Jayda Coleman's epic walk-off tops 2024 OU softball moments
It has almost been a week since OU softball made history. A week since the Sooners captured their fourth straight national championship.
Head coach Patty Gasso has no choice but to rebuild (reload?) after losing 10 seniors from one of the most iconic senior classes ever. Especially the five that were there the whole time.
As we wrap up the 2024 season, a final look at the Women’s College World Series moments. You know the ones. The ones that had you screaming at the top of your lungs and jumping out of your chair.
Top Five WCWS Moments
No. 5 Maxwell dominates Bruins
We start with Game 2 for OU against UCLA. A career-defining performance from pitcher Kelly Maxwell. This is the outing you point toward in saying Maxwell is an all-time great. Or will forever be accepted by OU fans. The Sooners only won 1-0, and that’s all they needed because Maxwell was so lights out against a solid UCLA club.
No. 4 Sanders clears the bases
In Game 2 of the championship series, it was Texas that had the 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. It was Texas that looked like it wanted to fight. But one swing from Cydney Sanders changed everything. Changed the course of history. With bases loaded and one out, Sanders brought ‘em all home with a rocket in the right-center gap. From down 3-2 to up 5-3, and the rest was history.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Brady Cook injury
Mizzou QB doubtful to play vs. Alabama
- 2Hot
AJ McCarron slams Bama
'Everyone's worried about f-----g TikTok'
- 3
Coach Prime
Deion Sanders, Colorado are for real
- 4
Not alright, alright
McConaughey admonishes Texas fans
- 5
Travis Hunter
Deion Sanders shares Buffs star will play Saturday vs. Cincinnati
No. 3 Maxwell closes the door
Maybe not even the four outs Maxwell pitched to save the championship-clinching game. How about just the aura? The sense of dread for Texas? When Gasso looked to Maxwell to be pitcher No. 5 of that night, it was over. Maxwell wasn’t about to give up a 5-3 WCWS lead. After 267 pitches the previous two games, this was more of a curtain call and a dominating finish.
No. 2: Jennings gets the party started
Texas had to win Game 1, right? The Longhorns had a day off, and OU went eight innings against Florida. That logic got thrown out the window with one last home run by Tiare Jennings. The co-captain crushed a two-run bomb in the top of the first. Whatever fatigue OU might have felt was long gone. It was time to Beat Texas.
No. 1: Coleman etches name in history
Uh, duh. There cannot be another. Just like Kinzie Hansen and her three-run home run vs. Clemson in the 2023 Super Regional. You will always know where you were last Tuesday when Jayda Coleman sent the Sooners back to the WCWS championship series. Reeling, on the brink of defeat vs. Florida, and OU fought back. Bottom of the eighth inning, and history. Coleman with the opposite field walk-off homer to punctuate a thrilling two-game set vs. the Gators. OU didn’t have to win vs. UT because of it, but you sure felt like the Sooners were about to accomplish a four-peat. And of course, they would two days later.
