Patty Gasso Working to Guard Against Complacency During Fall Softball
NORMAN — Oklahoma softball is still coming down off their National Championship-winning high.
The Sooners have kicked off their fall slate with three impressive victories in front of packed crowds at Marita Hynes Field.
Patty Gasso’s Sooners have beaten North Central Texas College 24-0, Oklahoma Baptist 31-0 and Seminole State 26-0, but Gasso said they still have plenty of work to do.
“I think we're still reeling over the fact that we still won it in June,” Gasso told SI Sooners after Oklahoma’s victory over NCTC on Oct. 13. “I don't know that we're quite ready for it.”
“… It's like such a high that you just kind of come crashing down when it's all over, like wow that was exhausting. So it's almost feeling like it's too early for us to be back on the field doing this all over again.”
Winning a National Championship is a massive feat, but repeating as champion is even harder. But the Sooners are no strangers to tackling the feat.
The Sooners appeared to arrive ahead of schedule when they won it all in 2016, and Gasso was able to reignite a fire under her team to go back-to-back at the Women’s College World Series in 2017.
This year, she’ll be looking to play her cards right yet again for a team which really only lost major contributors in pitchers Giselle Juarez and Shannon Saile, and outfielder Nicole Mendes.
Gasso was able to reload, bringing in the top-rated recruit in the country in pitcher Jordyn Bahl, as well as talented transfers in former North Texas pitcher Hope Trautwein and former Oregon star Alyssa Brito.
The hope is that the increased competition will help iron sharpen iron, and keep the Sooners motivated to get back on the field and perform their best.
“There is competition at every position,” Gasso said. “And then everyone as well knows that they need to learn how to play at least two positions very well. So the — what should light anybody's fire is a competitive spirit that is out here right now.
“Like if I'm trying to win my job, I'm trying to win a job in the starting lineup, then I don't have time to come in slow. I gotta come in fast… With so many returners back I don't feel like wow we're like we're starting over.”
Now a five-time National Champion, Gasso has plenty of experience finding ways to motivate her team and get the best out of her squad.
She’ll just have to work even harder to guard against complacency as the Sooners look to chase the program’s sixth National Championship next Spring.
“I just got to keep my eyes on what is motivating them or what is not motivating them,” Gasso said. “…I’ve got to keep these guys hungry.
“…I’ve just got to keep a close watch as we go through the fall.”
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