Tiare Jennings praises Clemson pitcher Valerie Cagle ahead of Super Regional

Oklahoma softball will go up against one of the best players in the country this weekend in Clemson star Valerie Cagle as the teams meet in a super regional in the NCAA Tournament.

A two-way standout, Cagle is 25-6 with a 1.20 ERA on the mound. At the plate, she’s batting .467 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs.

The matchup between Cagle and Sooners star Tiare Jennings should be a fun one as Jennings leads Oklahoma with a .439 batting average, to go along with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. Jennings was asked this week about going up against Cagle.

“She moves the ball really well, throws hard, so I think it’s going to be a really good matchup for us,” Jennings said.

While Cagle is one of the top pitchers in the country, Oklahoma has seen its share of really good pitchers this season.

That includes in practice when the Sooners go up against Jordy Bahl. Bahl is 16-1 with a 1.10 ERA. She also has three saves. Jennings believes that facing Bahl regularly will help against a pitcher like Cagle.

“Throughout the season we’ve also faced a lot of hard pitching, facing Jordy Bahl every day. So that’s something that helps us a lot, too,” Jennings said. “But she’s a competitor, Valerie Cagle.”

The Sooners enter this weekend with a 54-1 record after sweeping their way through the regional last week.

Clemson is 49-10 after going 3-1 in its regional last week, including winning the regional championship against Auburn.

Jennings expects a tough battle against Cagle and the Tigers.

“I don’t know her personally, but I’ve seen her. She’s a competitor on and off the field, and that’s something that you’ve got to respect,” Jennings said. “It’s going to be a fun matchup, but I think just her and her game and just to see how our plans are going to be, that’s exciting.”

Oklahoma star Jordy Bahl reveals where her excitement comes from

Speaking of Bahl, she was dominant in the regional last weekend.

Bahl is an energetic presence on the mound for the Sooners. Her on-the-mound demeanor differs from her teammates as all four of the pitchers act differently when toeing the rubber.

After starting Oklahoma’s 11-0 victory Saturday over Missouri in the Normal Regional, Bahl discussed the different approaches by the pitchers and compared herself to Friday’s starter Nicole May.

“I would say that all of us pitchers have different personalities but it is the confidence that we all have going out there, which breeds the reaction that you see,” Bahl said. “Nicole, she’s just chill, boss lady. She always got it under control. That’s why she looks out there, I just, I don’t know. Like you said, I kind of just get excited sometimes and that’s just each of us being our true selves.”