Oklahoma
Oklahoma softball tops Texas, completes sweep in Women’s College World Series championship
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma made college softball history Thursday night at the expense of its most despised rival.
The Sooners (59-7) became the first Division I softball team in NCAA history to win four consecutive national titles with a wild 8-4 win over Texas in the second game of the best-of-three championship series at the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park. The Sooners won the first game 8-3 on Wednesday.
Texas (55-10), which edged OU for the Big 12’s regular-season championship and earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, ended arguably its best season in school history by falling to Oklahoma for the second time in three seasons in the WCWS championship series.
More: Texas softball’s fixes in WCWS final must come immediately, and the Horns know it | Bohls
After the game, Texas coach Mike White acknowledged Oklahoma’s dominance while hoping his young squad absorbs some hard-earned lessons.
“It’s an incredible feat,” White said. “We know how tough it is just to get here, let alone win four. It’s an amazing achievement, especially for those classmen that were freshmen and now have four rings. That’s something that drives all of us to get better, to be able to come back and win.”
The teams traded the lead four times through a wild first four innings, and Texas seemed on the verge of reclaiming the lead in the sixth in a dramatic standoff between two of the Big 12’s best players. With Oklahoma clinging to a 5-3 lead and All-Big 12 third baseman Mia Scott at the plate for Texas, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso turned to ace Kelly Maxwell, who didn’t start for the first time in three games for the Sooners. Scott ripped a shot to first baseman Cydney Sanders and beat the throw as Joley Mitchell crossed home plate to trim OU’s lead to one run.
More: Reactions to Texas softball losing to Oklahoma in WCWS Final: ‘Texas will be back’
But in a bizarre sequence, Scott ran though first base and danced toward second while drawing the attention of the Sooners. Second baseman Avery Hodge then flipped the ball to Sanders, who tagged out Scott at first for the third out, which left shortstop Vivi Martinez stranded on third.
“I saw Mia Scott kind of come off the bag,” said Maxwell, who was voted the WCWS most outstanding player after going 3-0 while throwing 27 innings and allowing nine earned runs. “I was just telling Avery, ‘Turn around, turn around, let’s get her, c’mon!’ She finally heard me. We got it done. It was huge. I mean, they definitely had the momentum in that moment.”
Scott wasn’t available to talk to the media, but White said the play personifies the fearless style of play that has helped make her a three-time all-conference selection.
“That’s part of how she is; she’s really aggressive,” he said. “She pushes the envelope a lot of times. This time it didn’t work out. No one feels worse than Mia Scott right now. Everything happens for a reason. She’s cheeky. That’s part of her MO. That’s what she does. It was a big moment in that game. Everybody knows it. She’s already beaten herself up. I know she is. Hopefully she learns from that.”
Oklahoma dispensed with any more drama down the stretch. The Sooners put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth, and Maxwell shut the door in the seventh with three straight outs.
The Sooners ended the game with 12 hits and the championship series with 21 total hits. Texas tallied its most runs against Oklahoma in six games this season, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Sooners from making history.
NORMAN — Oklahoma softball’s transfer portal activity may have been fairly slow developing.
But now, as the portal window nears its end, the Sooners have started having success.
Oklahoma added outfielder Adi Hansen, a standout at the College of Southern Idaho for the last two seasons on Thursday.
Hansen’s announcement, made on Instagram, followed shortly after Middle Tennessee outfielder Macie Harter announced her commitment to the Sooners.
Hansen led the Golden Eagles with a .457 batting average in 186 at bats in 2026, with an eye-popping 82 runs scored and a school-record 62 stolen bases on 67 attempts.
Hansen had 17 games with two or more stolen bases this season and twice had four stolen bases in a game.
Hansen had four triples and 21 RBIs, drawing 23 walks.
She earned NJCAA first-team All-America honors, helping her team finish 43-13 with a NJCAA Division I Juco World Series appearance.
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In 2025, as a freshman, Hansen hit .401 with 36 stolen bases and 62 ruyns scored.
Hansen is a Logan, Utah, product.
Hansen and Harter join a group of outfielders that includes Kai Minor in centerfield and Ella Parker in right field.
The Sooners lost Abby Dayton to graduation and Kasidi Pickering to transfer after the season. Pickering will reportedly transfer to Texas Tech.
Oklahoma finished 52-10 last season, missing the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2015 after falling to Mississippi State in three games in the Norman Super Regional.
The Sooners have a strong incoming recruiting class and return a trio of pitchers — Audrey Lowry, Miali Guachino and Allyssa Parker — as well as experienced hitters Kendall Wells, Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas plus Minor and Ella Parker.
In addition to the departures of Dayton and Pickering, the Sooners also lost pitchers Sydney Berzon and Kierston Deal, first baseman Isabela Emerling, and second baseman Ailana Agbayani to graduation. Outfielder Tia Milloy, pitcher Berkley Zache and utility player Riley Zache also entered the transfer portal.
Oklahoma’s incoming class includes Edmond Santa Fe pitcher Keegan Baker, Lakewood, Calif., infielder Ki’ele Ho-Ching, Mililani, Hawaii, infielder Ori Mailo, Fullerton, Calif., pitcher Malaya Majam-Finch, Katy, Texas, pitcher EK Smith, and Mesa, Ariz., outfilder Payton Westra.
Mailo was with the Sooners this season, redshirting after joining the program a year early.
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Oklahoma City police are investigating an early morning shooting that left one man injured in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 3 a.m. on Thursday, emergency crews were called to a reported shooting near Kelley and Wilshire Blvd.
Investigators say the shooting occurred between a couple inside the home, adding that the woman shot the man.
However, police say they are trying to determine if the shooting was accidental.
The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
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The woman has been taken into custody for questioning, but it is unknown if she will face charges just yet.
Oklahoma is just three outs away from steamrolling through the right side of the bracket and knocking out Georgia to reach the championship finals.
To prepare, let’s take a look at what arms we should expect for the Sooners just like we did for the North Carolina earlier.
The Sooners have leaned heavily on their freshmen pitching trio in Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski throughout Omaha. The first two went at least seven innings, while Wesloski tossed 5.2 innings on Wednesday. Even though they used relievers LJ Mercurius and Jackson Cleveland in the first two games, neither pitched more than two innings nor allowed a run.
If LJ, who entered for Wesloski on Wednesday, finishes the game, he will have gone 3.1 innings.
That sets up Oklahoma very well to matchup with UNC, which went 3-0 and also hasn’t used many arms up to this point.
If OU does win, expect Rager, Xander Mercurius and Cleveland to be ready to go. Rager, who hasn’t pitched since their first round game against Alabama on Saturday, June 13, would have a full week of rest.
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