OU softball notebook: Love's Field logistics

You might have heard Love’s Field is opening this weekend for OU softball. Everybody is understandably excited and ready to get the OU Tournament underway.

But it’s not exactly finished. It’s playable, absolutely. However, Love’s Field is far from a finished product as the calendar turns to March.

So even though OU will be at home, its new home, there will still be some adjustments. There will be some logistical issues to battle until Love’s is operating at 100 percent.

“A lot of our staging is going to be here at Marita Hynes,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “Our warm ups will happen here, our hitting at least. We can use the indoor facility at Love’s Field to do our warm ups and running and things like that.

“But all of our hitting will be here. We’ve got shuttles moving teams back and forth. So that’ll be a little bit challenging. They’ll dress here, they’ll come back and change out of their uniforms here. But it doesn’t matter. We’re playing on it so who cares what we have to do. We will walk. We’ll do whatever we have to do to get on that field this weekend.”

Pitching in mid-season form

The OU pitching has been ridiculous during the 14-0 start this season. It’s only natural to wonder if they’re being too good too fast, but this six-person rotation is working.

And it was Kierston Deal last weekend who became the first OU pitcher to get a seven-inning complete game. Not Nicole May or Kelly Maxwell, but Deal.

That’s the strength, depth of the arms for Gasso to work with. 

“I think our pitching staff has been our strength, thus far,” Gasso said. “So I’m very comfortable with our pitching staff and what they’re doing and tag teaming with each other. You’ve got Kierston Deal threw great, wanted to let her keep going, just what works, just done a really good job as a staff. Try to keep them with innings.”

Keeney hitting her stride

It’s a much different role for transfer pitcher Karlie Keeney, but she is fitting right in. She’s not the workhorse for the Sooners, doesn’t have to be.

But she’s fully recovered from her broken finger and has found a spot for OU.

“This was the first major injury I’ve ever had, so just that aspect alone was challenging,” Keeney said. “But I’ve had great people around me, from Day 1. The doctors, surgeons, all of the medical staff. So it was tough, but with great people around you, it’s easy. So once I was healed, it was like, ‘All right, let’s go. No more worry about the pinkie.’

“I think it gave me a whole new perspective. I’ve never really been able to sit back and view things differently. I’ve always been kind of go, go, go. Always the one pitching. And so being able to sit back and look at other pitchers’ bullpens, listen to what Coach Rocha was saying to them, and looking at different statistics and things like that and being able to kind of decipher things from a Coach Rocha point of view really helped me to understand the game more.”

Keeney has not allowed a run in 17 innings. She’s given up 11 hits with eight strikeouts and has a 2-0 record with one save.

Sizing up the OU Tournament

Oh yea, there are games that have to be played this weekend as well. It’s not just a celebration for OU softball. The No. 1-ranked team will have to balance the emotions and play at a high level.

Game 1: Miami (Ohio) at OU – 2 p.m. Friday
Game 2: Liberty at OU – 5 p.m. Friday
Game 3: Louisiana at OU – 11 a.m. Saturday
Game 4: Liberty at OU – 1:45 p.m. Saturday
Game 5: Louisiana at OU – 12:30 p.m. Sunday

“Who we’re playing this weekend? Dot Richardson from Liberty, they’re always competitive,” Gasso said. “I think they’re having a little bit of a rough start but they’re always competitive. And I personally wanted her to be here for the opening so that meant a lot to me that she would do that.

“Miami of Ohio, we took that trip out there last year, they’re returning the trip and they’ve played hard, they’re going to push us. I think they’re record is 10-2 or something very respectful. And Louisiana is always in postseason, always usually in the top 25, they played a heavy-heavy schedule. And they have some losses, but they’re close losses. They almost beat Texas the other day. And Gerry Glasco was a great coach who gets the most out of his players. So you’re going to see some extremely competitive softball this weekend.”