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Fresh start
No. 9 Sooners ready to test freshmen against No. 14 Golden Gophers
By John McKelvey • Transcript Sports Writer
As Oklahoma softball welcomes in it’s largest class of freshmen since 1988, all eyes remain fixed on the last class.
The Sooners have sophomore slotted at three of the most important positions on the field, pitcher, shortstop and centerfield.
The 2015 NFCA Freshman of the Year Paige Parker looks like the main building block for the young team, while Kelsey Arnold anchors the infield and Nicole Pendley oversees the outfield.
Around them are freshmen, eager to learn and inspired by those who recently were in their shoes.
“As coach (Patty Gasso) says, they all play like veterans, and that’s what us freshmen are trying to do,” Sydney Romero, projected starter at third base said.
“We don’t want to play as freshman. We want to play as upperclassmen.”
Along with Romero, the Sooners will likely start freshman Fale Aviu at right field, giving them an all-underclassmen outfield. Sophomore Lea Wodach is penciled in at left field. Also, freshmen Shay Knighton and Caleigh Clifton are battling it out for second base.
The No. 9 Sooners open the season against No. 14 Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’ve done everything we can to prep and I guess I’ll find out what things we might have missed once we play the game,” Gasso said. “That’s really going to unfold things for us. We’ve practiced. We’ve went over and covered everything I can think of. It’s just ultimately up to experience right now.
Throwing them in the fire could be scary, but it’s absolutely necessary.
It’s what made Paige Parker who she is today.” Parker, when combined with senior
catcher Whitney Montgomery, gives the Sooners an established battery. With so many new faces, it’s hard not to point to those two as being the anchor of the team in a sport that traditionally favors strong pitching.
“I try to be really well prepared for every game that I go out there and pitch, just trying to keep the hitters at bay on other teams and just continuing to just throw my best,” Parker said.
Gasso doesn’t want to put extra pressure on Parker, but she knows the offense this year will be different. There’s no way to replace the production of Lauren Chamberlain, who finished her career with an NCAA record 95 homeruns, and Shelby Pendley. So the offense, led by senior outfielder Erin Miller, who likely will start at designated player, has to be designed differently as well.
“We are going to win games in different ways,” Miller said. “We’re going to be an aggressive, in-motiontype offense. You’re going to see a lot of runners stealing, a lot of bunts, hit and runs, a lot of balls put in play. They might not be out of the park, but they’re going to be hit hard. It’s going to be fun for our fanbase. We’re going to score runs in different ways.”
Miller’s excited for the chance to shine. Even with some gaudy numbers, hitting .409 last year, she’s taken a backseat to some of OU softball’s biggest stars.
“We’ve been in kind of the shadows of some huge names,” Miller said. “It was great to play with them. We learned from them, and they’ve passed over the reigns. It’s fun. I really like the spot that our senior class is in.”
While Miller and the other five seniors on this team figure out how to make their mark on OU softball, the freshman enter with a similar goal. They’re already drawing the attention of their teammates in practice with their talent, but they know doing in front of fans against the best college softball has to offer is a different challenge.
“I think it will settle in, the first time I step on that field Friday,” Romero said. “It’s crazy. The fall was awesome and just being able to play now with this team is going to be fun. I’m excited.”
No. 9 Sooners ready to test freshmen against No. 14 Golden Gophers
By John McKelvey • Transcript Sports Writer
As Oklahoma softball welcomes in it’s largest class of freshmen since 1988, all eyes remain fixed on the last class.
The Sooners have sophomore slotted at three of the most important positions on the field, pitcher, shortstop and centerfield.
The 2015 NFCA Freshman of the Year Paige Parker looks like the main building block for the young team, while Kelsey Arnold anchors the infield and Nicole Pendley oversees the outfield.
Around them are freshmen, eager to learn and inspired by those who recently were in their shoes.
“As coach (Patty Gasso) says, they all play like veterans, and that’s what us freshmen are trying to do,” Sydney Romero, projected starter at third base said.
“We don’t want to play as freshman. We want to play as upperclassmen.”
Along with Romero, the Sooners will likely start freshman Fale Aviu at right field, giving them an all-underclassmen outfield. Sophomore Lea Wodach is penciled in at left field. Also, freshmen Shay Knighton and Caleigh Clifton are battling it out for second base.
The No. 9 Sooners open the season against No. 14 Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’ve done everything we can to prep and I guess I’ll find out what things we might have missed once we play the game,” Gasso said. “That’s really going to unfold things for us. We’ve practiced. We’ve went over and covered everything I can think of. It’s just ultimately up to experience right now.
Throwing them in the fire could be scary, but it’s absolutely necessary.
It’s what made Paige Parker who she is today.” Parker, when combined with senior
catcher Whitney Montgomery, gives the Sooners an established battery. With so many new faces, it’s hard not to point to those two as being the anchor of the team in a sport that traditionally favors strong pitching.
“I try to be really well prepared for every game that I go out there and pitch, just trying to keep the hitters at bay on other teams and just continuing to just throw my best,” Parker said.
Gasso doesn’t want to put extra pressure on Parker, but she knows the offense this year will be different. There’s no way to replace the production of Lauren Chamberlain, who finished her career with an NCAA record 95 homeruns, and Shelby Pendley. So the offense, led by senior outfielder Erin Miller, who likely will start at designated player, has to be designed differently as well.
“We are going to win games in different ways,” Miller said. “We’re going to be an aggressive, in-motiontype offense. You’re going to see a lot of runners stealing, a lot of bunts, hit and runs, a lot of balls put in play. They might not be out of the park, but they’re going to be hit hard. It’s going to be fun for our fanbase. We’re going to score runs in different ways.”
Miller’s excited for the chance to shine. Even with some gaudy numbers, hitting .409 last year, she’s taken a backseat to some of OU softball’s biggest stars.
“We’ve been in kind of the shadows of some huge names,” Miller said. “It was great to play with them. We learned from them, and they’ve passed over the reigns. It’s fun. I really like the spot that our senior class is in.”
While Miller and the other five seniors on this team figure out how to make their mark on OU softball, the freshman enter with a similar goal. They’re already drawing the attention of their teammates in practice with their talent, but they know doing in front of fans against the best college softball has to offer is a different challenge.
“I think it will settle in, the first time I step on that field Friday,” Romero said. “It’s crazy. The fall was awesome and just being able to play now with this team is going to be fun. I’m excited.”
