OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — As Oklahoma’s Kelly Maxwell stormed out of the bullpen, outfield fans turned their attention to left field. The Sooners were four outs away from the national championship and Maxwell’s entrance was met with enthusiasm and collective deep breaths.
The Sooners already felt like they were in control of their own destiny, but coach Patty Gasso said no. 1 They were putting on an ace to close out this championship series against Texas. Maxwell, who would later be named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women’s College World Series, did just that. The Sooners won 8-4 to sweep the championship series, making Oklahoma the first team in college softball history to win four consecutive national championships.
Oklahoma is no stranger to this stage, but players and Gasso continue to point out the challenges of reaching this level of success. The pressure has been especially heightened this season, senior outfielder Jada Coleman said.
“If we went on and lost a game, two games, to Texas, everyone had an opinion about us,” Coleman said. “It was disappointing just to see everyone on Twitter. TikTok was hoping there was someone else besides us.”
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She shrugged. “well… Because that didn’t happen… ”
With eight national titles and 17 WCWS appearances since 2000, Oklahoma’s dynasty has been a long time in the making. Over the last four national championship seasons, OU has compiled a record of 235-15.
Coaches Patty Gasso and Kelly Maxwell led Oklahoma to four consecutive national titles. (USA Today)
As the victories piled up, so did skepticism. Oklahoma has lost more games this season (seven) than since 2017. Texas knocked off the Sooners, who clinched the No. 1 seed spot in this year’s NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. Skeptics pointed to this as a sign of vulnerability, and mention of the home crowd advantage OU enjoys by playing the WCWS 20 miles away from campus sparked conversations about frustration and the cycle of events.
“It’s probably the hardest coaching season I’ve ever had because of the amount of naysayers,” Gasso said. “What really stood out was that the Heavy had a crowned head. I heard someone say that. That felt so true. “I’m really exhausted.”
But as the noise around the team increased, Oklahoma maintained its identity on the field.
“Love us or hate us, I think there should be some respect for what we’ve done for softball and women’s sports.” Senior pitcher Nicole May said. “It’s been amazing to see the growth of this sport, and I hope to see it continue to grow.”
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Texas coach Mike White cited Oklahoma’s ability to “get our best players back in the program and keep them involved” as one of the factors that keeps the Sooners on top. Freshman outfielder Kayden Henry and sophomore infielder Viviana Martinez pointed to the Sooners’ veteran roster as the biggest difference. Oklahoma’s 10-player senior class anchored each championship game.
That class includes Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Rylie Boone, Alyssa Brito and Kinzie Hansen, all of whom rank in the top 10 in program history in career batting average. Maxwell’s trio of May and Carly Kinney, who transferred to OU from rival Oklahoma State this season, will lead the pitching staff. Infielder Alynah Torres and utility player Riley Ludlam round out the dynasty’s senior class. Five players who have been at OU since the start of their careers – Coleman, Jennings, Boone, Hanson and May – have never made it through the postseason without a national title.
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“They will go down in history, not just at OU. But I personally would say this is one of the best classes in softball in the country. I’m proud of it,” Gasso said. “It’s easy to say we’ve had enough. This is difficult and we have had enough. But they are elite athletes. “I work hard and work hard whether I want to or not.”
But what Gasso has accomplished in Norman will not end with their departure. This is where new students come in. Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering are two freshmen who broke into the starting lineup this season and haven’t shied away from the postseason spotlight.
Parker went 3-for-4 in the Sooners’ elimination game against Florida, hitting a game-tying RBI to send the game into extra innings. She ended her season with a batting average of .415, her best on the team. Pickering hit a home run in every game of the Championship Series. Both freshmen were named to the WCWS All-Tournament team.
“I give all the credit to my seniors,” Pickering said. “After every at-bat, my senior came and talked to me and helped me with my mentality for the upcoming at-bat, so I gave it my all.”
When asked if he felt any pressure to inherit what his predecessors left behind, Pickering quickly answered no.
Oklahoma is on the verge of a move to the SEC, which sent all 13 of its softball teams to the NCAA Tournament. The realignment will introduce a new level of competition. The Sooners also welcome an eight-player class ranked first in the country by extra innings of softball in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Of course, the unprecedented record of five in a row is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
“We need (new students). They’re doing a great job offensively,” Gasso said. “There are a lot of young pitchers out there who are watching and learning and waiting for their number to be called. “The future will continue to be bright even without these 10 seniors.”
Hansen, Keeney and Jennings will return as graduate assistants next year, Gasso said. But even as the players who made up the dynasty move on, the man behind each championship run remains Gasso.
“I’m ready to start coaching again because I don’t have to do it again.” Gasso said, pointing to the seniors next to him. “They know. They have it. They coach each other. I’m really excited to see what happens next.”
Thursday night’s parade with teary eyes and championship trophies in hand as Oklahoma took to the outfield to celebrate felt both familiar and exhilarating. Like an ace entering the game at a crucial moment, the final hurrah has finally arrived. This chapter in OU’s history concluded with a sense of accomplishment and relief that history had been made once again.
“This piece definitely had a more sentimental feel. We grew up together,” Hansen said. “There were no heroes at the plate or on the mound or anything like that. This was a team effort. We fought all season. Everyone always had something to say about us. People left us out. It was just a grind. Both mentally and physically. We fought all year. “In this moment, it was all worth it.”
(Top photo: Tyler Schank / NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
