OU softball trying to reach that 'turn the corner' moment

It doesn’t happen all the time, but every now and then OU softball head coach Patty Gasso has to remind herself where this 2025 team is.

Or maybe more accurately, where this team has not been. Although there’s nothing wrong at all with a 36-5 overall start, there are certain situations this group of Sooners just hasn’t been exactly ready for.

That’s how it played out over the weekend at Alabama. In a tight series, OU dropped two of three to lose its second straight SEC series and fall to 10-5 in conference play.

A sign of things to come because from this point forward? It’s only to get tougher.

“And, and we’re just kind of unassuming, right? And just kind of, okay,” Gasso said. “Then the crowd, they were loud. It was the loudest place we’ve been to. Hall of Fame, you could feel it, but it’s different when you know it’s for you and it’s quite different when you know it’s against you.

“And some of that played into, I believe, some of our mindsets and that’s the advantage of having a home field advantage. And Pat Murphy has done a very good job of building up a good fan base and they’re very passionate. I think probably in all of their sports, but I think it, it kind of messed with our heads a little bit. We just could not get our swings off. We felt like we were looking at too many strikes, were hesitant. There was just not a free flowing.”

The Crimson Tide have the championship pedigree, but based on rankings? The next three weekends are all expected to be tougher for the second-ranked Sooners.

That begins with a trip to Devon Park on Friday afternoon to take on No. 16 Mississippi State. Originally scheduled for an evening first pitch, it has been moved to 4 p.m. to try to beat the weather that is expected all weekend.

After a red-hot 6-0 start in conference play, OU has gone 4-5 since. Lessons learned, for sure, now OU has to really learn from it and move forward.

“There’s another lesson that we get to take with us because we’re going to feel this again when we go to Florida,” Gasso said. “And now we know how people feel when they come to the World Series and it was like, ‘oh, Oklahoma, you know, the World Series.’ We didn’t make it be there, right? It’s there and we take advantage of it. And that’s what happens.

“I mean, we felt that, we truly felt that this wasn’t, this is the difference with SEC. The environment is a whole different level.”

Gasso had a little throwback moment earlier this week. It’s time for this group to start realizing what the next six weeks is all about.

You’re going to have to reach that level, sooner or later.

“We were encouraging them, and it wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was hoping for,” Gasso said. “But when you bring the bright lights and I think – grateful we’re at home. Think we can start getting that feeling again. We have to, have to figure this out.

“I have to count on some of these guys that have been here. But still some of them here have not had a ton of experience. There are times when I’m stepping in and I’m the one that’s trying to create some of this the best I can. We’re going to get there. I know that, I will guarantee you. We’re going to get there.”

Games two and three of the series are set for Love’s Field for a doubleheader Sunday. Weather once again impacting the original schedule. First game will be 2 p.m., then 40 minutes after will be the final game. No softball Saturday.

Scouting Mississippi State

“They swing, swing, swing. Our pitching staff has to be really good. They have 66 home runs, have big power numbers. Very balanced, more than ever before. They have got the power. They have speed, over 45 stolen bases. Their defense has improved, pitching has improved. Not that they weren’t good last year, they were, made postseason. This is a different team. A team that can get themselves to a Super Regional and potentially get to the World Series.” – Gasso