OU softball seniors leaving it all out there at Love's Field

There’s just that moment where it has hit for the OU softball seniors. You go about the season, game after game, week after week, and then, boom. This is it.

And what you do from there is one of two things. Either you tense up and let the moment eat at you. Or you embrace the final stage and attempt to go out with a bang.

The 2024 version of the OU softball team has actually had some ups and downs. The downs might have been very short-lived, but still, it was a different feeling.

But as OU enters the Super Regional, hosting No. 15 Florida State, no time to look back. Only looking ahead and trying to etch one last memory in Norman.

“Living in this space is hard and I think something that maybe isn’t talked about a lot and we go through day by day,” senior Alyssa Brito said. “Not really thinking about the fact that we’ve been in this position for so long. And I think for anyone, it can get tough and you can get to that point where you’re having to really have good conversations together.

“There wasn’t really anything in particular, but getting to that point now with knowing the goal that’s in mind, we had to step back and understand like, ‘OK it’s hard. It’s gonna be hard.’ Those are conversations that maybe not a lot of people on teams have and that’s OK. But for us, we had to really get into that and understand, how are we going to handle living in this space and moving forward, what are we going to do side by side?”

The Sooners and Seminoles meet up again in the best two-of-three battle. This time, it’s not in the championship series of the Women’s College World Series. One of these teams won’t even make it to Oklahoma City, as strange as that sounds.

It’s in Norman. And for the 10 seniors who have written their place in history, it’s a chance for their fitting final chapter at their new palace, Love’s Field.

“It has been challenging,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “I mean, it’s the fourth time that we’ve gone through this wringer. If it was up to this team or the ‘elders,’ they would want to skip the fall and have a training camp in January for six weeks… four weeks, four weeks, and then play a shortened season to get to where we are right now.

“Because they live for postseason. And that’s what the most fun is and it means something and you’re chasing something now and, you know, you’re looking for that trophy like everybody else. So right now we’re in the chase like everyone else, and I think they just want to be thought of sometimes like everyone else.”

Game 1 is 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday. Game 3 is Saturday, if necessary, at a time to be determined.

May going next level

Speaking of seniors rising to the moment, it describes pitcher Nicole May perfectly the last two weekends.

Going back to her relief outing vs. Texas in the Big 12 championship combined with her two solid outings during regional play, this is May saving her best stuff for the right time.

“Nicole has gone to another place,” Gasso said. “There’s a place where you want your seniors specifically because you want them to leave it all on the field and say ‘I did all that I could.’ And I think some of them get in a place where, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better.’

“I think Nicole has found this place. I could see it in her eyes and in her mannerisms and we feel really confident with where she’s at.”

Final word

“It’s all lined up for great television. It’s nighttime games. People want to see it. They want to see the two. Knowing one of you are not going to be at the World Series, and one of you are. And that’s worth watching, because we’re both going to fight to the end.” – Gasso on OU vs. FSU one more time