Patty Gasso on facing Texas: ‘Feel like we’re the underdogs this year’

Patty Gasso and Oklahoma are quite familiar with Texas, a Big 12 rival and soon to be SEC foe. The two teams will square off in the Women’s College World Series.

However, the pressure is on the Longhorns according to Gasso. That’s despite the fact Oklahoma won three national titles in a row and is going for a historic fourth.

But Oklahoma scratched and clawed its way to the finals this season while Texas could be perceived as the favorite.

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“We know each other very well,” Gasso said. “Kind of feel like we’re the underdogs this year. That’s okay. It’s good for us. We had to really fight our way through here. I’m proud of this group and how they did it.

“We’ve got some really good momentum. We know each other very well. I don’t know that there are a lot of secrets. It’s going to be an absolute battle.”

Oklahoma went 2-2 against Texas this year, including winning the Big 12 title over the Longhorns.

“I don’t think we’re trying to prove any point here,” Oklahoma pitcher Kelly Maxwell said. “This year has been hard. But we deserve to be here. I think just staying within us and knowing we have a God that serves us, and we’re going to go out here and give it our all.”

Speaking of Maxwell, Gasso was thrilled with her bounce back ability against Florida. The Sooners will need her against Texas at some point.

“Yeah, I can’t tell you how happy I am for Kelly Maxwell right now,” Gasso said. “I don’t think she’s out to try to prove anything, but she knows she’s a good pitcher. When she was getting roughed up a little bit, I think she just kind of — when she got with Jen Rocha, it was kind of like something in her that’s like, Stop. I got to stop this. I need to be more competitive.

“You could feel it coming out, and we could feel it as a team. I think that kind of helped rally the offense as well. They’d score, we’d score one, they’d score two. Back and forth. It’s really frustrating when you’re on that side, but you got to just trust your pitcher and your pitching coach. We all do. The fact that Kelly is going to be playing in a national championship game is one of the highlights of our season.”

Oklahoma and Texas begin the Women’s College Series Wednesday at 8:00 p.m ET.