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Oklahoma

OU softball spreads the wealth, gains postseason experience

Bob Przybyloby: Bob Przybylo05/19/25BPrzybylo
Corri Hicks2
OU freshman Corri Hicks. (Bryan Terry - Imagn Images)

OU softball came into last weekend with a solid plan. But ask No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M about having a plan and being able to execute it.

The Aggies have become the first No. 1 seed to not reach the Super Regional round, being ousted in a thrilling weekend against Liberty.

No such drama at OU and Love’s Field. The Sooners played 15 innings in three games and outscoring Norman Regional opponents 31-3, punctuated by a 12-1 five-inning run-rule rout of Cal for the championship.

A 12-1 score that, well, allowed head coach Patty Gasso to get some younger players in. And get some pitchers into the act as well.

“It’s important. This is a big moment, and you can feel it,” Gasso said. “It definitely feels different than a regular SEC game. It has that championship feel about it. And to get our pitchers on the mound, extremely important. They kind of come first, and each one of them had an opportunity, giving some of these other guys who’ve been waiting. They’re training, and they’re waiting, and they’re waiting, and they’re waiting.

“And to get that opportunity, what I love about them, some of them took walks when they could have just swung out of their shoes. Like, here’s my one shot. They took a walk for the team, came around to score. That’s maturity and approach and the gamesmanship that they understand about walks turning to runs.

“And so they gave up their opportunity to swing, and they probably would have swung at anything. But that’s what I love about them, is that they get it. They get what we’re trying to do.”

Gasso took an informal poll following Friday’s victory about who had ever playing in an NCAA regional, and she remembers seven hands going up. That’s it.

So whether it was Isabella Smith in the circle or a Chaney Helton pinch-running or Tia Milloy or Corri Hicks, any experience was valuable experience. Just keep passing that bat.

Hicks made her moment count, hitting a solo home run to walk-off the initial win of the weekend against Boston.

Things should get a lot tougher this weekend with No. 15 Alabama coming to Love’s Field. The Crimson Tide took two of three from the Sooners in Tuscaloosa last month.

Game 1 is set for 4 p.m. Friday on ESPN2, with Game 2 scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday. If there is a Game 3, it will be Sunday at a time and TV network to be determined.

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