Patty Gasso excited to reunite with Melyssa Lombardi as WCWS: 'It's a celebration'

Oklahoma softball has won four-straight national championships, including six of the last eight, seven of the last 11 and eight overall since 2000. Facing elimination on Sunday, Sooners head coach Patty Gasso will have to end the season of a few familiar faces if her squad wants to add to their historic total at the 2025 Women’s College World Series.

After falling to Texas 4-2 on Saturday, the Sooners will be in a win-or-go-home matchup against the Oregon Ducks — who are coached by Melyssa Lombardi — on Sunday. Lombardi, who played for Gasso at OU in the 1990s, went on to coach beside her for 20 seasons. Lombardi left in 2018 after spending 11 years as associate head coach to take the Oregon job. She’s added a bit of Oklahoma flare to her coaching staff in the years since.

“It’s a celebration,” Gasso said. “She has been with me for over 20 years. Like a sister to me. (Oregon assistant) 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. 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. 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.”

In total, Lombardi helped Gasso coach to four national championships, including the program’s first in 2000. Lombardi shared mutual respect to her longtime coach and colleague after Oregon defeated Ole Miss 6-5 in extra innings on Friday.

“There’s no drama,” Lombardi said. “It’s about continuing to compete and fight here at the College World Series. So whoever we play, we play. I feel really good about our team, and I’m excited to be standing here on Sunday.”

Sunday’s game won’t be the first time the two have faced off as opponents in the NCAA Tournament. The two squads met in the Norman Regional where the Sooners swept the Ducks in the tournament final.

Oregon will hope to get the better of the Sooners. However, Oklahoma is only a few wins away from making history — again. First pitch for the matchup in the WCWS