Oklahoma

Oklahoma Softball: Patty Gasso’s 2022 Champions Finish as the Best Team in History

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2022

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Oklahoma Softball: Patty Gasso’s 2022 Champions Finish as the Best Team in History

OKLAHOMA CITY — Patty Gasso was conscious of the expectations.

Getting into 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners have been an unanimous preseason No. 1 choice.

OU was a defending Nationwide Champion, and solely needed to exchange three tremendous seniors.

Jocelyn Alo was again to interrupt the school softball’s profession house run report, and Gasso struggled to tamp down expectations for true freshman pitcher Jordy Bahl.

Beneath all of that strain, Gasso’s message was to neglect in regards to the previous and assault 2022 as a brand new problem.

“A very powerful factor that I do know by expertise is that you don’t look by the rearview mirror,” Gasso mentioned all the best way again in February. “You look out by the entrance windshield and also you see what’s forward of you.”

So with Bahl and transfers Alyssa Brito and Hope Trautwein in tow, the Sooners set out on a brand new path in 2022.

And extremely, they have been higher.

The 2022 Oklahoma Sooners closed the 12 months as one of the best crew to ever take the sector.

Oklahoma dominated within the early phases of the season, breezing by the Mark Campbell Invitational the place UCLA the place Bahl fanned 14 Bruins, in addition to conquering the Mary Nutter Traditional regardless of a welcome befitting of a world famend rock band.

OU ripped off 38-straight wins to start out the season, a brand new NCAA Division I softball report, and fell simply seven video games shy of matching the longest win streak within the historical past of the game.

Gasso’s crew logged run rule victories in 40 of their 62 video games this 12 months, additionally a brand new report, and would have run dominated the Texas Longhorns in each WCWS championship collection video games if the mercy rule wasn’t exempt at that stage.

Ending the 12 months with a canine pile in Oklahoma Metropolis, OU climbed to the mountaintop of the game for the sixth time in program historical past and completed with a 59-3 report.

Oklahoma’s 2022 profitable proportion fell a proportion level wanting UCLA’s 1992 squad, however the Sooners have been extra dominant.

OU solely dropped three video games in 2022, as soon as to Texas, as soon as to Oklahoma State and as soon as to UCLA, that means each single loss Oklahoma sustained this 12 months got here to a crew that reached the semifinals within the WCWS.

In different contests towards the Longhorns, Cowgirls and Bruins this season, the Sooners went 10-0, outscoring the trio by a mixed rating of 82-14 in these 10 contests.

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Oklahoma dominated seemingly each main statistical class as properly this season.

The Sooners completed the season ranked first in batting common (.371), on base proportion (.474), house runs per recreation (2.50), slugging proportion (.734) and earned run common (1.05).

Even UCLA’s 1992 crew couldn’t match that degree of domination, because the Bruins completed tenth in batting common, second in ERA, twenty first in scoring and eighth in house runs.

Oklahoma’s statistical dominance wasn’t only a product of beating up on an everyday season schedule and barely making it throughout the end line, both.

The Sooners posted run rule victories in 5 of their 9 NCAA Match video games earlier than the WCWS championship collection, too.

All instructed, Oklahoma outscored opponents 64-17 in Oklahoma Metropolis, dominating anybody who stood in OU’s method on the WCWS.

After the celebrations on the sector subsided, Gasso mentioned it was as much as the media to resolve if her 2022 squad was one of the best within the sport or not.

Alo was much less bashful.

“I believe that is one of the best crew,” Alo mentioned with amusing on Thursday. “However one factor about Sooner softball, and I’ve seen it 12 months in and 12 months out, is they simply proceed to get higher.

“I do not know what holds subsequent 12 months, however I do know that they could possibly be a run for one of the best crew too and years to return.”

Although Gasso was simply targeted on having fun with the second after profitable her sixth Nationwide Championship, she did briefly supply a window into what she thought this crew could possibly be again in January when she was speaking about the right way to encourage a crew coming off a title-winning season.

“If my coach instructed me, ‘you could possibly be the best softball crew of all time,’ that will make me need to play exhausting,” she mentioned. “That might get me fired up.”

Mission achieved.

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Oklahoma

Alabama's upset loss to Oklahoma completes wild day in college football as rankings could look a lot different

Published

5 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Alabama's upset loss to Oklahoma completes wild day in college football as rankings could look a lot different

Entering Saturday night, all No. 7 Alabama needed was a win against unranked Oklahoma to remain very safe in the College Football Playoff bracket.

Earlier in the day, No. 5 Indiana was blown out, No. 4 Penn State barely squeaked by Minnesota, and No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 14 BYU both lost.

But, the Crimson Tide could not get the job done, as Oklahoma dominated to a 24-3 victory.

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Defensive end R Mason Thomas of the Oklahoma Sooners gets his hands in the face of quarterback Jalen Milroe of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024, in Norman, Oklahoma. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who had been one of the nation’s best players, had his worst game of the season. He completed 11 of 26 passes for 164 yards with three interceptions and gained just seven yards on 15 carries for Alabama (8-3, 4-3). The Sooners held Alabama to 234 yards. He went just 2-for-7 for 62 yards before the half.

True freshman Xavier Robinson ran for career highs of 107 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma became bowl eligible and took coach Brent Venables off the hot seat.

The Sooners’ victory resulted in yet another edition of fans storming the field too early, but at least this one was practically over anyway, unlike the BYU-Arizona State game.

Oklahoma students and fans rush the field after they efeated Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Norman. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

APPALACHIAN STATE FANS PELT JAMES MADISON PLAYERS WITH SNOWBALLS BEFORE GAME

Ole Miss and Alabama, both in the bracket prediction last week, now have three losses on the season. This leaves the door wide open for 9-2 teams like Clemson and Iowa State, who had been ranked 17th and 22nd in the nation, respectively.

And now, Indiana’s college football playoff hopes, right after their undefeated season ending, may not look all that over. No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee figure to move up a few spots with three teams ahead of them in the rankings all losing.

Although, it’s certainly not out of the question that Alabama could be on the outside looking in.

Oklahoma spirit team member celebrates after a touchdown against Alabama, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Norman. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

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The next rankings will come out on Tuesday, and it should be very exciting to see what the committee has in store.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Oklahoma

‘So what? Now what?’: Alabama players react to loss to Oklahoma

Published

13 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

‘So what? Now what?’: Alabama players react to loss to Oklahoma

No. 7 Alabama football should have defeated unranked Oklahoma. But the Crimson Tide didn’t.

Oklahoma had only won one SEC game all season. It wasn’t even bowl eligible before Saturday.

Then, the Alabama offense failed to score a touchdown and sputtered for much of the night. The Crimson Tide defense couldn’t stop Oklahoma’s rushing attack when the game was still close.

Alabama turned the ball over three times, with three Jalen Milroe interceptions.

As a result, the Crimson Tide fell 24-3 to the Sooners on Saturday at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

“There is no excuse,” linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. “None. Everybody saw it. Whoever was watching the game. We lost, and we’ve got to take it on the chin and keep learning from that.”

Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC) gave up 325 yards, with 257 yards, on the ground to Oklahoma and two touchdowns. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5) had the nation’s 90th ranked scoring offense entering the game.

“Our job was to out-execute those guys, and we fell short tonight,” Campbell said.

Meanwhile, the Alabama offense tallied only 234 yards, with 164 through the air and 70 on the ground, to score only a field goal.

Milroe, who gashed LSU on the ground two weeks ago, couldn’t get anything going with his legs with only seven yards on 15 carries.

“They had a great game plan for us,” offensive lineman Tyler Booker said. “We’ve just got to get a hat on a hat. We have to execute better.”

The Alabama players who took part in interviews postgame showed a clear and intentional interest in moving on quickly from the result and performance in Norman.

“So what? Now what?” Booker said. “Can’t do anything about what just happened. What we can do is make sure we prepare our tails off.”

Next up is a matchup with Auburn in the Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium to close out the regular season. Alabama won’t make the SEC Championship Game, but it might not yet be eliminated from the playoff just yet. The Allstate playoff predictor on Saturday night gave the Crimson Tide a 31% chance to still make the postseason.

“Got a big game next week,” Booker said. “Got to put all of our focus and energy there. Can’t do anything about what just happened. We’ve got to put all of our focus and energy into next week.”

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

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Oklahoma

Live Updates: No. 7 Alabama Football at Oklahoma

Published

22 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Live Updates: No. 7 Alabama Football at Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla.–– Alabama has one final road test to pass in the regular season if it wants to compete for an SEC title and make it back to the College Football Playoff.

The No. 7 Crimson Tide plays at Oklahoma on Saturday night in the first matchup as conference foes in the SEC. BamaCentral will have coverage all night from Norman. Follow along for updates.

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(latest updates at the top)

Who: Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) vs. Oklahoma (5-5, 1-4)

When: Saturday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium

TV: ABC/ESPN+

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts).

Series: Oklahoma leads 3-2-1

Last meeting: Alabama defeated the Sooners in the Capital One Orange Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff 45-34. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 318 yards and four touchdowns while the Crimson Tide rushed for 200 yards across 42 carries between Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris and Najee Harris.

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide dominated Mercer 52-7 at home behind three touchdowns from Jalen Milroe and two touchdowns from Ryan Williams. The Alabama defense forced three more turnovers as they’ve now forced 16 in the last five games, making life challenging on opposing offenses.

Last time out, Oklahoma: The Sooners were off this past week, but went to Missouri two weeks ago and lost 30-23 after losing a fumble for a touchdown in the game’s final minutes. Oklahoma’s played five conference games and only won at Auburn this season.

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