Softball

ByronHoustonsSweatyPalms said:
Admittedly I haven’t followed softball closely, but is this the first time the OSU softball team has been relevant since Lauren Bay in the early 2000s?
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I think it is their first good team since 2011 (Super-Regionals). Had a great player in Vanessa Shipley recently. Think she was twice POY Big Twelve. Haven't been great in the Big Twelve, were in the Big Eight.
 
Mr. PC here to report that, once again, a call that would readily have been overturned (corrected, rather) if video review were in place went against OU. That's four in the tourney so far. Today, the Sooners got robbed of a run and an out on a terrible call in the third inningl.
 
That was one of the most beautiful plays I've ever seen. NW played it perfectly, and we still managed to score. Too bad they blew the call. Hopefully it doesn't matter.
 
What a great win. The Sooners hit more homers this season than any team in program history and Romero, with her two-bagger in the seventh, set the program record for career doubles. A terrific victory all the way around.
 
Softball diehards,

How does this team compare to our recent teams? We've been spoiled with some loaded teams, but this team seems special even compared to the absurdly high expectations. Obviously we have a lot of work to do to win it all, and I'm certainly not trying to count any eggs before their hatched, but how does this team compare to 2013 (to this point)? Obviously 2013 has a huge advantage since they were NCAA champs.
 
Eielson said:
Softball diehards,

How does this team compare to our recent teams? We've been spoiled with some loaded teams, but this team seems special even compared to the absurdly high expectations. Obviously we have a lot of work to do to win it all, and I'm certainly not trying to count any eggs before their hatched, but how does this team compare to 2013 (to this point)? Obviously 2013 has a huge advantage since they were NCAA champs.
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You don't really know until you see how they do in that situation. In the key game of the 2013 series, we didn't score for the first ten innings. Shelby Pendley, Georgia Casey, and Jessica Shults had done nothing. Tennessee scored three in the top of the eleventh, and we were dead meat.

Bottom of 11th:

Pendley struck out
Ricketts doubled (Pop fly that dropped?)
Williams doubled, Ricketts scored
Shults grounded to first---we're done, two outs, good hitters not hitting
Martinez tripled to left center, Simpson (running for Williams) scored
Parsons doubled to left center, Martinez tied it.

So, the bottom of the order had enabled us to tie it.

Bottom of the 12th

Turang (#9 hitter) doubled down LF line, Chamberlain homered to left.

The bottom of the batting order had triggered it.

The next night, Gascoigne throws a three-hit shutout, a surprise, and Ricketts drives in all four OU runs with a three-run HR and a grounder to score Chamberlain who had tripled.

So, you had great pitching performances, and the bottom of the batting order came alive when the Pendley's weren't doing anything.

Someone has to step up other than your stars, and you need two great pitching performances back to back in the championship series. If you could count on Mendes, Elam, or Ryan getting a couple of key hits each, you kind of expect something out of your top five. You don't expect them to draw a blank. In 2016 and 2017, it was Romero and, especially, Shay that came to the front and got really big hits. They might strike out three times, only to hit a three-run HR in the tenth.
 
sybarite said:
You don't really know until you see how they do in that situation. In the key game of the 2013 series, we didn't score for the first ten innings. Shelby Pendley, Georgia Casey, and Jessica Shults had done nothing. Tennessee scored three in the top of the eleventh, and we were dead meat.

Bottom of 11th:

Pendley struck out
Ricketts doubled (Pop fly that dropped?)
Williams doubled, Ricketts scored
Shults grounded to first---we're done, two outs, good hitters not hitting
Martinez tripled to left center, Simpson (running for Williams) scored
Parsons doubled to left center, Martinez tied it.

So, the bottom of the order had enabled us to tie it.

Bottom of the 12th

Turang (#9 hitter) doubled down LF line, Chamberlain homered to left.

The bottom of the batting order had triggered it.

The next night, Gascoigne throws a three-hit shutout, a surprise, and Ricketts drives in all four OU runs with a three-run HR and a grounder to score Chamberlain who had tripled.

So, you had great pitching performances, and the bottom of the batting order came alive when the Pendley's weren't doing anything.

Someone has to step up other than your stars, and you need two great pitching performances back to back in the championship series. If you could count on Mendes, Elam, or Ryan getting a couple of key hits each, you kind of expect something out of your top five. You don't expect them to draw a blank. In 2016 and 2017, it was Romero and, especially, Shay that came to the front and got really big hits. They might strike out three times, only to hit a three-run HR in the tenth.
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What you say is very true but the bottom of the order in 2013 were excellent hitters with the objective of the bottom of the batting order in 2013 was massively different than 2019's bottom of the order. Martinez and Turang were true classic slap hitters whose primary mission was getting on base to be driven in by Chamberlain. And they were excellent at getting the job done. Elam and Lyons classic swing away hitters with some power.

Turang hit .404 and Martinez .342. Elam is hitting .287 and Lyons .262. Turang and Martinez scored 80 runs between them to date Elam and Lyons have scored 47 runs. Turang and Martinez were the driving force in Chamberlain having 84 RBI's. Something Patty has been trying to replicate every since while trying to make Kelsey Arnold and Nicole Mendes slap hitters for the #9 hole.

Turang and Martinez producing against Tennessee was not really a surprise it was more their modus operandi.
 
Eielson said:
Softball diehards,

How does this team compare to our recent teams? We've been spoiled with some loaded teams, but this team seems special even compared to the absurdly high expectations. Obviously we have a lot of work to do to win it all, and I'm certainly not trying to count any eggs before their hatched, but how does this team compare to 2013 (to this point)? Obviously 2013 has a huge advantage since they were NCAA champs.
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Provided this years team wins the WCWS they will be considered one on the greatest teams of all time like the 2013 team. The big argument in their favor will be their national statistical rankings where they lead the nation in batting average, ERA, fielding %, OB%, SLG%, HR/G, scoring, winning% and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Personally if they win it all I think they will be the best OU team of all time. JMHO.

In 2013 the team lead the nation in ERA, scoring, SLG%, winning%.

https://stats.ncaa.org/rankings?sport_code=WSB&division=1
 
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This is truly a first in the entire history of ouhoops: I agreed with Spock twice in a span of just over one hour. :ez-laugh:

First: Turang was not your typical No. 9 hitter. She had a very high batting average, blazing speed and would have been hitting leadoff for just about any coach not named Gasso.

Second: If the 2019 Sooners do win the WCWS (BIG if), they will undoubtedly be remembered as the greatest OU team in the history of the program. It's for all the reasons Spock pointed out – plus, if they go through the series without another loss, I believe they'll have the best won-loss record, percentage-wise, of all OU teams.
 
How does everyone feel about our bracket at the WCWS?

From what I know about Alabama, they are a dangerous first game, however looking at our entire bracket I have a good feeling we can make it through to the final series. The 2 teams I was worried about us match-up wise are in the other bracket (UCLA & Washington). Based off of our results I think we can go 3-0, BUT this is an entire new season at this point, and our loss to Wisconsin has really rattled my view that this team was invincible.

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts?? Anyone know about the odds??

I read one article going into the Super Regionals that had us rated #2 now behind James Madision (espn), which was WAY off!
 
Most recent articles from Eric Bailey...

NORMAN — Red panels — located on the outfield wall of Oklahoma’s Marita Hynes Field — display the years that the Sooners softball program advanced to the Women’s College World Series.

Before fall practices on crisp, cool days or during games in the spring under the blazing sun, OU players make a point of tapping the red protective panel, reminding them where the year “2019” would be added to the list.

Shortly after defeating Northwestern 8-0 Saturday afternoon to claim a berth in this year’s WCWS, the Sooners removed a blank panel off the right-field wall and carried it above their heads to home plate, where it was ceremoniously dropped.

When asked why they did that, senior Sydney Romero couldn’t immediately come up with an answer before saying, “It’s just tradition,” and then bursting into laughter.

To not know the origin isn’t the worst thing. OU seems so used to making the WCWS — eight of the past nine seasons — that some things just seem normal.

“It was Keilani Ricketts and that group that went out there and lifted it off and Keilani was holding it, pretty much on her own because nobody else could reach that high up,” OU coach Patti Gasso explained. “And they all just kind of dropped it at home plate. That was back in, I think, 2012. And it just has taken (off). Every day before practice, they touch that panel before we start. So, in a sense of saying, ‘This is where we want our spot to be.’ ”
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Link

Bedlam schools will take center stage at the Women’s College World Series.

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will play in the evening session of Thursday’s opening day of the WCWS, which will be played at Oklahoma City’s USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

Oklahoma State will play Florida at 6 p.m. That contest will be followed by Oklahoma-Alabama at approximately 8:30 p.m. Both games will be on ESPN2.

It’s the first time since 2011 that both schools have advanced to the WCWS in the same year.

“Coach (Kenny) Gajewski has done a great job with his team and I think it’s going to be a blast,” OU coach Patty Gasso said on Saturday. “If you’re living in Oklahoma right now, you are going to have a blast. Both your teams advance and it’s in Oklahoma City. It’s going to be fun.”
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Link
 
Soonerguy06 said:
How does everyone feel about our bracket at the WCWS?

From what I know about Alabama, they are a dangerous first game, however looking at our entire bracket I have a good feeling we can make it through to the final series. The 2 teams I was worried about us match-up wise are in the other bracket (UCLA & Washington). Based off of our results I think we can go 3-0, BUT this is an entire new season at this point, and our loss to Wisconsin has really rattled my view that this team was invincible.

I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts?? Anyone know about the odds??

I read one article going into the Super Regionals that had us rated #2 now behind James Madision (espn), which was WAY off!
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If I were to rank the teams 1-8 I would select #1 OU, #2 UCLA, #3 WA, #4 AZ, #5 AL, #6 MN, #7 OSU and #8 FL. AZ won 2 of 3 from UCLA, UCLA swept WA and WA swept AZ. But of the 8 teams in the WCWS UCLA ranks #2 in BA, ERA & scoring so I give them the edge in the other half of the bracket from OU.

I think OU beats AL, OSU and loser of WA/UCLA in the loser's bracket playing the winner of WA/UCLA in the finals.
 
I agree with this!! Fingers crossed we are both correct. Can't wait for the first game, 2 days left!!
 
Soonerguy06 said:
I agree with this!! Fingers crossed we are both correct. Can't wait for the first game, 2 days left!!
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Agreeing again you are making it a habit. I fully expect we will need a break or two to win it all but our opponents are most likely going to need 3, 4 or more breaks to get there.
 
Fun feature from Eric Bailey today -- What advice would OU and OSU players give young, softball-playing girls who are watching you this week? Here's excepts from Sooners...

Grace Lyons, OU freshman

“Work hard and just have your eye on the prize. Don’t settle for anything less than kind of what you’ve grown up believing. People are going to have different influences on you and the only one you can believe is yourself and the close circle you have. So I just think working hard, doing the little things when no one’s looking is super important.”

Jocelyn Alo, OU sophomore

“I would tell them to take advantage of every opportunity they can to get better and to make sure that school is first, always. Just have fun and don’t get too caught up with people’s expectations and stuff because it does come back and bite you.”
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