Oklahoma

OU Softball: Oklahoma Responds With Emphatic Victory Over Wichita State

Published

2 years ago

April 9, 2024

Press Room

OU Softball: Oklahoma Responds With Emphatic Victory Over Wichita State

Oklahoma got exactly the response it was looking for after a tough weekend.

The top-ranked Sooners jumped out early on Wichita State and never looked back.

Catcher Kinzie Hansen led the way by driving in three runs as OU run-ruled the Shockers 7-0 at Wilkins Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Sooners moved to 36-3 on the year with the win in Wichita, KS, while Wichita State dropped to 18-15 with the defeat.

Final Box Score

undefined

Patty Gasso’s team wasted no time.

Jayda Coleman drew a leadoff walk and then quickly found herself on second base after a passed ball.

The extra 60 feet allowed Coleman to score off Alyssa Brito’s double, giving the Sooners a 1-0 lead after the first three batters.

Freshman Ella Parker drew a walk herself, and Hansen plated Brito and moved Parker to third with a double of her own.

Kasidi Pickering bounced into a fielder’s choice to make the second out of the inning, but the Shockers allowed Parker to score to throw out Pickering, giving OU a 3-0 lead

The Sooners did more damage in the second inning.

Avery Hodge laid down a bunt and beat out the throw for a single, and walks by Rylie Boone and Coleman quickly loaded the bases.

Tiare Jennings drew OU’s third-straight walk, extending the lead to 4-0 and prompting Wichita State coach Kristi Bredbenner to withdraw starting pitcher Lauren Howell in favor of left-hander Alison Cooper.

Oklahoma’s weekend struggles against Texas’ lefties quickly became a thing of the past.

Brito flew out to right field to bring Boone home, and Hansen cleared the bases with a double to push the lead to 7-0.

While the offense marched around the bases, OU left-hander Kierston Deal cruised.

After giving up a leadoff single, Deal retired 13-straight Shocker batters, and she ended the night with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of action.

Karlie Keeney entered the game for Deal with one out in the sixth inning.

She closed out the game, allowing three hits while recording three strikeouts of her own.

Hansen’s pair of doubles concluded her night, as Gasso brought Riley Ludlam in off the bench to relieve her senior captain.

Brito also had a nice night at the plate, finishing 2-of-3 with two RBIs and Avery Hodge ended the game with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate including a seventh inning double.

Oklahoma returns to Big 12 play this weekend as the Sooners host BYU at Love’s Field for a three-game series starting on Thursday.

Source link

Click to comment

Oklahoma

Beers, Verhulst Named to Preseason All-SEC Coaches Team – University of Oklahoma

Published

9 hours ago

October 23, 2025

Press Room

Beers, Verhulst Named to Preseason All-SEC Coaches Team – University of Oklahoma

NORMAN – The SEC released its preseason poll and All-SEC teams Wednesday, as voted on by the league’s coaches, who could not vote for their own teams. Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers earned a spot on the first team, Payton Verhulst was named to the second team and the Sooners were picked to finish fourth.

On Oct. 13, a panel of media that cover the league picked Oklahoma to finish fifth and named Beers a first-team honoree.

Beers, a senior from Littleton, Colo., was named an All-SEC First Team selection last season after averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game last season. A finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, she led the SEC in player efficiency rating (35.9) and was the only player in the nation to average at least 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes. She was also a preseason All-SEC first-team selection by the league’s media and an AP All-America honorable mention.

Verhulst, a redshirt senior from De Soto, Kan., was an All-SEC Second Team selection last season when she averaged a career-high 14.9 points per game, shooting 42% from the field and 35% from deep. She was one of only two players nationally to average at least 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in under 30 minutes per game.

Oklahoma was picked fourth by the coaches, trailing Texas, South Carolina and LSU, and ahead of Tennessee, who was picked fifth.

Led by fifth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma returns the second-highest percentage of scoring (60.3%) in the SEC, led by Beers (17.3 PPG), Verhulst (14.9) and Sahara Williams (10.6). The Sooners enter the season ranked sixth in the Associated Press preseason poll, their highest ranking to open a season since 2009-10. Baranczyk also added the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class, highlighted by the country’s No. 1 freshman, Aaliyah Chavez.

Fans can get an early look at the Sooners in an Oct. 29 exhibition vs. Oklahoma Christian set for 6 p.m. in Norman. Admission to the exhibition is free as no television broadcast is scheduled. Fans can listen to a radio broadcast on the Sooner Sports Radio Network and Varsity App.

Oklahoma opens the regular season Nov. 3 against Belmont at Lloyd Noble Center at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Season tickets are on sale now starting at just $99 for general admission. Single-game tickets and mini plans are also available. For more information, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424, email outickets@ou.edu or visit SoonerSports.com/Tickets.

Courtside seats for the 2025–26 season are now available on the west sideline and south baseline near the Oklahoma bench. Fans interested in more information should contact the Sooner Club at (405) 325-8000 or soonerclub@ou.edu.

Stay connected with Oklahoma Women’s Basketball by following the Sooners on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Want to make an impact? Join the 3-Point Club and help power the program’s continued success.

MEDIA POLL

Texas

South Carolina

Oklahoma

Tennessee

Ole Miss

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

Alabama

Florida

Georgia

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Missouri

Auburn

Arkansas

PRESEASON ALL-SEC (COACHES)

First Team All-SEC
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Madison Booker, Texas*
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

* SEC Preseason Player of the Year

Second Team All-SEC

Essence Cody, Alabama

Liv McGill, Florida

Teonni Key, Kentucky

Clara Strack, Kentucky

Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss

Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma

MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina

Rori Harmon, Texas

Source link

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Published

1 day 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.

Source link

Oklahoma

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

Published

2 days 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: