Love's Field is officially here for OU softball

It was never the reason to pick OU softball, but freshman Ella Parker remembers hearing something about a facility upgrade.

The championships. The camaraderie. Program, coaching staff, all of that absolutely went into Parker’s decision to be a Sooner.

But that facility upgrade? It’s here. We’ve gone step-by-step with the creation of Love’s Field. The announcement of it being finalized in October 2021. Breaking the ground, deciding on the date, watching it be built, been through it all.

And now it all leads to this weekend. OU is opening Love’s Field to the college softball world this weekend, hosting the annual OU Tournament.

For Parker, and the rest of her teammates, the moment has arrived.

“I remember it was always in the works,” said Parker earlier this week. “Just talking it out, and they were like, yea, sometime soon, it will happen. Being able to finally be here and see it all happen? It’s just so insane. It’s finally settling in.”

OU has had the target on its back for years now, and now it has the best facility in the country to go along with it.

The 2024 season has gone about as you would expect for the No. 1 team and three-time defending national champions.

The Sooners are 14-0, the undisputed No. 1 team and bring a 67-game winning streak to Love’s for the five-game weekend.

“I’m super excited just to be able to take what the alumni and everyone that has come before us at Marita Hynes and get to carry that over to Love’s Field and be able to start the future there, for sure,” sophomore pitcher Kierston Deal said. “I’m super excited to see what these underclassmen have to bring and see the future of Oklahoma softball.” 

The end of the 2023 season was about saying goodbye to Marita Hynes Field. It was as emotional as it gets whereas this week is more about the celebration. It’s celebrating how far this program, this sport has come under head coach Patty Gasso.

A recognition of all the hard work, of doing things the right way year after year. It’s all being rewarded this weekend.

That’s how it’s supposed to be for the No. 1 team. They’re supposed to have facilities like this. It has been earned.

“I feel like it’s very rewarding for the sport of softball,” freshman Kasidi Pickering said. “Like, this is what is expected for the No. 1 program. Like we love it here, but being able to play in a stadium that big, that holds that many people and knowing that we’ll sell it out any day is good for the sport I feel like. Just continuing to push.”

It’s not about forgetting the past. If you really ask Gasso to reflect, she’ll go back to the days of Reaves Park. So it’s not about talking down what Marita Hynes Field is or has been, but it’s time.

Gasso said “it’s time to move to a mansion” earlier this week. It’s time to move up. And what a move this is going to be.

The new facility will feature a 10,669 square-foot indoor training facility, which is more than double the size of the current training space. There will be several team spaces including a training room, locker room and classroom.

Love’s Field will also have space for a recognition area to showcase national championships, All-Americans and other outstanding accomplishments. The overall square footage of the complex to reach 44,000 compared to 15,168 at Marita Hynes Field and a capacity for 4,200 fans.

That last number is a jaw-dropper, especially with a sellout expected Friday. Marita Hynes could push toward 2,000 fans with some temporary seating. More than 4,000?!?! Maybe more impressive, though, is the opponent really won’t matter. The fans come to see the Sooners. The 4,000 mark will be hit repeatedly.

As Gasso has gotten older, she has admitted to soaking in the moment. She mentions repeatedly about last year and setting the regular season game record vs. Texas at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

Like just how far has this sport come has always been her logic.

Nothing will change this weekend. Yes, OU softball still has five games to play. And there would be no better way to open Love’s Field than with a 5-0 mark and all that good stuff.

But take a moment, whether it be so brief or emotional, and truly take it all in.

“We’re going to make sure we do that,” Gasso said. “I’m not going to let this be chaos and panic and rushing and rushing. We’re going to try to take it as slow as we can and to take it all in because there’s so much to see. There’s so much to look at. There’s things that are so new and bigger and better and it’s going to take us some time to get used to all of it.

“And really, truly, having a 360-encompassing, looking down at us — it’s going to be a wow factor. It might take your breath away for a minute. And I just want to make sure we’re all together and we’re trying to take this all in together.”

It’ll mean something different to everybody. To players like Kinzie Hansen and Tiare Jennings, they know the work that was accomplished in order to make this happen.

You can’t take it for granted when you know the sacrifices that were done, season after season, always competing, striving for more.

“Definitely eyes a little bit wide,” senior captain Kinzie Hansen said. “We came, Tiare and I came on our first-ever visits here at Marita and our eyes were wide here. We were like 12 years old and now we’re 21, 22 years old walking through Love’s stadium just kind of in awe a little bit and just feeling super grateful that we’re a part of the legacy here because the past four years have been tremendous for our sport.”

Whether it’s Hansen and all her memories or it’s Karlie Keeney, who simply wants to make some of her own. There is a pride that comes along with this weekend and this season.

“I think it’s just the fact that it is so unprecedented in this sport’s history,” super senior pitcher Karlie Keeney said. “We’re getting to be the first to do something. I know as I walked on Love’s Field that I felt extremely blessed with the history of players who have been here. To be on the first team that gets to play there is super special. I’m grateful for that.”

All the winning and championships, but it was still questionable as to whether Love’s Field would get over that hump.

Donors were being generous, no doubt, but a lot of funding was needed.

When values align with each other, it’s easy for a partnership to form. It’s what Gasso believes happened with Jenny Love and the Love family. And the rest is, well, history.

“There was a lot of talk about it. There were plans coming out, things like that,” said Gasso when asked by SoonerScoop. “We needed it. Everyone knew we needed it. We just needed the money. But when I met Jenny Love here — right here in this classroom — she got to meet our team. She kind of talked to our team a little bit about what she does for a living. She wanted a tour around the stadium. We just created a relationship. My husband Jim Gasso was very connected with Jenny as well. And really entertained her during games and I think the bug kind of got in her ear. And she just started cultivating it.

“I guess they have Love family dinners every Sunday where they talk business and OU softball came up and it just started gathering traction and the family was coming out during the World Series and really enjoying who we are as a team, but who these athletes are as young women and what they stand for.

“It seemed like our core values really aligned with each other. And that’s when they decided to take us over the edge. But we were getting close because some very generous donors out there were really wanting to see this happen. But the Love donation or the money that they gave took us over the edge to get this started.”

It’s honoring all those who have come before for OU. Celebrating all those who are there now and looking forward to what’s to come. It’s an absolute game-changer.

Nothing else to say. It’s time to play ball.