Oklahoma

Bottom of the Order Seals the Deal For Oklahoma in National Championship

Published

3 years ago

June 10, 2022

Bottom of the Order Seals the Deal For Oklahoma in National Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY — So many instances over the course of the season, Oklahoma’s star energy has overwhelmed opponents. Texas head coach Mike White went so far as to name the highest of the Sooners’ order “Murderers Row.”

Thursday, nonetheless, the Longhorns had been in a position to restrict the harm accomplished by Oklahoma’s high hitters, because it was the underside of the lineup stepping as much as present the fireworks.

After a sluggish begin, Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen and Taylon Snow left fingerprints everywhere in the recreation, main the Sooners’ comeback cost. As soon as the Sooners took the lead, they by no means appeared again, dominating Texas 10-5 en path to a second straight nationwide championship, and this system’s sixth general.

After a uncommon strikeout early on from Jocelyn Alo, and Tiare Jennings grounding right into a double play, it appeared like Oklahoma had no solutions. Three scoreless innings later, the Sooners had been trying to find a giant splash.

With freeway theft everywhere in the outfield, Recreation 2 was shaping as much as be a defensive battle. It appeared as if OU was leaving a number of runners on base on the finish of every inning. That’s when the latter half of Patty Gasso’s lineup received to enterprise.

Brito began issues off with a crushing double to proper middle, bringing the stadium to its ft. Subsequent up, Hansen wanted a little bit luck and an errant throw on a floor ball, however managed to get all the way in which to 3rd, bringing Brito dwelling for the primary Oklahoma rating of the evening. Snow, who’s been large for the Sooners down the stretch, then prolonged the run with a single to middle area. After the again finish’s first flurry, OU had tied the sport 2-2 within the fourth inning.

The underside of the lineup began issues off within the fourth body. Two innings later, they sealed the deal.

To open up the sixth, Jennings singled and Grace Lyons was hit by a pitch, inserting two runners on when Brito was again as much as bat. She cranked one other double, this one down the left area line, bringing Jennings dwelling.

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Hansen then stepped up and launched Oklahoma’s first dwelling run of the sport, a devastating three-run shot to left. This was Hansen’s first dwelling run in 20 video games, since OU and Texas met throughout convention play. The duo of Brito and Hansen did it once more, extending the Sooners’ lead 6-2.

“It isn’t about me,” mentioned Hansen. “That is one thing that I actually realized all through this yr is arising and hitting that dwelling run, these ladies have been doing all of it yr after I wasn’t in a position to. Once I got here up, my mindset was simply do it for them.”

Jordy Bahl capped off her first begin again by discovering her groove afterward within the recreation, solely permitting two runs within the opening inning. After the Sooners’ bats got here alive, they had been in a position to coast to a different straightforward victory.

On the evening, Brito, Hansen and Snow mixed to hit 6-for-10 with 5 RBIs and a house run. Snow and Brito additionally made unbelievable defensive performs all through the sport, saving the Sooners on a number of events.

With the underside of the lineup sealing the deal, the Sooners turned the web page on one of the vital dominant seasons in sports activities with a nationwide championship. Oklahoma completed the yr with a document of 59-3, as 40 of the wins got here through run rule and 33 of OU’s 61 video games resulted in a shutout, because the Sooners completed the season with a run differential of +514.

“When you’ll be able to belief your coaching and be your self, that is when you already know we actually began to peak on the excellent time,” mentioned Hansen. “Honestly, this in all probability is without doubt one of the finest groups I’ve ever been part of.”

Gasso herself warned firstly of the season that this was one of the vital full groups she’d ever coached. It’s solely becoming that 5 months of utter domination later, it ends in back-to-back nationwide championships.

“They do not understand how good they’re,” mentioned Gasso. “Possibly I do not understand how good they’re. All people asks us, and we simply play. We simply play. We like to have enjoyable and like to play. You ask me to match, you ask me what it seems like … It seems like one thing we do day by day at observe.”

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State LB Jeff Roberson Headed to Big 10 School

Published

10 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma State LB Jeff Roberson Headed to Big 10 School

Oklahoma State’s most recent transfer portal departure has already found a new home.

On Monday, OSU linebacker Jeff Roberson announced he was entering the transfer portal and looking to close his career elsewhere. Roberson wasted no time finding his next school, as he committed to Minnesota on Thursday.

Roberson began his career at OSU in 2020 and mostly played on special teams and as a backup throughout the first few years of his career. After missing the entire 2022 season with an injury, he came back in 2023 to play largely the same role.

However, his luck changed in 2024. With so many injuries throughout the OSU defense, the Cowboys needed players to step up at every position, and Roberson took advantage. In 2024, Roberson played in every game and finished with 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss and an interception. Before entering the transfer portal, Roberson’s numbers from 2024 would have made him OSU’s leading returning tackler.

Roberson’s departure was about as surprising as any move at OSU this offseason. Considering he had spent the first five seasons of his career in Stillwater and finally carved out a sizeable role last season, it appeared Roberson would carry that momentum into 2025 as a leader of the OSU defense.

Instead, he used his extra opportunity and leap to find a better situation as OSU overhauled its coaching staff and continues to bring in various defensive players through the transfer portal. However, going to Minnesota was the second surprising part of his decision. Early predictions were for Roberson, a Choctaw native, to stay in his home state and play at Oklahoma next season. As he makes his way north to play for PJ Fleck’s team next season, there is no doubt Roberson can have an impact to finish his career.

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Oklahoma

Gophers help fill need on defense with Oklahoma State linebacker

Published

19 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Gophers help fill need on defense with Oklahoma State linebacker

The Gophers football program addressed a need in the middle of its defense for the 2025 season with Oklahoma State linebacker Jeff Roberson on Thursday night.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound graduate transfer from Choctaw, Okla., totaled 58 tackles, including 8.5 for lost yards, three sacks and one interception in 12 games in 2024. He had a middling 57.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, along with 19 pressures, but also 11 missed tackles last season.

Roberson played 670 snaps last season, but only 107 across 2021 and 2023. He played special teams as a freshman in 2020 and missed the 2022 season with injury.

Roberson will help fill the void left by leading tackler Cody Lindenberg; the Anoka native declared for the NFL draft after the regular season and skipped the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams top the U’s depth chart at linebacker going into next season.

The Gophers have added 15 total players via the NCAA transfer portal since early December and are still looking for help at cornerback and possibly defensive line.

Originally Published: January 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM CST

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Oklahoma

Ole Miss Linebacker Transfer Trip White Commits to Oklahoma State

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Ole Miss Linebacker Transfer Trip White Commits to Oklahoma State

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

The Cowboys went to the SEC to pick another linebacker out of the portal.

Ole Miss transfer Trip White, who was listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds last season, pledged to Oklahoma State, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. White played in all 13 of the Rebels’ games this past season, his redshirt sophomore year. He made one tackle, primarily playing special teams.

White played in three games while maintaining a redshirt as a true freshman in 2022. He appeared in five games in 2023, and to this point has totaled nine career tackles.

Out of Parkview Magnet in Little Rock, Arkansas, White was a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and chose Ole Miss over offers from Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Indiana and others. The 247Sports Composite system tabbed White as the No. 1,103 player in the class, the No. 109 linebacker in the class and the No. 12 player from Arkansas in 2022. He also started as his team’s quarterback as a high school senior, throwing for 2,035 yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 445 rushing yards and seven more scores.

White becomes the third linebacker the Pokes have grabbed out of the portal, joining Bryan McCoy (Akron) and Brandon Rawls (Saginaw Valley State). White’s addition comes a few days after Jeff Roberson hopped in the portal. With Roberson, Nick Martin, Collin Oliver and Kendal Daniels all gone from last season’s squad, OSU’s linebacker room — like most position rooms — will look quite a bit different heading into 2025. Kap Dede is set to coach that group, with new OSU defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bringing him in from Western Kentucky.

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