Best of OU HC Patty Gasso: Big 12 Tournament time
OU softball could breathe just a little bit better after Sunday’s win. The Sooners didn’t just avoid being swept at home in Bedlam, but they looked like a team its fans recognized again in the 8-2 win over OSU.
It wasn’t enough to win the Big 12, but OU enters this week’s tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Sooners will play the winner of the Kansas-Houston matchup at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at OGE Field at Devon Park (formerly Hall of Fame Stadium).
Head coach Patty Gasso was back holding court Tuesday afternoon, recapping what was. And now looking toward what is and will be.
Wrapping up Bedlam?
“Really excited the way we played on Sunday. Much more like Sooner softball style. I think there were a lot of exhales after that. It was late, but it was better than never. Found some great things from Karlie Keeney which was good. And the freshman are just continuing to — sometimes they’re carrying us. But they’re pretty elite freshmen. So I like how we finished and we had a really good day today and I’m trusting that we’re going to get through finals well enough so on Thursday we can really get focused on what we’re trying to do.”
Pitching staff? Kelly Maxwell and Bedlam drama is now over?
“I thought Nicole May last weekend threw pretty dang well. I think KD (Kierston Deal) threw really well out at UCF. Sometimes I don’t know that they’re used to coming in out of the bullpen or what have you. I knew this was gonna be a big weekend for Kelli. But it’s all about trusting what you’ve got and your confidence. If you’re second guessing or, ‘I’m not sure. I don’t know that I’m ready to throw that pitch,’ or whatever it is that you’re thinking, you’ve just gotta be a boss and have that mentality like, ‘I’m getting after you.’ … You’re-not-beating-me attitude.
“I think sometimes we try to be very finesse or fine tuning. Sometimes you’ve gotta rear back and just go after it. I thought Keeney looked that way. You could see it in her face and body language. I think when Nicole May does that, they need to sustain it.
“What has been happening to us a little bit is say a walk, a ball up the middle, then a ball out of the park. We have to keep the ball in the yard, and we will win games. We have to minimize walks, hit batters. That’s something we’re really working on. I think sometimes we try to be so perfect that we’re not even close to it.
OU entering Big 12 with a chip on the shoulder?
“I think it’s allowing us to kind of exhale to be honest. And just, you’re supposed to win every game every day. Every day we play, every team, doesn’t matter. Sweep the series. I mean, that’s the expectation. I think it’s our expectation. It can become smothering at times. And so, I like to see, I’m really anxious to see the response at the Big 12 tournament. What they look like, how hungry they are. And just if they’re freed up. They were handcuffed all weekend. And no disrespect, we got flat out beaten. But we definitely were not close to being our best. And that’s where we need to be. So, this Big 12 tournament is going to tell a story for our future as well.”
