OU must lock back in, taking on Oregon in 'celebration' WCWS moment

OKLAHOMA CITY – All season OU softball head coach Patty Gasso has talked about how exciting 2025 has been for her ability to coach again.

Obviously, it was never meant as disrespect to the legendary group of seniors that left 2024 with another national championship.

But Sunday is going to be one of those moments Gasso is talking about. It’s win or go home, and maybe a little bit earlier than OU softball is accustomed to.

The Sooners take on Oregon at 6 p.m. Sunday. Win? Advance to the semifinals and have to beat Texas Tech twice Monday to get to the championship series.

Lose? The quest for a fifth straight national championship is officially over.

“We’re not done yet,” Gasso said. “And that’s what’s really exciting for me is. I just am really looking forward to seeing our response and rebound with this team.

“For me, it is going to mean the world because it’s going to take us into the next couple of years. So these young players are feeling this and they’ll be able to preach it to the new ones that are coming in. But we’re not done yet, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of what this group is doing and how they’ve gotten here, and I just am really anxious to see how they go forward.”

Going forward means a return date against the Ducks. Oregon came to OU for the Norman Regional in 2024, with the Sooners coming out on top.

And going forward means another chance to go head-to-head with Oregon head coach and incredibly close friend, Melyssa Lombardi.

It’ll be next-level competitive, for sure. However, there’s also going to be a feeling of look what we’ve built together at OU and now apart in Eugene and Norman.

“I haven’t thought about it quite yet,” said Gasso immediately after the 4-2 loss to Texas on Saturday. “But we’ll get ourselves ready for it. It’s a celebration. I mean, she has been with me for over 20 years, like a sister to me, an older sister to me.

Syd Romero is one of my all-time favorites. Sam Marder worked with us. We know them very well. It’s going to be a battle. We’re both fighting for our teams, but at the same time there’s absolute mutual respect, which feels good in this game, to feel like you can feel that way against a team that you’re playing against.

“I already know it’s going to be done professionally and the right way. And that means a lot to me. If it’s not going to be us, I want it to be them. I’ll say that very clearly and out loud because they’ve lived in our program and their program, I think, might mimic us a little bit by the way she’s coaching, but I take that as a complete honor.”

Here comes Grein

There might be a question about who OU is throwing in the circle to begin things, perhaps leaning toward Kierston Deal.

No such issue, after all, for the Ducks. It’s going to be Lyndsey Grein. She improved to 30-2 this season in a remarkably gutty effort in a 6-5 victory against Ole Miss in 10 innings in Friday’s elimination game.

Grien threw 9.1 innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs with three walks and seven strikeouts. She threw 144 pitches but got that rest time Saturday.

Oregon has 173 stolen bases this season.