Best of OU HC Patty Gasso: Final road trip time
Have we really already reached that point of the season for OU softball? Feels like just yesterday we were wondering if Tiare Jennings could play shortstop for OU.
Here we are, final weekend of April. And it will be the last road trip for the Sooners as No. 2 OU heads to Central Florida for a three-game set from Friday-Sunday.
After that? Everything will be in Norman or Oklahoma City. It’s about that time. But first? Don’t overlook UCF. The best of the best from head coach Patty Gasso.
Final road trip? Really, already?
“I mean I think we just want consistency. We’re getting — we’re able to win games. We’re winning a lot of games. We’re still in charge of our own destiny. So it’s more of I think not — I think it’s have zero regrets as we go through this and finish it. And look out for your teammates. Communicate with your teammates. Check on your teammates. Sometimes we get lost in what we’re doing here and the expectations are grand and it sometimes can get just really tiring. And they’ve been doing it now for their fourth year in a row and it’s hard to outdo yourself year after year. And that’s something that we really want to just put on the back burner. Forget that. Just stay in the moment. Go do this pitch by pitch, inning by inning.”
Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Kierston Deal going next-level?
“I think she used the word intent. What is my intent on the mound. And she has really grown into this and matured into this. She’s had two fabulous outings. You can see her body language, confidence, and it really doesn’t get shaken. And that is the right time for that pitcher to be firing on all cylinders. I think Nicole May threw okay last weekend as well. Again, the expectations. Pitchers give up runs. But we’re in a good place so if you do it in the seventh, I think we’re okay. Kelly has done that a few times and it’s just the idea of understanding that we’re not perfect but we’re going to grind and we’re going to face our challenges and do it like women.”
Is practice better this time of year instead of midweek game?
“I like practicing. I’ve always loved practicing because I can really set up. I can create a practice that really and truly works on the things we need to work on versus maybe playing an OK opponent and having good success but maybe we’re not getting better because of it. So I think practice is when you can really set up environments and pressure and stress and moments and see who’s there for it. So I like practice.”
The Big 12 is still a race?
“As frustrated as I might sound or we might sound, we are still deciding our own destiny here, right? I love the idea that our last weekend will be at home. It’s gonna be huge. I know it’s gonna be a hot-ticket item in town. And it’s a real big chance for the Sooners to step up and say we own this stadium. I want to see them bow up. This weekend is gonna be a great weekend for that because this is not gonna be easy by any means. I think the next two weeks are really gonna tell us a big story.”
