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This book is an unofficial account of the Oklahoma Sooners’ 2024 season and is not endorsed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the University of Oklahoma.
Printed in Canada.
FRONT COVER: Oklahoma players celebrate after winning Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, June 6, 2024. Oklahoma won 8-4. BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
ABOVE: Oklahoma outfielder Jayda Coleman poses for a photo with the trophy after winning Game 2 of the NCAA softball Women’s College World Series Championship Series game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on June 6, 2024. BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
Sooners
FOREWORD
Why this OU softball senior class will ‘never, ever be forgotten’ by Patty Gasso, Sooners
BY RYAN ABER
Patty Gasso found the video of Jayda Coleman recently.
Coleman, then 13 but already committed to the OU softball program, is talking in an interview about how she expects to continue her winning ways through high school and beyond.
“Now that I’m going to OU, we’re going to win it all there,” Coleman said. “I’m going to win it every year.”
Coleman might’ve been speaking out of teenage bravado, but she wound up backing it up.
“She’s speaking it into existence as a 13-year-old,” Gasso said. “I just watched these athletes grow into women. They come in as girls, they really do. They’ll admit that. But each one of them has something about them that is unique.”
The Sooners’ fantastic senior class who joined right out of high school and stuck it out in Norman for the entirety of their
careers — Coleman, Rylie Boone, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen and Nicole May — solidified their place as the best class in college softball history by helping OU win four consecutive titles, including their latest — and most difficult — by finishing off a sweep of Texas with an 8-4 win over the Longhorns on June 6 to end the Women’s College World Series.
The easy storyline was that the last one shouldn’t be the most difficult.
The large core — not only the five but players like Alyssa Brito and Cydney Sanders who had been here before — knew what it took to win titles.
But little came easy to this team.
There was an injury to Hansen that changed the complexion of the Sooners’ lineup.
There were moments of doubt for players that often make the game look much easier than it is. Coleman and Jennings,
in particular, struggled with that. Boone sometimes was exhausted by the expectation that she be the team’s spark plug.
May was mostly stoic, but often caught flak outwardly for not being a dominating ace and instead being a really, really good pitcher.
“They all have wonderful things ahead of them,” Gasso said. “They’ve cemented this program in history. They’ve cemented themselves in history. History can change, but these guys will never, ever be forgotten.”
Though it wasn’t easy — they needed Coleman’s walk-off home run and Kelly Maxwell’s heroic performance in an eight-inning win over Florida just to stave off elimination and get to the championship series — but they seem to shed much of the pressure when the postseason began.
OPPOSITE: OU coach Patty Gasso speaks during a celebration of Oklahoma Sooners’ fourth consecutive softball national championship at Love’s Field in Norman, Okla., on June 8, 2024. BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
By that point, their toughest moments were behind them.
“I’m so, so proud of this team, and everyone had their hand in it,” Hansen said. “It was never one here at the play or on the mound or anything like that. This was a team effort. We fought all season.
“Everybody had something to say about us all the time. People counted us out. It was just a grind — all in, mentally, physically. We fought the whole year. It was all so worth it in this moment.”
Hansen and Jennings will remain with the Sooners, serving as graduate assistants under Gasso next season.
The rest will go off to various careers and life pursuits.
“As much as I’m going to miss them, they’ve been here for a long time,” Gasso said. “They’ve done everything you could do and more. It is time for them to fly. So, Olympics, pro, marriage — there’s lots of things coming their way. I’m really excited for them. I just think, ‘Oh, gosh, I’m going to miss ’em.”
So will Sooners fans.
RIGHT: Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso smiles during the first game of the Women’s College World Series championship game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, on June 5, 2024. Oklahoma won 8-3.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: The Oklahoma team poses by a new banner on the outfield wall after a celebration of Oklahoma Sooners’ fourth consecutive softball national championship at Love’s Field in Norman, Okla., on June 8, 2024. BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
REGULAR SEASON
FEB. 23 • VS. WISCONSIN • W 10–2
OU in Mary Nutter Classic is a family reunion for Tiare Jennings
BY RYAN ABER | FEB. 25, 2024
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — Growing up in softball, Tiare Jennings had a routine around the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
The future OU softball star and her sister, Tele, would skip school on the Friday of the event, making the two-hour drive from the San Pedro area of Los Angeles to the center of the college softball universe.
Saturdays were for playing softball, then they’d head back to the Coachella Valley on Sunday to take in the action again.
The Big League Dreams complex was once again the epicenter of the sport Friday, but this year is extra special.
Not only is it Tiare’s final season playing college softball, but Tele made her Mary Nutter debut playing for San Diego.
Friday night, both teams were scheduled to play at the same time, making life difficult on the Jennings family as they bounced back and forth between fields to watch as much as possible.
Many in the family wore sweatshirts with the OU and San Diego logos on the front, and “Jennings 23” on the back in Sooners’ crimson and Toreros blue with a Polynesian pattern to represent their Samoan culture.
Both sisters share the same number.
They also wore kukui-nut leis with the logos of both schools.
“We’re very family-oriented, which was a huge part of why Tiare chose to go to Oklahoma,” said their father, Nacio Jennings. “It was the family atmosphere.”
The event took on a family reunion feel for the Jennings.
Not only did they have Tiare and Tele playing, getting time to socialize with the other players’ families on both teams, but Friday’s first OU game was played against Mississippi State.
Bulldogs sophomore infielder Kiarra Sells is Tiare’s cousin.
Tiare and Tele’s parents, Nacio and Maria, shared hug after hug, finding some time to watch softball in between. They estimated 30-40 family or close friends were in attendance. It’s not just family, though.
There are parents from UCLA and San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara and more.
“There’s so many softball families that have just become family, to be honest with you,” Nacio said.
Because the Sooners’ opener was significantly delayed, by the time Tiare and her OU teammates made their walk into the park, Tele’s Toreros were already on the field.
“That definitely made my heart happy to see her,” Tiare said. “It’s so much fun having my family here. It definitely means the world, but being my last one, it is bittersweet.”
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma infielder Tiare Jennings celebrates during the Sooners’ win against Wisconsin in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 23, 2024, in Cathedral City, Calif. ALEX GALLARDO / USA TODAY SPORTS
ABOVE: Nacio Jennings (left) watches from the outfield as his daughter’s Oklahoma softball squad takes on Wisconsin at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. Tiare Jennings plays for the Sooners while his other daughter, Tele, is a freshman at San Diego. The family wore shirts and leis honoring both teams at the event. RYAN ABER/THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: OU softball player Tiare Jennings’ family bounced from field to field during the Sooners’ games. Tele Jennings, Tiare’s younger sister, is a freshman at San Diego, which is also playing in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. RYAN ABER/THE OKLAHOMAN
Because it’s her last one, Tiare said she’s taking it all in — from the games to the interactions with young fans to the sandwiches.
“Today we were reminiscing on all of our old memories of watching, coming to the Mary Nutter,” Tiare said. “Me, Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen, all of us since we were pretty much 13 years old coming to these tournaments.
“We were making jokes like we need to get our lemonade, our tri-tip sandwich, all of that.”
The group of players from California passed around their phones, looking at pictures they’d taken during visits in the past.
“It just definitely means the world to us,” Tiare said. “This tournament is so much fun, just to see the next generation of softball players at our games.”
Tiare isn’t the only one.
“I’m just trying to savor every moment, especially with Tiare, it being her last year,” Nacio said. “I’m great friends, families with Levi Alo, Jocelyn’s dad, and he brings it up. ‘Enjoy every moment of it, because when it ends, even if they play pro or whatever it’ll never be the same. It’s not the same in terms of college competition, the life.’
“It’s been a blessing. It’s been a huge blessing.”
Late in OU’s first game Friday, a 9-3 win over Mississippi State, Jennings passed Lauren Chamberlain for second on the Sooners’ all-time RBI list, behind only Jocelyn Alo.
“I didn’t even know that but it’s such an honor,” Tiare said. “Lauren’s a big part of this program and she always will be. Just being able to be in the same (group) as her is an honor, as well. Just representing this program with everything I can give for my last season is all I want to do.”
As the Jennings family stood watching their daughters play, dozens of young softball players darted in between them, watching plenty of softball and soaking in the atmosphere.
“It’s surreal to see all the little girls here watching,” Jennings said. “Because my girls were them.
“For them to be in here now, it’s pretty cool.”
MARCH 1 • VS. MIAMI • W 9–7
Sooners have ‘final piece’ of greatness puzzle with Love’s Field
BY COLTON SULLEY | MARCH 2, 2024
NORMAN — As hundreds of fans lined the outside of Love’s Field in the early morning hours Friday anxiously anticipating the sound of ticket scanners and gates opening, construction workers could be seen still working.
Up until the final minute, bleachers were being constructed right below the flagpoles in left field and throughout the game construction trucks drove behind the outfield seating areas continuing to make progress on OU’s new softball stadium.
“It’s been like that for the last three weeks, it’s just been that frenetic pace,” Greg Tipton, executive associate athletic director and head of internal operations, facilities and events told The Oklahoman.
“I was a little shocked when I showed up and saw that we’re still working on that. … Timberlake, our construction
management team that built this place, they did a beautiful job. We’ve had all hands on deck. At one point, I think there were about 70 workers here yesterday. It’s crazy.”
As work continued and areas of dirt decorated the outskirts of the facility, OU president Joseph Harroz Jr., athletic director Joe Castiglione, regent Rick Nagel and members of the Love family simultaneously officially cut the ribbon for Love’s Field. The $48 million project holds 4,200 people and is the largest on-campus softball stadium in the country.
The stadium opening and $12 million investment from Love’s signifies a historic day for the Sooners, college softball and women’s athletics. Around a year ago when the program said the stadium would be ready by this spring, it was
hard to fathom as tractors, cranes and dirt piles made up the area for the last several months.
The speed alone at which the facility was built and operationally ready to play a softball game is as impressive as the structure itself.
“There wasn’t ever a point that I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Tipton said. “To play in here today because of the people that we have, the supporting crew that we have around here … there was never any doubt in my mind that we would be where we are today.”
Harroz, Castiglione, OU coach Patty Gasso, Love’s Travel Stop chief culture officer Jenny Love Meyer and co-captains Kinzie Hansen and Tiare Jennings all spoke at the event to commemorate the first game at the field. Several alumni sprinkled the crowd, including former
OPPOSITE: The new Love’s Field jumbo board shows the American flag during a game between the University of Oklahoma and Miami University on the opening day of Oklahoma softball stadium Love’s Field in Norman, Okla., on March 1, 2024.
NATHAN J. FISH / THE OKLAHOMAN
LEFT: Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso holds granddaughter Ava June Gasso as she talks with Judy Love during the grand opening of the University of Oklahoma Love’s Field softball stadium in Norman, Okla., March 1, 2024.
SARAH PHIPPS / THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: The Oklahoma softball team take a picture with the Love family following the grand opening of the University of Oklahoma Love’s Field softball stadium in Norman, Okla., March 1, 2024.
SARAH PHIPPS / THE OKLAHOMAN
BELOW LEFT: Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso (from left), Jenny Love Meyer and Marita Hynes talk during the grand opening of the University of Oklahoma Love’s Field softball stadium in Norman, Okla., March 1, 2024.
SARAH PHIPPS / THE OKLAHOMAN
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT
FINAL VS. TEXAS • W 5–1
OU beats Texas for Big 12 title, makes case for top NCAA seed
BY RYAN ABER | MAY 11, 2024
OU coach Patty Gasso insists she isn’t too concerned about national seeding — as long as her team is at least near the top.
But the No. 4-ranked Sooners made a strong final case to be the No. 1 overall seed Saturday, beating top-ranked and top-seeded Texas 5-1 to win the Big 12 Tournament at Devon Park.
“I think it’s already written right now,” Gasso said. “I don’t know. We played really well and so hopefully people saw it and if it gets us No. 1, great. It really doesn’t matter right now. I mean, if we’re in the top three or four, I think we’re happy with that.”
The 64-team NCAA Tournament field was set to be announced Sunday night.
The Sooners (49-6) have been the top overall seed in each of the last four NCAA tournaments.
But this season, OU looked like it might be headed toward a lower seed.
The Sooners blasted through Kansas, BYU and Texas, though, outscoring them by a combined 28-4 to roll through the Big 12 Tournament and put themselves in excellent position to earn the top spot. Regardless, the Sooners will host both regionals and super regionals (should they advance) at Love’s Field over the next two weekends.
Texas (47-7) figures to be the Sooners’ top competition, with Tennessee, LSU and Duke also with an opportunity.
Neither Tennessee nor LSU made the SEC Tournament final, while Duke won the ACC title on Saturday.
The Longhorns had run-rules in seven consecutive games coming in, not playing more than five innings since April 26. During that span, Texas outscored opponents 94-15.
Texas had won 18 consecutive games,
with their last loss coming April 5 to the Sooners in Austin before the Longhorns won back-to-back games over OU to become the first Big 12 team to beat the Sooners in a three-game series.
But Texas had all it could handle Saturday, as the Sooners scored two in the first on RBIs by Tiare Jennings and Kinzie Hansen, responded to a second-inning Texas run with two more in the third on an RBI single by Alyssa Brito and an RBI double by Hansen, then added another run in the fourth.
The Sooners have won four consecutive games since dropping their first two to Oklahoma State last weekend.
“It’s just been a reset,” Jennings said. “You know, you learn, and it’s cool to see that this is not even our peak. We’re just heading in the right direction, so it’s cool to see that we have just so much more to
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma’s Alynah Torres (40) gestures next to Texas’ Leighann Goode (43) after reaching second in the fourth inning of the Big 12 softball tournament championship game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 11, 2024. BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
RIGHT: Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman, center, and Alyssa Brito (33) celebrate beside Texas utility Reese Atwood (14) after Coleman scored a run in the first inning of the Big 12 softball tournament championship game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 11, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma players pose for a photo after the Big 12 softball tournament championship game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 11, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
BELOW RIGHT: Oklahoma infielder Ella Parker (5) celebrates at first beside Texas’ Katie Stewart (20) after getting a hit in the third inning of the Big 12 softball tournament championship game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on May 11, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL
GAME 1 VS. FLORIDA STATE • W 11–3
OU run-rules Florida State, sets record with 17th straight NCAA Tournament win
BY RYAN ABER | MAY 23, 2024
NORMAN — OU softball coach Patty Gasso sensed a difference in Alyssa Brito this week.
“Very free, very loose, very competitive,” Gasso said of Brito’s demeanor leading up to the Sooners’ super regional opener against Florida State.
Brito certainly looked the part Thursday, belting two home runs and adding a double as second-seeded OU moved within one win of the Women’s College World Series with an 11-3 five-inning blowout of the Seminoles at Love’s Field.
“It’s the last time we get to play at Love’s Field together so for me, I’m just enjoying these moments,” Brito said. “Trying to take that into (Oklahoma City). Hopefully we can get there next week and take it
day-by-day and pitch-by-pitch and being present in everybody’s at-bats. Just doing it together.”
It certainly was a collective effort Thursday.
Kelly Maxwell wasn’t as sharp as she’d been recently, but battled through five innings to finish the game.
Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders broke out of prolonged slumps with big hits.
Tiare Jennings tied Lauren Chamberlain with her 95th career home run and Kinzie Hansen also homered.
The Sooners’ defense also picked Maxwell up with several key plays.
OU (53-6) has now won eight consecutive games and set an NCAA record with
their 17th consecutive NCAA Tournament win. The Sooners have won 15 consecutive super regional games.
It was Brito’s third multi-home run game of the season and her first since March 17 at Texas Tech. She also hit two Feb. 10 against Long Beach State in Mexico.
Brito nearly hit one in the first inning, instead hitting one off the top part of the wall in center for a double.
The next two times, Brito left no doubt. She hit a liner over the left-field fence to lead off the third and put OU back ahead after Florida State had tied it 2-2 in the top of the inning.
Then, Brito got the Sooners’ five-run fourth going with a towering two-run
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma utility Alyssa Brito (33) celebrates after hitting a home run in the third inning of the game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida State Seminoles during the first game of the Norman Super Regional, May 23, 2024.
BRYAN
TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
LEFT: Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering (7) celebrates getting walked with the bases loaded to end the game during the first game of the Norman Super Regional, May 23, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma catcher Kinzie Hansen (9) celebrates after hitting a home run in the fourth inning during the first game of the Norman Super Regional, May 23, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
BELOW LEFT: Oklahoma’s Alyssa Brito (33) celebrates after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against the Florida State Seminoles during the first game of the Norman Super Regional, May 23, 2024.
BRYAN TERRY / THE OKLAHOMAN
Gasso even toyed with Texas, at least it seemed, en route to winning her eight national title — tying former Arizona coach Mike Candrea for the most in softball history. Gasso and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha tinkered with their pitching rotation like never before.
“It worked exactly how it was supposed to,” Gasso said. “To a T.”
OU started Liberty transfer Karlie Keeney in the circle. The only move more surprising than that was who replaced her: Wisconsin transfer Paytn Monticelli. The Sooners used their No. 4 and 5 pitchers to open a national championship closeout game.
May followed, then Kierston Deal. Finally, it was Kelly Maxwell who entered as closer. Maxwell was named the WCWS Most Outstanding Player.
It was a difficult year for Maxwell, ostracized for crossing Bedlam lines.
The rest of the Sooners concocted obstacles if necessary.
“Everybody hates us, no one wants us to win anymore, but that’s fine,” May said. “We just got a fourth, so it’s OK.”
The three-time defending champions convinced themselves that they were underdogs.
“There were so many times that we could’ve been defeated … ‘Are they gonna do it, are they not?’ But we just fought,” Boone said. “There was a lot of failure, more than what at least this class is used to and this team is used to. The adversity, I think it helped us be able to stand here and say that we won a fourth one.”
The Sooners have been crowned champs in six of the last eight Women’s College World Series. In what used to be a West Coast-dominated sport, this century has belonged to Gasso’s Sooners.
Eight national championships. Four in four years.
“Just unreal,” said Jennings, still catching her breath. “We just did the impossible.”
LEFT: Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering (7) celebrates a 2-run home run in the second inning of Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series on June 6, 2024.
SARAH PHIPPS / THE OKLAHOMAN
OPPOSITE: Oklahoma celebrates following Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series Championship Series between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on June 6, 2024.
