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OU softball gets another shot vs. Karlyn Pickens, this time at Women's College World Series

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•05/25/25•

BPrzybylo

Karlyn Pickens
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens. (Angelina Alcantar - Imagn Images)

Oh, there were going to be storylines galore for whoever OU softball was going to play in the first round of the Women’s College World Series.

The Sooners earned the No. 2 overall seed, meaning it was going to be matched up against either No. 7 Tennessee or unranked Nebraska.

Yep, either Karlyn Pickens or familiar face, Jordy Bahl. Pickens and Bahl were tremendous in the three-game Knoxville Super Regional.

Pickens got the edge, earning the 1-0 victory for the Vols on Sunday afternoon. The reward? Time to play OU again.

But Tennessee won’t be bothered by the Devon Park environment in Oklahoma City. The Vols came to Love’s Field and took two of three earlier this season. It marked the only home series loss for the Sooners, the four-time defending national champions.

And Pickens was a massive reason why. Pickens came in relief in a 5-2 win in eight innings in the first game. She threw 5.2 innings, allowing six hits, one run and striking out six.

After Kierston Deal was lights out in an OU 4-1 victory in Game 2, it was back to Pickens. She made one wrong pitch but survived.

Pickens allowed a three-run double to Kasidi Pickering to give OU a 3-0 lead. But the Vols answered right back and took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth. Pickens never let the Sooners score again.

She went the full seven innings, allowing four hits, walking three and striking out six to go 2-0 that weekend.

“Let’s be honest. She just threw a 78 mile-per-hour pitch,” said Pickering back in March. “If you saw the reaction, you have 0.31 seconds to react. Who’s doing that? Let’s be realistic. She’s one of the best SEC pitchers. She’s earned that right, she’s good. Nobody else is doing what she’s doing.”

Added captain Nelly McEnroe-Marinas:

“Exactly that,” she said. “Especially if you look at her, she’s very confident in herself. I think that makes her opponent bow up. Some people do, some people don’t. She’s just an all-around great player. I’ve heard she’s a great person, too. All around, she’s just good. It’s up to other teams to bow up.”

But if you believe in the OU revenge tour, then this is what you wanted. The Sooners got their first taste by taking out Alabama in the Super Regional. The Crimson Tide had taken two of three from OU in the regular season, too.

So here we go again. Tennessee and OU. Pickens vs. Sam Landry, and, of course, that OU offense. This is what it’s all about.

The Sooners are in the Women’s College World Series for the ninth straight time. Tennessee is back in Oklahoma City for the second time in three seasons.

The time has yet to be determined. It’ll be either 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Devon Park.

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