They’re the two-time defending nationwide champions. But for Oklahoma softball, it’s not about what it has achieved. It’s about what’s to return.
And what’s to return begins now as Patty Gasso’s membership will get the season underway this weekend, with a four-day event in California.
Winning two championships in a row is hard sufficient, nevertheless it’s been completed. Heck, it’s been completed by the Sooners themselves in 2016-17, however there isn’t a discuss of a three-peat within the locker room.
It’s going to be a storyline all season, little doubt, nevertheless it’s about 2023 and taking good care of enterprise for the Sooners.
“So we do not discuss successful – three-peat – these are phrases that we’re not likely speaking about round right here,” Gasso stated. “Because it is untimely. It’s actually concerning the course of. It’s the journey. It’s all the work we put in and now it is enjoying it out.”
Premature, however the expectations are there. Gone is among the all-time greats in Jocelyn Alo, however the Sooners are loaded as normal.
Familiar names like Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings and Grace Lyons are again once more, offering management and manufacturing. Gasso was in a position to hit the switch portal in a large option to choose up former Texas A&M star Haley Lee and probably the greatest freshmen final season in Cydney Sanders (Arizona State).
It’s going to be about placing all of the items collectively, making them match good.
“It’s good. It’s strong,” Gasso stated. “The swings will wow you and it is all through. And it is sitting on the bench, and it is ready for me to name on them. That’s my greatest concern is we’ve such a deep bench. How do I make all these athletes really feel a part of it and engaged and that is going to be in all probability the toughest job I’ve.
“So did we exchange Jocelyn Alo? No. It’s unimaginable, however it’ll take a couple of individual to fill these footwear. And that is actually what’s extra the mentality is we want extra energy all through the lineup simply to select up her numbers.”
There are plenty of causes successful three in a row is so exhausting. The goal stays in your again for an additional season. Other groups attempt to make that leap to take you off the throne.
And then it turns into an inner battle. You’ve been to the mountaintop. You know what that looks like. How to create that sense of starvation, hold that motivation excessive goes to be a really intriguing storyline to comply with all through the season.
“I feel that is simply their expectations. They perceive that they are good,” stated Gasso when requested by SoonerScoop.com “They know they’re good. So I feel they need to be greater than good. I feel they need to be nice.
“It’s simply extra of once you put all them collectively, there’s energy. You can really feel it. It is a really highly effective feeling of confidence, athleticism. And I feel they seem to be a workforce that desires to be recognized like that, possibly make historical past. And they only need to be generally known as the perfect. And that expectation is at all times there all through follow.”
Now that’s a rotation
Even Gasso can evolve her mind-set. She actually has in the case of pitching and making a pitching employees.
There isn’t going to be one star pitcher for the Sooners. No, as an alternative, Gasso goes to be assured with any of 4 pitchers in any given position.
It’ll start with sophomore Jordy Bahl. After residing as much as the hype after which some as a freshman, she is wholesome from the late-season forearm points.
“Just the summer time, the thought was to go away the ball within the bag and do not choose it up,” Gasson stated. “No have to. So simply let it relaxation and let’s heal and so, I imply, it is exhausting to maintain her grounded as a result of she needs to go, go, go, go, go. We have not had any type of issues with the forearm. Seems like she’s feeling utterly effective. So excited to get her alternatives again on the mound wholesome.”
OU can also be returning junior Nicole May, who Gasso believes is on monitor for her finest yr but. The different two faces are new and at completely different phases of their profession.
OU is bringing in Kierston Deal, the No. 1-ranked pitcher and participant for the 2022 class and will likely be an enormous asset being a left-handed pitcher.
Then there’s Alex Storako. After 4 seasons because the workhorse for Michigan, she’s closing her profession out in Norman.
The concept being no one goes to be requested to do the carrying.
“The days of – hopefully – the times of Paige Parker and leaning on Paige Parker is over endlessly for this program as a result of I hit some extent the place I used to be so uncomfortable with what we had been doing together with her bodily,” Gasso stated. “I promised myself we had been by no means going to try this once more.”
Starting with a bang
Gasso and the workforce couldn’t cease speaking concerning the pleasure of enjoying anyone else, and the OU schedule is stacked this season.
It begins with the Mark Campbell Invitational all this weekend in Irvine, Calif. OU, ranked No. 1 in all of the polls, will play three top-20 groups this weekend with Duke (Thursday), Stanford (Friday) and Washington (Saturday).
OU may nonetheless run-rule opponents, nevertheless it’s a way more aggressive schedule that ought to push the Sooners a bit greater than years previous.
“I feel the aggressive benefit is what we’re on the lookout for,” Gasso stated. “I do not know that we get higher with run guidelines. They do not make us higher. It’s these 2-1 ball video games. Or these tight, hard-fought further innings.
“Those are once you actually discover gold, you discover who’s clutch. You discover who loves these large moments and it is at all times been to me, these shut video games are the place your finest recollections are. It’s the place you develop essentially the most as a workforce. So that is what we’re on the lookout for. That’s why it was scheduled that manner.”
