OU Softball: Oklahoma ‘Excited’ to Clash With Texas for Big 12 Tournament Title

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma got its wish for the weekend — a shot at revenge. 

The No. 4-ranked Sooners dropped their first conference series since 2011 last month to the now-No. 1 Texas Longhorns.

OU could level the season series at 2-2 on Saturday and win the Big 12 Tournament in the process. 

The Red River Rivals have dominated softball during their tenures in the Big 12. 

Patty Gasso has won 23 conference titles — 15 regular-season titles and eight tournaments — in the Big 12. 

Texas has another nine championships — five in the regular season and four tournament crowns.

The Longhorns won’t be able to defend their regular season title in the SEC next year, and neither will the winner of the Big 12 Tournament.

“We were kind of hoping for this opportunity,” Gasso said on Friday after OU dispatched BYU. “Just, one, to face Texas and two, to get better from it. So, yeah. I think everybody’s going to be really excited about the matchup.”

Both teams have dominated in Oklahoma City to set up Saturday’s tilt. 

OU manhandled Kansas 10-1 on Thursday before downing BYU 13-2 on Friday. 

Texas hammered Texas Tech 13-4 in the quarterfinals, and the Longhorns followed up that performance with a 14-3 drubbing of Baylor on Friday night. That puts the tournament’s top two seeds both at a plus-20 run differential in their first two games.

“They’re a very tough team,” Texas coach Mike White said of Oklahoma on Friday night. “They’re getting hot again. They always play well at home so we’re expecting a good matchup.”

White’s offense is humming, something that he said was influenced in part by watching the Sooners over the past three years.

“We have to take control … be aggressive,” White said. “… That’s what’s been so impressive about Oklahoma over the last several years. That’s what they do. So a rising tide lifts all boats and we’re just trying to catch up and play the game that they’ve been playing.”

There was little to separate the two rivals across three game in Austin. 

The Longhorns won both the second and third games of the series 2-1, but OU outscored Texas 7-6 across all three games at Red & Charline McCombs Field. 

Oklahoma appears to have snapped out of its offensive funk over the past three games. 

Gasso has returned to the basics to get the bats on track. She’s gone back to her roots by returning to small ball to keep her hitters locked into an aggressive mindset, and the decision has looked like a masterstroke. 

Through OU’s struggles, she never lost faith that the Sooners would round into shape when the postseason got underway. 

“I’ve had frustrating moments for sure,” said Gasso, “where I would go home and go, ‘I don’t have any idea what to do here.’ But we’re not built that way. 

“We’re always going to find a way to get something to click, somehow, some way and we’re not going to stop until we figure it out.”

Freshmen hitters Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering are riding a hot streak to pair with OU’s wealth of experience in center fielder Jayda Coleman, shortstop Tiare Jennings, third baseman Alyssa Brito, outfielder Rylie Boone and catcher Kinzie Hansen. 

Gasso has all her pitchers at her disposal as well heading into the title game. 

Kelly Maxwell started against Kansas and Kierston Deal mowed through BYU, leaving senior Nicole May fresh alongside Bedlam star Karlie Keeney, who hasn’t pitched yet in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament. 

“We just want them to just compete like nobody’s business and not get caught up in outcomes,” Gasso said on Friday. “… Keep your mind free, take your breaths, get in there and throw a competitive pitch every time your arm swings around in a circle because when you do that you’re going to win. More times than not you’re gonna beat that hitter.”

The season’s fourth meeting between Oklahoma and Texas gets underway from Devon Park, formerly Hall of Fame Stadium, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

“I feel really good,” Gasso said. “I think all hands are on deck.”