S P O RT S
BY: CHRIS PLANK
The Beginning of a Dynasty
Over the span of five days in Oklahoma City, Patty Gasso led an unlikely band of underdogs to victory and changed the trajectory of an entire sport, imploding a West Coast domination in college softball. The 2000 National Championship changed everything and as the university celebrates the 20th anniversary, we look back at the lessons, relationships and memories that still last to this day.
JUST HAPPY TO BE THERE? College softball was a West Coast dominated sport. The Pac10 had absolutely owned the world of collegiate softball from the inception of the sport in college athletics, led by the dominance of UCLA and Arizona. From 1982 to 1999, either the Bruins or the Wildcats took home the national title a combined 14 times, including a streak of 10 consecutive titles from 1988 to 1997. Only twice since 1982 had a program east of Tucson, Ariz. won a National Championship. The Sooners changed that in 2000 but there were not a lot of 42 | July 2020
believers when the Sooners showed up in Oklahoma City. “The feel I got for OU was one of ‘Hey, good for you, making the World Series.’ If you could just win one game, that would be great. If you don’t, that is OK you just made it. Good luck and no matter what happens we’re proud of you... and honestly that just fired me up,” Patty Gasso said as she looked back on the mentality around the sport. “People did not know what kind of team we were dealing with. This was all our first opportunities to go to the World Series and sometimes ignorance is bliss. We just went to play.” Gasso was making her first ever appearance in the Women’s College World Series, the first of what is now a growing number for Sooner softball. The 2000 team helped set the foundation for what Sooner softball is today. “Our final record was outstanding...66-8,” Gasso said. “These guys stood up to everybody. They were not intimidated. If anything, they were more motivated to say ‘you have no idea who we are or what we are about.’ When they got on the field, they just wanted to play. They were all so influential in our wins... all of them.”
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? With the dominating perception that college softball was
Photos by: OU Athletics Photos provided by: Mark Doescher
T
he 2000 Oklahoma softball team was expected to just enjoy the ride. In a lot of ways, they were just supposed to be happy to be a part of it all. When all was said and done, the 2000 Sooner Softball team was more than just along for the ride. They drove the bus.
