Oklahoma Sooners softball explained

Oklahoma Sooners Softball
Currentseason:2024 Oklahoma Sooners softball team
Founded:1975 (49 years ago)
University:University of Oklahoma
Athletic Director:Joe Castiglione
Conference:Southeastern Conference
Conference Short:SEC
Location:Norman, Oklahoma
Coach:Patty Gasso
Tenure:31st
Stadium:Love's Field
Capacity:4,200
Nickname:Sooners
National Champion:2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Wcws Runnerup:2012, 2019
Wcws:2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Wcws2:1975, 1980, 1981, 1982
Super Regional:2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Ncaa Tourneys:1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Tournament:1996, 2001, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024
Conference Champion:1996, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team represents the University of Oklahoma in NCAA Division I college softball. The team competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and plays its home games at Love's Field in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners are currently led by head coach Patty Gasso.

Oklahoma has won their conference title 15 times, has won the Big 12 Conference tournament nine times, has been to the NCAA Tournament 30 times, has advanced to the NCAA Women's College World Series 17 times, and has won the NCAA championship 8 times. Oklahoma also appeared in the AIAW Women's College World Series four times.

History

The Sooners won their first national championship back in 2000. They swept Harvard, Cal-State Northridge, and Oregon State at their home regionals to advance to their first appearance in the Women's College World Series. They beat California and knocked off Southern Mississippi and Arizona to advance to the championship game against UCLA. They beat UCLA 3-1 to capture their first national title.

They hosted and won their 2013 regional. They beat Marist and Arkansas with a combined score of 41-6. They hosted again their super regionals against Texas A&M where they outscored the Aggies 18-2. In Oklahoma City, they went through 8 seeded Michigan, #10 ranked Texas, and #11 ranked Washington to reach Tennessee in the championship. Game 1 was where Lauren Chamberlain hit her iconic two-run walk-off home run after 12 innings of play. In game 2, Keilani Ricketts drove in all four runs, and Michelle Gascoigne pitched a shut out to obtain their second national title.

Once again, they hosted their regional in 2016 where they beat Wichita State and Ole Miss. They went on to host their super regional against Louisiana-Lafayette where they swept to advance to the Women's College World Series once again. In their first game in the tournament, they beat Alabama in extra innings. They faced #12 Michigan in game 2, and beat LSU in their third to face Auburn in the championship. They won 2-1 in their final game where Paige Parker threw a complete game.

In 2017, Sooners hosted another straight regional and won against North Dakota State, Arkansas, and Tulsa. From there, they went to #7 Auburn for the Super Regionals where they won in two games. They held off Baylor in Oklahoma City, overcame #6 Washington, and beat Oregon to face Florida in the finals. They won game 1 in the longest game ever played in the finals in 17 innings. They finished off the series with a swept to capture their fourth national championship.

In 2021, the Sooners hosted their regional as the No. 1 overall seed and beat Wichita State, Texas A&M, and Morgan State. They advanced to host their super regional against Washington, which they won in two games. At the Women's College World Series, they lost their first round game to James Madison University; subsequently, they won four straight elimination games to advance to the championship series, besting Georgia, UCLA, and James Madison twice. In the championship series, they lost their first game to Florida State, but returned to win games two and three to claim their fifth national championship.

In 2023, the Sooners set an NCAA Division I softball record 53-game winning streak.[1] They finished the season with a 61–1 record and won their seventh national championship, and third consecutive championship. They became the first team to three-peat since UCLA from 1988 to 1990.[2] [3]

On June 6, 2024, Gasso's Sooners again defeated Texas in the national championship series, in a rematch from 2022, winning Gasso's and the school's eighth national championship. Gasso's eight national titles tied Arizona's Mike Candrea for the most by any coach in Division I softball history. With the win, Oklahoma became the first team in college softball history to four-peat.

Love's Field

On October 28, 2021, it was announced a new softball stadium, Love's Field, was planned to break ground in 2022 and open before the 2024 season. Love's provided the naming gift following a $12 million total donation.[4] The estimated cost for the project is $47.9 million.[5] The overall square footage of the complex will be 44,000 square feet and will have a seating capacity of 4,200.[6] [7]

Coaching history

See main article: List of Oklahoma Sooners head softball coaches.

1975–1976 18–16
1977–1984 Marita Hynes 257–188
1985–1993Michelle Thomas 226–230
1994 Jim Beitia 58–15
1995–present 1,456–345–2

Honors

National championships

SeasonRecordHead coach
200066–8 Patty Gasso
201357–4Patty Gasso
201657–8Patty Gasso
201761–9Patty Gasso
202156–4Patty Gasso
202259–3Patty Gasso
202361–1Patty Gasso
202459–7Patty Gasso

Conference championships

1996 17–5 Patty Gasso
1999 11–3
2000 17–1
2009 14–4
2012 19–5
2013 15–2
2014 16–2
2015 14–2
2016 17–1
2017 17–1
2018 18–0
2019 18–0
2021 16–1
2022 17–1
202318–0

Conference tournament championships

SeasonConferenceHead coach
Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso
Big 12 Patty Gasso

Records and statistics

Records by opponent

[8]

Big 12 Conference opponents
Opponent W–LLast meeting
8773–14 W 7-4
March 23,2024
1110–2W 13-2
May 10,2024
1616–1W 5-0
April 21,2024
123 95–28W 14-1 (5)
March 10,2024
12278–44W 10-1
May 9,2024
178108–72W 8-2
May 5,2024
8760–27W 8-4
June 6,2024
80 78–7W 11-1
March 17,2024
54–0W 11-7
April 28,2024
Former Big 12 Conference opponents
Opponent W–LLast meeting
Missouri9655–41W 11–0 (6)
May 20, 2023
8945–44W 10–2 (5)
February 12, 2020
8353–30W 8–0 (5)
February 24, 2023
Notable Non-Conference opponents
Opponent W–LLast meeting
Tulsa5848–10W 8-0
April 16,2024
2310–13W 1-0
June 1,2024

NCAA Tournament seeding history

National seeding began in 2005. The Oklahoma Sooners have been a national seed 18 of the 19 tournaments.

College World Series

Oklahoma has advanced to the Women's College World Series 17 times, winning the title in 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 and finished as runner-up in 2012 and 2019.

4 0
1 2
0 2
1 2
1 2
0 2
4 2
5 0
1 2
5 1
5 0
2 2
3 3
6 2
5 1
5 0
5 1

2024 Coaching Staff

30th
Associate head coach and Pitching Coach 5th
JT Gasso Associate head coach and Hitting Coach 8th
Falepolima Steele Assistant coach 1st
Lauren Foster Graduate assistant 1st
Ryan Wondrasek Director of player development 1st
Reference:[9]

Individual honors and awards

This is a list of individual honors at the national and conference levels, including All-Americans.[10]

National awards

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
NFCA National Player of the Year
Softball America Player of the Year
Softball America Pitcher of the Year
Softball America Defensive Player of the Year
NFCA National Freshman of the Year
Softball America Freshman of the Year
Honda Sports Award
Softball Academic All-American of the Year

Conference awards

Big 12 Player of the Year
Big 12 Pitcher of the Year
Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Big 12 Coach of the Year

First Team All-American

SeasonPlayer(s)
1999Lynette Velazquez
2000Lisa Carey
2001Kelli Braitsch
2003Leah Gulla
2004Heather Scaglione
2005Heather Scaglione
2006Kristin Vesley
2007Norrelle Dickson
2009Amber Flores
2010Heather Scaglione
2011Keilani Ricketts
2012Lauren Chamberlain, Keilani Ricketts, Jessica Shults
2013Lauren Chamberlain, Keilani Ricketts
2014Shelby Pendley
2015Lauren Chamberlain
2016Paige Parker
2018Jocelyn Alo, Paige Parker, Sydney Romero
2019Caleigh Clifton, Giselle Juarez, Sydney Romero
2021Jocelyn Alo, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings
2022
2023Jordy Bahl, Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings
2024Alyssa Brito, Tiare Jennings

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oklahoma wins third straight WCWS title, extends record win streak to 53 . . Cliff . Brunt . June 8, 2023 . June 8, 2023.
  2. Web site: Oklahoma softball joins elite company with title three-peat . ESPN.com . J.J. . Post . June 8, 2023 . June 8, 2023.
  3. Web site: Oklahoma softball wins third consecutive national title: How Sooners cemented a dynasty . . Nicole . Auerbach . June 8, 2023 . June 8, 2023.
  4. Web site: Love’s Travel Stops Contributes Lead Gift for New Softball Stadium . soonersports.com . October 28, 2021 . October 28, 2021.
  5. Web site: New OU Softball Stadium on Track for 2024 Opener . . Ryan . Aber . September 14, 2023 . November 18, 2023.
  6. Web site: Love’s Field Capacity Announced . November 18, 2023.
  7. Web site: OU to begin construction of Love's Field, a $27 million stadium for softball program . . Eric . Bailey . October 28, 2021 . October 28, 2021.
  8. Web site: OU Softball Opponents. soonerstats.com. May 20, 2023. Sooner Stats.
  9. Web site: Oklahoma Softball Coaches . SoonerSports.com . University of Oklahoma Athletics . 8 Jan 2023.
  10. Web site: Big 12 Softball Records . Big12Sports.com . Big 12 Conference . 3 May 2019 . 86–89.