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Patty Gasso says Oklahoma softball takes 'not a lot' from previous Stanford matchup

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•06/01/23
Patty Gasso, Oklahoma Sooners softball coach
Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso talks to her team during a practice before the Women's College World Series on May 31, 2023. (Bryan Terry / USA TODAY Sports)

The Oklahoma softball team will begin its run at the Women’s College World Series on Thursday afternoon, doing so against a team it has already faced once this season.

Oklahoma and Stanford are slated for a 2:30 p.m. ET first pitch.

But despite having met the Cardinal earlier in the year, Sooners coach Patty Gasso doesn’t believe her team has any significant edge just from having already faced off against its WCWS foe.

“Not a lot at all because we’re two completely different teams,” Gasso said. “I know that they’re so much better. NiJaree (Canady) is now in their rotation.”

That is certainly the biggest change from early in the season, when Oklahoma softball dusted Stanford 10-1 in six innings in the second game of the Mark Campbell Invitational back on Feb. 10.

Canady has emerged as the ace for the Sooners, compiling a 16-1 record in the circle in 22 starts. She has recorded nine complete games, boasts an ERA of just 0.48 and has struck out 193 against just 19 walks.

She’s been elite.

Meanwhile, Gasso thinks her team has come a long way since that meeting early in the season, too.

“If we could remember back to our first weekend, we were looking around like what’s going on?” Gasso said. “We weren’t quite ready to play, and I think a lot of teams feel that way.”

Oklahoma softball is coming off a tougher-than-expected NCAA Super Regional against Clemson, with the Tigers pushing the Sooners to the brink in the second game after making the first one interesting.

Clemson fell when Oklahoma rallied in extra innings after tying the second game with a three-run home run in the seventh inning after getting down to its last strike. So the Sooners should have some positive mojo going into Oklahoma City.

Will the Stanford meeting previously help Oklahoma softball?

“Whether we won or lost, I don’t take much from it because we’re all so, so different, and they look different on video and the games we’ve seen lately,” Gasso said.

The opening WCWS game between Oklahoma and Stanford will be broadcast on ESPN.