyssa Parker.

Friday’s showing was less stressful. Parker took over in the fourth inning with No. 6 Oklahoma on top.

Saturday, she had to navigate some big moments.

She entered with the Sooners trailing 5-3 and clear marching orders from Gasso and interim pitching coach Karlie Keeney.

“We were down a majority of the game, so my job was to go out there and hold them at that score so our offense could come back,” Parker said on Saturday. “And that’s what I was out there to do. I was just set on going out there, feeding my defense and letting them get outs for me.”

Parker held the Tigers scoreless the rest of the day, allowing three hits across three innings and totaling three strikeouts.

The offense was able to power OU in front 8-5 to win the series, but Gasso loved what she saw from her homegrown freshman.

“Allyssa Parker is just an elite competitor at such a young age,” Gasso said. “And I’ve watched her in Oklahoma win championships in high school, her travel ball team, they won the championship last year. She’s in those enviornments and she just knows how to laser focus and lock in.”

Earlier this year, Gasso said Parker is still a “thrower” and that as she’s able to spend more time in the bullpen, she would continue to progress in the circle.

Since allowing four runs on Feb. 19 against Cal State Fullerton, Parker has surrendered just one run in 14 innings across five outings.

The Sooners need her to come on in the bullpen, too.

Audrey Lowry and Miali Guachino will continue to start games, but the roles for the rest of the pitching staff are up in the air as seniors Sydney Berzon and Kierston Deal struggle with consistency.

And she’s still hitting, playing in the infield and the outfield (she started at first base on Friday) on top of handling all of her pitching duties.

“She’s just an elite athlete that can pitch,” Gasso said. “… She’s a legitimate pitcher who can play every position in the infield and the outfield and come up and hit as many home runs as anybody else.”

Parker is hitting .378 with nine homers and 24 RBIs, and she’s getting more comfortable as she grows into her freshman season.

“The staff and the coaches are pretty good about knowing when I need to come off the field and go to the bullpen and have enough time to warm up,” Parker said.

During the week, Oklahoma is essentially structuring practices around Parker’s needs.

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“We’re setting up our practice play around Allyssa Parker,” Gasso said. “So if she’s in the bullpen first and we’re doing something offensively, when she’s done, we’re doing something defensively with her and she gets her hitting done later.

”We work our practice around her. That’s how much we need her in all areas.”

Gasso has no problem with tweaking her practice schedule, because that’s how much confidence she has in the Pocola, OK, product.

“To be able to have her as a freshman on this team, you’re going to enjoy the growth in watching her turn into one of the best players that ever played here,” Gasso said. “That’s what I believe.”