one heck of a Culture. Gasso is a great coach. I hope you can watch yesterday's post game Presser.
https://www.oklahoman.com/videos/sp...t-walk-off-hr-vs-florida-in-wcws/73978530007/
PS
Kelly Maxwell has a Texas flag sewed onto her glove. Jayda Coleman and others have a Texas flag decal on the back of their batting helmets. I may even grab the Mrs. and drive the 10 miles to the stadium even though it's sold out.
Hook 'em!
Ryan Aber
The Oklahoman
Kinzie Hansen ended OU’s pre-Women’s College World Series press conference with a bit of foreshadowing.
“Hopefully we get to step on the field with them coming this week,” Hansen said last week, asked about the possibility of facing one of its Big 12 brethren — Texas or Oklahoma State.
The Sooners will get the opportunity, after beating Florida 6-5 in dramatic fashion on Tuesday.
OU will take on the Longhorns in the best-of-three WCWS Championship Series beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Sooners are more familiar with Texas than any other opponent, having faced the Longhorns 17 times over the past four seasons including four times this season.
More:Mussatto: OU softball isn't ready to give up its Women's College World Series crown yet
“We know each other very well,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said. “Kind of feel like we’re the underdogs this year. That’s OK. It’s good for us. We had to really fight our way through here. I’m proud of this group and how they did it.
“We’ve got some really good momentum. We know each other very well.”
OU is 14-3 in those matchups.
The teams will be meeting in the championship series for the second time in three seasons, with the Sooners looking to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive WCWS title.
“Oklahoma is obviously the gold standard,” Texas coach Mike White said of the Sooners.
Kelly Maxwell wasn’t around for much of that, though she still saw the Longhorns plenty at Oklahoma State.
And Maxwell isn’t about to get caught up in any talk of the Sooners wanting to assert their superiority over Texas.
“I don’t think we’re trying to prove any point here,” Maxwell said after her 148-pitch, eight-inning performance Tuesday. “This year has been hard. But we deserve to be here.”
More:For OU softball star Jayda Coleman's parents, WCWS walk-off HR brings added joy in win
And Maxwell figures to play a significant role in the Sooners’ game plan against the Longhorns.
Maxwell has thrown 18 ⅔ of OU’s 27 innings pitched so far in the tournament.
She also started three of the four games against Texas this season, going 2-1, allowing eight hits and five earned runs, seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 17 innings.
The Longhorns have yet to allow a run in the tournament, outscoring Stanford and Florida 15-0.
That includes a pair of complete-game shutouts by freshman Teagan Kavan and one by Mac Morgan.
Citlaly Gutierrez, who threw two complete games against the Sooners this season — once in victory, once in defeat — has yet to appear in a WCWS game this season, as has Estelle Czech.
OU faced Kavan only once, getting a run and three hits against her in 3 ⅔ innings April 7 as the Longhorns beat the Sooners 2-1.
“I don’t know that there are a lot of secrets,” Gasso said. “It’s going to be an absolute battle.”
https://www.oklahoman.com/videos/sp...t-walk-off-hr-vs-florida-in-wcws/73978530007/
PS
Kelly Maxwell has a Texas flag sewed onto her glove. Jayda Coleman and others have a Texas flag decal on the back of their batting helmets. I may even grab the Mrs. and drive the 10 miles to the stadium even though it's sold out.
Hook 'em!
OU softball feels like 'the underdogs' vs Texas in WCWS finals and Patty Gasso likes it
Ryan AberThe Oklahoman
Kinzie Hansen ended OU’s pre-Women’s College World Series press conference with a bit of foreshadowing.
“Hopefully we get to step on the field with them coming this week,” Hansen said last week, asked about the possibility of facing one of its Big 12 brethren — Texas or Oklahoma State.
The Sooners will get the opportunity, after beating Florida 6-5 in dramatic fashion on Tuesday.
OU will take on the Longhorns in the best-of-three WCWS Championship Series beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Sooners are more familiar with Texas than any other opponent, having faced the Longhorns 17 times over the past four seasons including four times this season.
More:Mussatto: OU softball isn't ready to give up its Women's College World Series crown yet
“We know each other very well,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said. “Kind of feel like we’re the underdogs this year. That’s OK. It’s good for us. We had to really fight our way through here. I’m proud of this group and how they did it.
“We’ve got some really good momentum. We know each other very well.”
OU is 14-3 in those matchups.
The teams will be meeting in the championship series for the second time in three seasons, with the Sooners looking to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive WCWS title.
“Oklahoma is obviously the gold standard,” Texas coach Mike White said of the Sooners.
Kelly Maxwell wasn’t around for much of that, though she still saw the Longhorns plenty at Oklahoma State.
And Maxwell isn’t about to get caught up in any talk of the Sooners wanting to assert their superiority over Texas.
“I don’t think we’re trying to prove any point here,” Maxwell said after her 148-pitch, eight-inning performance Tuesday. “This year has been hard. But we deserve to be here.”
More:For OU softball star Jayda Coleman's parents, WCWS walk-off HR brings added joy in win
And Maxwell figures to play a significant role in the Sooners’ game plan against the Longhorns.
Maxwell has thrown 18 ⅔ of OU’s 27 innings pitched so far in the tournament.
She also started three of the four games against Texas this season, going 2-1, allowing eight hits and five earned runs, seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 17 innings.
The Longhorns have yet to allow a run in the tournament, outscoring Stanford and Florida 15-0.
That includes a pair of complete-game shutouts by freshman Teagan Kavan and one by Mac Morgan.
Citlaly Gutierrez, who threw two complete games against the Sooners this season — once in victory, once in defeat — has yet to appear in a WCWS game this season, as has Estelle Czech.
OU faced Kavan only once, getting a run and three hits against her in 3 ⅔ innings April 7 as the Longhorns beat the Sooners 2-1.
“I don’t know that there are a lot of secrets,” Gasso said. “It’s going to be an absolute battle.”
WCWS championship series
At Devon Park. All games on ESPN.- Game 1: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Wednesday
- Game 2: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Thursday
- Game 3 (If necessary): No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Friday
- https://www.oklahoman.com/videos/sp...t-walk-off-hr-vs-florida-in-wcws/73978530007/
