OU Softball: Patty Gasso big announcement exciting to teammates and proud fans

OU Softball: Patty Gasso is ‘Loving’ Her Team as Oklahoma Opens Play at Love’s Field

The No. 2-ranked Sooners are unbeaten and fresh off a fantastic weekend of work at the Getterman Classic in Waco.

NORMAN — The first two weekends couldn’t have gone much better for Oklahoma.

Patty Gasso’s new-look Sooners got tested throughout their California swing, and then OU made strides to dominate last weekend at the Getterman Classic in Waco, TX.

Now, the No. 2-ranked team in the land will get to make their full debut in front of hordes of Sooner fans at Love’s Field this weekend.

“I’m loving them right now,” Gasso said of her team on Tuesday. “They are just very hard working, they are fearless, they hustle, they’re strong, they play as a team, they’re somewhat intimidating on the field, they’re fast, they’re clutch — everything I’m looking for.

“I really, really enjoyed them this last weekend. I thought they played really, really well.”

Oklahoma is getting contributions from familiar faces.

Ella Parker has stacked back-to-back SEC Co-Player of the Week honors, and both Kasidi Pickering and Cydney Sanders have been excellent alongside her.

The newcomers, spearheaded by Abigale Dayton, look comfortable.

And OU’s pitching staff looks polished, as Campbell transfer Isabella Smith and Lousiana transfer Sam Landry have already thrown a five inning perfect game each.

“I really feel they’re very comfortable with each other,” Gasso said. “They fight. They fight as a team.”

The defense has been excellent, too, which has helped unlock a new dimension from some of OU’s new hurlers.

“Knowing how good our defense is and trusting them and trusting the coaches has allowed me to go in the strike zone a little bit more,” Landry said. “So if you look at my previous stats you’ll probably see I have a lot more walks even at this point in the season than I do this season. And that was just something because I always bit around the zone and I will admit I hated getting hit. But we’ve been working on that because it’s not that I hated getting hit, I just hated the ball getting put in play because I would get scared of what was going to happen sometimes.

“So I really trust our defense and I feel like it just really allows me to go at hitters because I know they’re going to make a play.”

Nelly McEnroe-Marinas has slotted in a third and been steady. BYU transfer Ailana Agbayani has been as advertised at second alongside Sanders at first, and a pair of talented freshmen continue to battle at shortstop.

Gabbie Garcia saw most of the action in the field during OU’s first weekend, and then Sydney Barker came alive at the plate in Waco.

She went 5-for-10 at the plate in two games each against Hofstra and Baylor, hitting two home runs, a triple and totaling 10 RBIs.

Putting the nerves of opening weekend in rearview was huge for Barker, but her continued work with OU associate head coach and hitting coach JT Gasso has paid dividends, too.

“It’s a lot about repetition,” Barker said. “Obviously hitting it hard at OU, we hit it hard every singled in the cages whether we’re able to get outside or we’re staying in. We just hit it hard every single day and so I think that makes just a huge difference.

“But also like Coach Gasso was saying, we’re just all so comfortable with each other and it’s kind of a feeling, I know my teammates are going to have my back as I have theirs. So it’s a very comfortable feeling going into these games this past weekend.”

Now, OU will have to get comfortable at Love’s Field.

The team got a taste of Oklahoma’s stomping grounds during fall ball, but there will be a different energy on opening day Saturday for all the new faces to get adjusted to.

“There’s 4,500 people here, it sounded as loud as the College World Series,” Gasso said. “It was just deafening to the ears. The sounds. It was fun, but we were playing very scared and nervous and tight, but we have gotten used to it. I hope this new team will feel it and get used to it quickly.”

Oklahoma will get going at 12 p.m. on Saturday against Abilene Christian, and then OU will take on Bowling Green after.

The Sooners will battle Wichita State and Tulsa on Sunday, staring at 11 a.m., before returning for one more contest against Abilene Christian on Monday at 1:30 p.m.