OU Softball

[tycat947]

BOOMER SOONER!!! Michelle Gascoigne played a SUPER, SUPER game!!! Congrats to every player and coach in that program!

 

[Keller Sooner]

WooooooooHooooooo! :woot :woot :woot :woot

 

[BlackwellSooner]

What a great performance by an under-appreciated Michelle Gascoigne. Tough to spend your career in the shadow of Keilani, but Michelle actually turned in a more dominating performance tonight than did Keilani last night, at least in the pitcher's circle...

 

[BlackwellSooner]

Michelle's stats:

3 hits, 0 (that is ZERO) bases on balls, 12 strikeouts, KKKKKKKKKKKK!

Oh, and a shutout.

So proud of these Sooner women, they came back dedicated to winning it all this year after losing to an Alabama team last year that they clearly felt that they were better than...

And to think that I was a bit apprehensive about whether Michelle would be up to the task... :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[BlackwellSooner]

SEC!!! SEC!!! SEC!!! Oh, wait.....

 

[sybarite]

I hear that there was a softball game tonight.

Michelle has pitched against top twenty teams and shut them out before. Tonight, she didn't show the anxiety that Keilani sometimes shows. She took charge from the outset and let nothing bother her. It helps the defense if you are throwing 85% strikes.

I thought the Tennessee coach's comparison that she was pitching similar to Ellen was somewhat interesting. She has more control than Ellen does, but she does count on moving the ball around more than Keilani does. I also thought the post-game comments that players like Martinez and Turang would be the stars of the team somewhere else, that OU was the 27 Yankees was pretty good.

 

[sybarite]

Ithought the Tennessee coach's comparison that she was pitching similar to Ellen was somewhat interesting. She has more control than Ellen does, but she does count on moving the ball around more than Keilani does. I also thought the post-game comments that players like Martinez and Turang would be the stars of the team somewhere else, that OU was the 27 Yankees was pretty good. hear that there was a softball game tonight.

Michelle has pitched against top twenty teams and shut them out before. Tonight, she didn't show the anxiety that Keilani sometimes shows. She took charge from the outset and let nothing bother her. It helps the defense if you are throwing 85% strikes.

I

 

[tycat947]

I hear that there was a softball game tonight.

Michelle has pitched against top twenty teams and shut them out before. Tonight, she didn't show the anxiety that Keilani sometimes shows. She took charge from the outset and let nothing bother her. It helps the defense if you are throwing 85% strikes.

I thought the Tennessee coach's comparison that she was pitching similar to Ellen was somewhat interesting. She has more control than Ellen does, but she does count on moving the ball around more than Keilani does. I also thought the post-game comments that players like Martinez and Turang would be the stars of the team somewhere else, that OU was the 27 Yankees was pretty good.

Agreed! She was very complimentary of the Sooners! Tennessee played very well against us in spite of losing series 2-0. I think they were by far the best team we played in tourney and it could have been so much tougher had we not rallied last night! BOOMER SOONER!

 

[SoonerNorm]

If you have a daughter or granddaughter who plays softball and wants to be a tradional hitter, just show them tapes of Chamberlain. First, her stance is very good. Second, she coils on every pitch onto her back foot. She extends her leading arm back toward the catcher (as opposed to those who keep the bat over their back shoulder. She watches the pitch to the point she is looking directly at the ball as it reaches the plate. When she swings, she shifts her weight to her front foot as she unleashes that power with lighting bat speed.

She is so fundamentally sound, I love to watch her bat. This obviously does not apply to slap hitters but she is the poster girl for traditional/power hitters.

 

[sybarite]

Michelle pitched complete game shutouts this year against:
Washington 2-0
Arizona 5-0
Northern Colorado 14-0
Penn State 8-0
NC State 3-0
Texas Tech 6-0
Iowa State 8-0
as well as starting a couple of shutouts in which she was relieved by Miller, Newberry, and Casey to give them some experience.

also beat Louisville 9-1

Washington and Louisville were ranked teams, and NC State had that 16-inning affair with Tennessee.

 

[BlackwellSooner]

And to put the cherry on top of the cake (for Shelby Pendley, anyway), Shelby broke out of her postseason slump with a double and a single, the double narrowly missing being a round-tripper. Glad for her...
She will be the better for this experience next year, I think...

 

[sybarite]

Lauren may have really wanted for that ball to clear the fence. But, she gets to give Jessica Shults a gift.

Jessica Shults will leave OU as the Career Home Run Leader of the Big Twelve with 61. If that had cleared the fence, it would have tied her. Now, she gets to hold that all summer, until next Spring when Lauren may also take the national record.

 

[tycat947]

And to put the cherry on top of the cake (for Shelby Pendley, anyway), Shelby broke out of her postseason slump with a double and a single, the double narrowly missing being a round-tripper. Glad for her...
She will be the better for this experience next year, I think...

Totally agree! It was a very rough series for her but she'll be back and better for having this experience! Boomer Sooner!

 

[BlackwellSooner]

The last paragraph in Guerin Emig's write-up tonight:

The Sooners were back in the championship series one year after letting a 1-0 lead on Alabama slip in Games 2 and 3 losses. They seemed destined then to win their first national title since 2000, but fell short as a combination of rain and Crimson Tide resolve did them in.

This week, the rain held off. Gascoigne emerged to help Ricketts. And while the opponent was different, so was OU.

The Sooners were simply better, inarguably the best team in the land from the first week of the season, punctuated by a final postseason run-scoring differential of 91-16. Wow, THAT'S dominance!

Ultimately, they got exactly what they deserved.

To which I say, YOU BETCHA!

 

[SoonerSpock]

We have talked about that regardless the sport you have to have a number of elite players to win a championship. Patty certainly has her share. I would say the following are clearly elite players:

Rickets
Chamberlain
Turang
Martinez
Pendley (although struggling now)

Did I miss anyone you would include?

Georgia Casey. First team All Big 12 in 2012, Second team in 2013 with no 2nd baseman on the team. Also B12 All Defensive team.



.341 career BA, .584 SLG%, .459 OB% and .949 FLD%. Also Academic All B12. In 2013 Casey hit.338 and Martinez .348. Casey's SLG% .541, Martinez .370. Casey's OB% .459, Martinez .368. Casey's SB's 7, Martinez 8. Only Casey made the B12 Defensive team.

 

[BanjoCharley]

Re: OU Softball All Tourney Team

2013 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team
Taylor Edwards, Nebraska
Blaire Luna, Texas
Kim Bruins, Texas
Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
Madison Shipman, Tennessee
Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
Keilani Ricketts, Oklahoma
Lauren Chamberlin, Oklahoma
Brianna Turang, Oklahoma
Georgia Casey, Oklahoma
Callie Parsons, Oklahoma
Jessica Shults, Oklahoma (18)

Most Outstanding Player:
Keilani Ricketts, Oklahoma

 

[Stringmusic]

Re: OU Softball All Tourney Team

After graciously playing behind Keilani for 4 years, I was thrilled and delighted to see Michelle pitch this game. She was Michelle the Magnificent and I am so glad she had her One Shining Moment. In all, it was like watching a crimson python squeeze and eat an orange colored rabbit. Michelle would be the starting pitcher on about 100 other softball teams.

 

[sybarite]

I want to congratulate the University of Oklahoma. They are amazing. They're an amazing team. Okay? I spent nine years with our National Team, and I think that Oklahoma team would have beaten most of the other countries that we played, even the great ones. I don't know if they would have beaten the U.S., but I tell you what, they're a great team."

http://www.utsports.com/sports/w-softbl/recaps/060513aab.html
From Weekly's post-game conference.

 

[rocjunkie]

Congrats to the gals on an outstanding season, and to Michelle, to show the country that we do have the two best pitchers in NCAA I softball. No wonder she leads the country in ERA.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Georgia Casey. First team All Big 12 in 2012, Second team in 2013 with no 2nd baseman on the team. Also B12 All Defensive team.



.341 career BA, .584 SLG%, .459 OB% and .949 FLD%. Also Academic All B12. In 2013 Casey hit.338 and Martinez .348. Casey's SLG% .541, Martinez .370. Casey's OB% .459, Martinez .368. Casey's SB's 7, Martinez 8. Only Casey made the B12 Defensive team.

Good call on Casey!