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Family Business: Erin Miller, up close and personal with rise of OU softball

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•05/16/25•

BPrzybylo

Syndication: The Oklahoman
OU softball head coach Patty Gasso. (Bryan Terry - The Oklahoman/USA TODAY Network).

It’s about that time of year when OU softball starts to assert itself. Starts to show the rest of the softball world who it is.

That sounds crazy to say for the 2025 group, but here we are with the Sooners the No. 2 overall seed.

Very few people can give better insight into the program and the sport as a whole than Erin Miller. From her time as a star for OU to now going on her ninth season as an analyst for ESPN, she has seen the rise up close and personal.

With the Norman Regional this weekend at Love’s Field, let’s dive in. It’s time for another edition of The Family business with co-hosts Joe Castiglione Jr. and Isaac Stoops.

This week? Erin Miller.

Quotables

OU on its quest for a ridiculous fifth straight national championship?

“At the end of the day, I think a lot of championship teams will tell you this, you can’t trump experience at that level. I think that will carry OU pretty far in this tournament. Tradition never sleeps. That is Oklahoma. There is a pretty clear expectation at the University of Oklahoma.”

How were the freshmen and newcomers able to gel so fast?

“They quickly jumped in head first to meet the standard. They stepped up to the challenge, never backed down.”

The search, quest for a No. 2 pitcher to go with Sam Landry?

“It reminds me of the challenge of when Paige Parker was in the circle for us… The mental, physical pressure… We just wore her arm out. She was it, right? How do you manage a championship tournament? It’s a tough equation to solve. Someone will need to emerge and rise to that occasion for Sam and for this team.”

Watching sophomore Ella Parker make that leap?

“Ella Parker is such a stud. Ella Parker, to me, from a personal standpoint, a gentle giant. You watch her bloom and blossom on the field. Gritty, takes a violent hack is how I would describe her swing. There is just an X-factor about her. This next stage is going to be fun to witness.”

How does Patty Gasso do this year after year after year?

“I think Patty Gasso does a really good job, despite the video game-like numbers they have put up, at keeping those young women humble. She keeps their feet planted on the ground. There is no part of this program that thinks it’s all that. Or will have anything handed to them. That level of success, consistent success, it is a tough place to live. If there is one human who I know who can live in that place, it is Patty Gasso. And I think she does a phenomenal job at it.”

All that and a whole lot more in this week’s edition of The Family Business from SoonerScoop.

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