Breakout chance coming for OU softball freshman Sydney Barker

No, that was not a misprint on the OU softball lineup card this weekend. Indeed, that was freshman Sydney Barker going from the bench to the three-hole by the time the Norman Regional was completed.

Simply put, Barker has earned that right. She has shown flashes whenever she has been placed in the lineup. And for head coach Patty Gasso, it has been about trying to find a way to get Barker in. Because if Barker is in, then someone else worthy has to sit for OU.

Barker, like a lot of the fresh faces, now has the first postseason weekend under her belt. Now it’s time for Alabama and the Super Regional. No getting your feet wet here. Need to be ready 4 p.m. Friday for Game 1. And then 2 p.m. Saturday for Game 2, you get the idea.

Gasso loves what she has with Barker at OU.

“I think Sydney Barker is just a baller. She’s a gamer,” Gasso said. “You can see her in practice. We go into the cold tub, she’s the one that’ll go with the water up to her neck. ‘I’ll accept this challenge.’ And then she just does it. She’s that kind of athlete that’s pretty fearless. And I have been working really hard at practice to find space and a place for her.

“Being able to put Sydney Barker in the first. You can put her in the outfield. You can put her at shortstop, can put her anywhere.”

The majority of the season has been between first base and outfield for Barker. But a pretty common theme at OU is you were a shortstop once upon a time. Now? It’s about finding your right fit.

“I know a lot of people say if you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere,” Barker said. “So I’ve just trying to stick with that mindset and I’ve tried to get comfortable with being anywhere on the field.

“I practice a lot at a lot of different positions every day whenever we’re here, but definitely just having fun with it and trying to trust the process at every position, doing the best that I can no matter where I’m at.”

An impressive part for any freshman is making that adjustment. And making that adjustment when you’re not an every single game player.

You go from being the star growing up to then having to find your spot. Not always easy to be ready when your name is called.

Not always easy, but it has been for Barker.

“I mean, yes and no,” Barker told SoonerScoop. “I think part of the game is just always staying ready. If you’re on the field, if you have your cleats tied up, you should always stay ready.

“Part of just our motto here at Oklahoma, it’s like there’s never a time where you shouldn’t be ready. I definitely think that it’s been a ride through and through, but always staying ready is part of being a Sooner.”

Gasso stressed Barker just gets more comfortable with each plate appearance, each inning out in the field. Barker is one of those players who doesn’t need to hit it square in order to produce. She can mis-hit something and still take it a ways. 

It’s that type of attitude that has endeared Barker to her teammates

“With Sydney Barker, she’s just a very selfless player,” captain Nelly McEnroe-Marinas said. “Like coach said, she’s just a ‘I’m gonna get the job done no matter what’ type of teammate. And she’s been working really hard, so I’m really happy for her and excited to see what else she’ll do.”

Final word

“I think softball is one thing, but Coach Gasso says it all the time, she makes girls to women. And I think that that’s been a huge thing for me this season is just really maturing in every aspect, on and off the field, no matter what. And I think I can say that for me, but (also) a lot of the other freshmen in our class.” – Barker on her biggest improvement this season