Oklahoma

Oklahoma Softball: OU’s Title Experience Could be X-Factor in National Championship

Published

3 years ago

June 8, 2022

Oklahoma Softball: OU’s Title Experience Could be X-Factor in National Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Sooners have returned to a well-recognized stage.

Patty Gasso’s top-seeded Oklahoma squad staved off elimination towards UCLA on Monday to punch its ticket again to the WCWS championship sequence.

The Sooners have emerged as school softball’s trendy dynasty, as 2022 marks the third yr in a row Oklahoma (57-3) has made it to the championship sequence, and OU has performed for the Nationwide Championship in seven of the final 10 years.

In distinction, the Texas Longhorns (47-20-1) are right here for the primary time.

The best way to Watch:

WCWS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Oklahoma vs. Texas

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Friday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (if essential)

Mike White’s ‘Horns are 6-0 in elimination video games all through this NCAA Event, leading to Texas changing into the primary unseeded staff to advance to the best-of-three title sequence for the reason that WCWS moved to the championship sequence format.

Texas has the texture of enjoying with home cash, and Gasso expects there will likely be an emphasis on a quick begin to Wednesday’s Recreation 1.

“I feel each groups are working to sort of get on the board shortly, set the tone shortly,” Gasso stated on Tuesday. “However I like the concept we’ve this expertise and we have been right here and finished that earlier than.”

Oklahoma has handled exterior stress all yr lengthy.

The defending champs have thrived because the wire-to-wire No. 1-ranked staff this yr.

Learn Extra WCWS Championship Sequence Protection:

Regardless of bringing again a lot of the core that beat Florida State for the Nationwide Championship final yr, Gasso had the staff concentrate on wiping that have to embark on a brand new journey this yr. And that mentality has allowed the 2022 Sooners to play free within the face of the huge expectations.

“We knew it is a new journey, a brand new street that we’ll need to preserve grinding and trusting in our preparation to get right here,” OU sophomore second baseman Tiare Jennings stated on Tuesday. “We’re enjoying for our seniors, you are enjoying to have their again, and to seek out the final word purpose.

“That is just about what our purpose was this season was simply stick collectively, discover our why, and simply stick collectively and going on the market and competing.”

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Tremendous seniors Jocelyn Alo, Lynnsie Elam, Taylon Snow and Jana Johns have all been across the block with the Sooners. Alo and Elam have been at Oklahoma for the reason that starting, experiencing all of the highs and lows of their 4 postseason runs at OU.

Snow and Johns each transferred into Norman, however performed a serious position in final yr’s championship sequence.

The expertise from all 4 of these veteran leaders will likely be important to the brand new items on Gasso’s roster.

OU’s fifth tremendous senior, pitcher Hope Trautwein, has starred in her first NCAA Event motion at Oklahoma, however has but to really feel the stress of the WCWS championship sequence.

Left fielder Alyssa Brito transferred to OU from Oregon this yr, and was a giant piece of OU’s common season success towards the ‘Horns.

Jordy Bahl, the NFCA Freshman of the Yr, was the ace of the Sooner pitching employees all yr. Attributable to a late-season harm, Bahl has solely made two appearances within the postseason, each on the WCWS.

Because the trio of Oklahoma newcomers put together for his or her first look within the championship sequence, Trautwein stated her teammates have been an amazing useful resource in making ready her for what to anticipate come Wednesday night time.

“This staff has lots of expertise,” stated Trautwein on Tuesday, “and that has undoubtedly helped me and (Alyssa Brito) and Jordy out so much, simply taking after the footsteps of those guys who’ve been right here and gained this earlier than.

“Actually the Champ Sequence, sure, it does imply so much, however we won’t deal with it like that. Now we have to deal with it like some other recreation as a result of, I imply, it truly is one other recreation that I’ve to carry out.

“I haven’t got to do something totally different than what I’ve been doing. I am simply making an attempt to do my finest and go away all of it out on the sector.”

The Sooners can have an opportunity to maneuver inside one recreation of this system’s sixth nationwide title on Wednesday at Corridor of Fame Stadium.

First pitch between OU and Texas is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the sport will likely be broadcast on ESPN.

Whatever the adversity Oklahoma faces within the championship sequence, Gasso stated the bond her staff has fashioned this yr will assist propel the Sooners to ship on the largest level within the season.

“We perceive what’s in entrance of us,” Gasso stated. “It is a very tight-knit group, and that is essential on these huge levels.

“If they seem to be a group that does not take care of one another or they’re infighting occurring, it simply does not work. This group has been arm-in-arm from the start, and I feel that has been a giant difference-maker for us.”

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Published

17 hours ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Oklahoma State is set for more Big 12 action this weekend, but it could make the inevitable official.

On Saturday, OSU will head to Lubbock to face No. 14 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off their first loss of the season but still have arguably the best team in the Big 12. As one of the frontrunners for the conference’s spot in the College Football Playoff, they shouldn’t have many issues taking care of business against an OSU team that hasn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023.

Along with being on a years-long drought in conference play, the Cowboys haven’t beaten an FBS team since September 2024. With this being the eighth game of the season, that also means OSU is down to its final hopes of making a bowl game.

Of course, the Cowboys have effectively been out of bowl contention since losing to Tulsa. While at that point there were still plenty of games left to play, that loss showed that OSU might not be ready to compete with anyone of note.

That assumption turned out to be entirely correct, as OSU hasn’t had another game within one possession since that loss to its in-state rival, which also led to the firing of Mike Gundy. While falling out of bowl contention seemed inevitable for the Pokes for much of the season, this weekend could be when it officially becomes reality.

Sitting at 1-6, the Cowboys would need to rattle off five straight wins to get to bowl eligibility. Considering they will start that journey as nearly 40-point underdogs in Lubbock this weekend, it’s safe to say that won’t happen.

While this is the reality OSU football is in at this point, it’s still a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in college football. Just two years ago, OSU won 10 games, made the Big 12 title game, which led to an appearance in the Texas Bowl, marking the Pokes’ 18th straight bowl appearance.

The last time OSU missed bowl games in consecutive seasons was 2000-01, when Bob Simmons’ final season and Les Miles’ first season at the helm both ended with losing records. Of course, Gundy missed a bowl game only twice in his 20 full seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, but this year likely would have been his third had he gotten the opportunity to see it through.

While nothing about OSU’s outlook will change on Saturday when the Cowboys are likely eliminated from bowl contention, it is still a reminder of how far the program has fallen.

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Oklahoma

Thunder receive NBA championship rings, raise title banner: Check it out

Published

1 day ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

Thunder receive NBA championship rings, raise title banner: Check it out

The 2025-26 NBA season started Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder hosted Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.

Before tip-off, the Thunder celebrated their 2024-25 NBA championship season and raised their first title banner since the organization moved to Oklahoma City.

OKC players were greeted by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as they were introduced to the home crowd and received their championship rings.

Here’s how the players reacted to the championship rings and banner being raised:

Thunder receive championship rings, raise title banner

Here’s a detailed view of the Thunder’s new bling:

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Oklahoma

Interim study held over misuse of ALPR cameras

Published

2 days ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

Interim study held over misuse of ALPR cameras

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma Representative says the state’s Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) are being misused by law enforcement.

When News 4 spoke with Rep. Tom Gann (R-Inola) in August, he claimed law enforcement was abusing the purpose of ALPRs, which is used to make sure Oklahoma drivers are insured.

Gann and others presented how ALPR cameras are infringing on peoples 4th Amendment right.

He says if action isn’t taken soon on governing how law enforcement is using these cameras, the citizens of Oklahoma will end up paying for it.

“These are serious violations of people’s rights and this comes from a lack of internal controls,” Gann said. “We have feds using local cops passwords to do immigration surveillance with flock cameras. It is the fact that he can pass his password around to anybody he wants to, to get onto this system is a problem. We need internal controls otherwise we create more victims with these flock cameras.”

License plate readers have been legal in Oklahoma since 2018.

The cameras intention was to enforce the Compulsory Insurance Law, making sure drivers aren’t on the road without insurance.

“Under the appropriate use, this is a good thing,” Shena Burgess, Attorney said. “We want people to have insurance. If people have insurance, then our insurance rates go down. I was all for that part.”

Oklahoma’s Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion (UVED) Program says these cameras have helped greatly, drastically reduced the number of uninsured drivers on the road.

Over the past seven years, we’ve realized a significant reduction in uninsured vehicles operating on Oklahoma roadways. UVED offers Oklahomans a chance to achieve compliance without law enforcement interaction, without criminal charges, without court costs, and without time
lost from work, school, or home.
Spokesperson for Uninsured Vehicle Enforcement Diversion (UVED)

However, Burgess says those cameras are being used for much more.

“The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office testified in a federal court that they use the Automated License Plate Readers all the time, for purposes that have nothing to do with whether or not the vehicles have insurance,” Burgess said.

Gann says this has led to instances where law enforcement have pulled over the wrong person thinking they were a suspect in a crime.

“We have victims of mass surveillance out there already,” Gann said. “When tag numbers are misread, you have people like this, where her and her 12 year-old sister were held at gunpoint because of a misread on a tag.”

He also mentions that this is a violation of your 4th Amendment right.

“The 4th Amendment offers security to a person when they place themselves in a constitutionally protected area albeit home, office, hotel room or automobile,” Gann said.

Burgess says this is a major concern for her, and what this could mean for future court cases.

“Once challenges start happening, civil lawsuits are going to follow,” Burgess said. “It is going to be our citizens who end up paying for this.”

The meeting was supposed to be a joint study between Gann and Rep. Tim Turner (R-Kinta), but Gann told Turner he would be taking up the allotted time, so Turner decided to withdraw his study.

They say they will continue to work toward a solution over the misuse of ALPR cameras.

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