Best of OU head coach Patty Gasso: Motivation not a problem

Last weekend could not have gone better for the OU softball team. First road series in the Big 12, and No. 1 showed why it is still at the top.

There are so many parts of a 40-3 combined three-game sweep that you can be happy about, and head coach Patty Gasso absolutely was.

Now it’s back to a ranked opponent with Baylor coming to Oklahoma City and Norman this weekend. A return to Love’s Field for Gasso and company.

It’s the best of the best from Gasso as Sooners begin to hit their stride.

Motivation not an issue anymore?

“They know where we are now, know where we are in the season. We’re starting to walk right into the fire and know what’s coming with it. They’re fired up. Team is getting along very well. It was really fun to watch them this weekend. They were having a good time doing it. And everybody was doing it. It was wonderful to watch. They’re starting to hit some plateaus now, so we’re right on schedule.”

Update on Kinzie Hansen?

“She has a little bit of a tweak in the knee that we don’t want to mess around with right now. We’re just kind of playing it very cautiously. Riley Ludlam has done a great job in that spot. It’s just kind of day-to-day. She’s not out for the season or anything like that. Just taking it day-to-day.”

Pump the brakes on Nicole May panic?

“I think sometimes people panic because she gives up a ground ball up the middle. I mean, she’s getting us outs. She’s getting us wins. She’s keeping the opponent from scoring. So it’s not always about the strikeout. Our defense is really good, so if you can get us fly balls and just these ground balls for us, we know how to get out of innings. If we give up a score, we know how to rebound and come back hard and make up that run that maybe we didn’t make a play on defense or what have you. If a pitcher gives up a home run, we know how to pick you up. They know that. So she’s doing everything we need and more. I’ve been very, very pleased.”

Update on Love’s Field progress?

“All I know is I’ve asked to practice and they say absolutely not. So I don’t know a lot because I can’t go over there, and if we do practice they have to shut down everything for that. So every time we play, I just kind of sneak away and I walk through areas that I probably shouldn’t be walking through just to see the updates. But looks like the lower part, the players’ area is what they’re really focusing on right now so commitment is right now the cages, the training room, the equipment room, kind of in that order, I think. Then they’ll just make their way down.”

Kierston Deal and insane OU pitching standard?

“She gets the ball, she makes the most of it. You know what’s quite interesting is, I don’t know because I won’t look, I don’t care to know, but I sometimes listen to Mr. Plank and I understand that people are just appalled that we would give up a run or, ‘what’s wrong with the Sooners?’ You’re discrediting Texas Tech or Iowa State. These are good hitting teams, so you can’t shut everybody out. We will not shut every team out. If we can hold Texas Tech to a run or two, that is phenomenal. We are very pleased, because we feel comfortable that we will score more than that. So our pitchers are doing everything right and if they give up a run, they know we’re going to answer.”