Going For 3

In 2022, the Oklahoma Sooner softball team won the National Championship. In fact, the season was so impressive many have labeled the 2022 Sooner softball team as the greatest in the history of college softball.

The dominant season included Oklahoma’s 10th straight Big 12 Championship, a 59-3 record, 41 run-rule victories, 33 shutouts, eight no-hitters, pitching and defense that held opponents to one run or fewer 49 times, home runs hit in 56 of 62 games, and of course the National Championship in back-to-back seasons and the fourth title for the program in the last six seasons!

Now… how do you possibly follow that up? How can you possibly match the success that was seemingly unparalleled in 2022? Hall of Fame head coach Patty Gasso met the challenge by bringing in one of the best high school recruiting classes in the country and adding to an already talented roster with four impressive transfer portal additions.

The Sooners are not only positioned to compete for a championship again this season, but they are also the hands-down favorite.

BUILDING THE LINEUP

The star power surrounding the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners was impressive and led by home run queen Jocelyn Alo. Alo was one of five firstteam All-Americans in the Sooners lineup last season.

During her final season with the Sooners, Alo became the sport’s new career home run queen (122) and the first player in history to hit 30 home runs and bat .500 in the same season, finishing with a .512 average. But it is more than just the graduation of the NCAA all-time home run leader that the Sooners will miss in 2023. Three-time captain Lynnsie Elam, starting 3rd baseman Janna Johns along with starting 1st baseman Taylon Snow and the pitching star of the Women’s College World Series Hope Trautwein all graduated.

But of those five first-team All-Americans from the 2022 squad, four return including all-world pitcher Jordy Bahl, Grace Lyons, Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman.

Jayda Coleman

‘“I feel good, a lot of healthy bodies coming back,” Gasso said. “Grace Lyons was voted the captain and she’s healthy and back and ready to go. Jordy Bahl has been feeling really good, Kinzie Hansen’s knee seems better, and she seems back to her old form.

“We are deep at every position. We have power; we have a little more speed; we have that finesse slapper; bunter with athletes like Jayda Coleman; Quincee Lilio, Rylie Boone and the freshman Avery Hodge can slap it through a hole, lay down a bunt and beat it out, or hit it over the fence which makes for really dangerous athletes.”

Depth with a mix of experience, power and speed, the Sooners will have the ability to execute it at the plate.

“The depth of this lineup is a little bit more salty than last year,” Gasso said. “Our team knows that, and they know that anybody from one through nine in this lineup can change the game in one swing. It’s potent and no one should feel they need to do too much because they see it throughout the lineup, and they know anybody can do it.”

Of the nine Sooners from the Championship Series Starting lineup, six return for the Sooners in ‘23. Included among those returning is dynamic leadoff hitter and do-everything centerfielder Jayda Coleman and record-setting second baseman Tiare Jennings. Jennings set the WCWS record with 15 runs batted in and five home runs during last year’s Championship run, amassing 56 home runs and 179 career runs batted in during her first two seasons. But its more than just the dynamic duo at the top of the lineup that has Gasso excited about the season.

“It’s a different group, it’s exciting,” Gasso said. “We have eight newcomers, and we have 20 on our team so almost half our team is newcomers. They’ve jived really well and their power, strength and athleticism is really showing.”

THE TRANSFER PORTAL

The “new” for Oklahoma softball does not mean new to college softball. In addition to adding one of the top recruiting classes in the country, the Sooners added four standout players from the transfer portal.

The impressive high school class includes left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal, who is the top overall player in the country, according to Extra Inning Softball. Jocelyn Erickson will provide the Sooners with a powerful lefthanded bat and has the potential to play a major role in 2023. Avery Hodge and SJ Geurin will likely have specialized roles for the Sooners.

But most of the talk about the newcomers is center around the portal additions - Texas A&M catcher/infielder Haley Lee, Michigan pitcher Alex Storako and Arizona State infielders Cydney Sanders and Alynah Torres. The biggest names in the portal chose Oklahoma because they want a shot to win a championship.

“The Portal is something we don’t try to live off of,” Gasso said. “It’s funny knowing how people have looked at it and painting us as Oklahoma becoming a juggernaut and taking all the best players in the portal. Am I supposed to go to the portal and get not the best players? It doesn’t make sense how some people view it.

“If I’m going to the portal, I’m going after the best and people don’t like that because you’re getting too good. What does that even mean? I keep my head down and keep grinding and doing what we do. The experience and the ability of these four portal players have been really good.”

Alynah Torres was an All-Pac 12 pick as a junior last season when she hit .339 with 16 home runs, 14 doubles and 40 RBIs. During her three seasons with the Sun Devils, the Glendale, Arizona product made 131 starts, hitting .326 with 37 home runs and 105 RBIs. Torres has been locked in a battle with fellow Pac12 transfer Alyssa Brito at 3rd base. Torres could still factor into the starting lineup in the outfield or as the designated player.

Tiare Jennings

Torres’ teammate at ASU Cydney Sanders made her mark on the Sooner Nation with her impressive performance during the fall. Sanders won the Battle Series Championship and seemed to establish herself as the starting 1st baseman for the Sooners. At Arizona State, Sanders was an NFCA first-team All-American and lead the team in home runs (21), RBIs (63) and slugging percentage (.952).

And then there is Hayley Lee - the two-time All-American who led Texas A&M in batting average (.405), home runs (15), and RBIs (45) in 2022. In 2021, she set program records in home runs (25) and slugging percentage (.955). Only OU’s Jocelyn Alo and Tiare Jennings hit more home runs than Lee that season.

“Each of these players brings a different kind of personality,” Gasso said. “Haley Lee has been a big surprise. She is one of the most wonderful athletes I’ve ever been around. Just real and honest. I’ve been happy with these portal kids. They fit into this culture quickly.”

PORTAL PITCHING HELP

The final portal addition for the Sooners may end up being one of the most important. After the injury to Jordy Bahl last season, Hope Trautwein stepped in and helped pitch the Sooners to a National Championship. Even with a healthy Jordy Bahl returning, the loss of Trautwein to graduation was a big one. So, the Sooners hit up Big 10 country and brough Alex Storako to Norman.

Storako was an NFCA All-American and unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2021 when she was 25-8 with a 1.71 ERA and 300 strikeouts. In 2021, she set a Michigan single-game record with 22 strikeouts in a victory over Michigan State and led the nation with 12.9 strikeouts per seven innings. Despite struggling in the Battle Series, Storako will play a major role in providing experience and depth to an already talented and elite pitching staff.

“I feel really good about our staff,” Gasso said. “Alex is going to be fantastic and a healthy Jordy Bahl obviously. Nicole May really got better, in my mind, this fall. We’ve got these two lefty freshmen that can get us some outs as well. I’m really excited about putting them all together. I think it’s going to be really good.”

Grace Lyons

ALWAYS BE COMPETING

The key word for the Sooners in 2023 will be competition, on a game-to-game basis but also in practice and preparation. There will be constant competition for spots in the starting lineup. The Sooners have depth at every position and a hungry, talented and driven roster that is ready to compete.

The Sooners have a potent lineup from top to bottom and are in a situation where experience is replacing experience.

“It’s been a very smooth process,” Gasso said. “I thought the team last year was really tight and very well meshed. This team this year is telling me that it is even tighter. They get along, they hang out, they have so many different personalities and they really embrace each other. I’m proud of our players for being good humans and embracing all kinds of different personalities, no judgements, no secrets, they aren’t getting into their cliques. They do it like adults and it’s wonderful to see.”

Most importantly as they prepare for a potential Championship run, the Sooners are having fun.

“This team is just so much fun to be around. It’s obviously serious on the field, but it’s always a joyous time,” Sooner catcher Kinzie Hansen added. “The team chemistry is so fun to be around.”

With the Championship Mindset developing and the Sooners ready to start the 2023 season, the depth has also allowed Gasso to be more creative in her approach. The Hall of Fame head coach is completely aware of the power and potential of the lineup, but she is also constantly planning ways to make the Sooners better.

“I’m going to create roles... think the libero in volleyball, the defensive player... I’ll have some of that,”

Gasso added. “We’ll have matchups offensively off the bench. And I’m really excited about the two lefties in the bullpen who create really good lefty-on-lefty matchups. There are a lot more opportunities for substitutions and creativity. Every player is going to have a different role with the ability to break into the lineup. There are some young players that are waiting, and I know they are ready.

“There is a lot to be excited about beyond just in this moment and in this season, but also in the future. You’re going to see some of these young players ready to take over the reins and continue our tradition of winning.”

The historic run for Sooner softball could find another level in 2023. Oklahoma has finished its season in Oklahoma City at the Women’s College World Series in 10 of the last 11 seasons. They’ve won five of the six National Championships during that 11-year span and have finished runner-up twice. This season, the Sooners will look to become just the second threepeat champion in college softball history and the first since the UCLA run from 1988-1990.

Back-to-back-to-back… and the roster may be even more impressive in 2024. Look out college softball, the Sooner softball dynasty does not look to be going anywhere anytime soon. – 19SM