Best of OU head coach Patty Gasso: Love's Field week

It’s not a pipe dream anymore for OU softball. It’s not somewhere far off into the distance. Or a hypothetical or any of that stuff.

Love’s Field is here, opening up this weekend.

With that, though, comes an absolute flood of emotions and memories in thinking about Marita Hynes Field. In thinking about the state of the program way back when compared to what OU is like at this moment.

Nobody to talk about it all than OU head coach Patty Gasso.

Patty Gasso – Love’s Field

Who comes to mind with Love’s Field opening this week?

“Marita Hynes. I’m looking at the wall behind. I think of the 2000 team. I think of the team that was over at Reaves and never got a locker room. And even when we had this built, we didn’t have this building. So players were still dressing in the bathrooms or dressing at home and going home in their uniforms.

“So I think about those athletes that are alums but never got to experience this. So what we’re really trying to do is embrace all of our alumni and say, ‘You’ve all built this.’ There’s no one particular person. There’s been some amazing performances. Jocy Alo, Lauren Chamberlain, Keilani Ricketts, those are the big names that you think of. But I want to honor those that came way even before me because they played over at Reaves and they got this thing started. So we’re really trying to make a good push for our alums and embrace all of them to celebrate this moment.”

The OU recruiting pitch now that Love’s is real?

“Well, a lot of them have been here for camps and they kind of know that it’s going on. A lot of kids are coming out here to see it themselves. I don’t say much. A lot of these guys have already committed, so they know what it’s looking like. But they’re coming out to see it with their own eyes. I can’t even describe it to y’all. I can’t describe it. I really don’t know how to describe it because I really haven’t been in it. I’ll probably have a lot more words for you Friday night.”

The state of the game from Marita Hynes to Love’s Field?

“I can tell you we go out to Palm Springs and there’s Sooner fans out there. A lot of them. But they’re from everywhere and they’re flying in from everywhere. We need security to get moved around. And when we come in — it’s all over talk radio apparently. It’s everywhere and everyone is talking about it which is amazing. I think one of the biggest moments for me of realization that this was big is a guy was telling me that he was at Buffalo Wild Wings and, ‘turn the station to women’s softball.’ And I’m like really? You guys watch that at Buffalo Wild Wings? So I mean it’s moving and it’s changing the course of where we’re going in a wonderful way. Television viewership is up. 

“I feel we have a big part to do with that. I feel like we’ve broken some glass ceilings, really. Not only with our play but the athletes themselves have really made a difference for young people. When I’m out watching and recruiting, I’m seeing people mimic Jayda Coleman, Rylie Boone. Kinzie Hansen, you would have thought Taylor Swift was out on the field out in Palm Springs. The kids are screaming her name. And kids are getting up on the shoulders of their dad and trying to reach. It was unbelievable. And I’ve never seen anything – every year it gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And so – but it’s not just our team. I know there’s other teams getting that same kind of feedback and fan support. But I do believe that we have been a big part of leading this charge.”

Final word

“We’ve built championships here. We’ve had a lot of coaches come in and out. I’ve watched my sons coach here. So 30 years. It’s time to move into a mansion. We’ve been living on the east side. It’s time to move into a mansion.” – Gasso reflecting on Marita Hynes’ memories