UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL 1ST IN THE LAND

You’ve got to figure that the University of Oklahoma’s softball team was in a hurray to take the field, for despite this coronavirus pandemic, it has just rolled along from day one until Saturday’s doubleheader that has it in sole possession of number one in the country’s NCAA Division.

It’s no surprise that it was fielding another good lineup, for under under coach Patty Gasso it has won four national championships, with all coming 45 miles south of its main campus in Norman at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. And when the Sooners play there, tickets are scarce and they usually make up three quarters of the capacity crowd. And with the titles won, it has made 17 appearances at its home away from home.

And just a glance at their present softball state of mind puts them on the road to yet another national tournament. Yes, this edition of the red and white has all the main ingredients needed to reach the elite eight that becomes the Final Four, that becomes the yellow ball clash to hoist the championship trophy.

Right off the bat, O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A made a statement. In the February 11th season opener played at Texas El Paso, it led off with a 29-0 mercy-rule whooping of the home side that included a record 10 home runs all in the first inning. It was followed that day with a 9-0 shutdown of Abilene Christian, and the next morning a 7-0 triumph over Abilene Christian, that wound up with a 12-4 victory over Houston. Four games, 62 runs scored, only four allowed, and 20 total home runs.

That moved the Sooners from the pre-season No. 4 rankings to No. 1, top of the heap. Eleven more wins followed, nine were shutouts that made for 10 in all. After Saturday morning‘s 5-2 success over visiting unbeaten Missouri, which had Florida State as one of its victims. Now they have clouted 50 round-trippers for an average of three per game. In game two, it was a 7-0 mercy-rule win over Louisiana-Monroe, and their seventh that was called in five innings.

With a Sunday contest today against Missouri on the menu, Oklahoma has now crossed the plate 132 times while yielding only a

dozen.

Said Grasso, who is in her 22nd season at the helm of the Sooners, said in between games Saturday: “Yes, we’re putting it all together, and I could see it coming before the season even began. Everybody was belting the ball, hitting to all fields, playing very well in the field, and all of our seven pitchers were looking sharp. I’d say they were anxious to get into the regular season.”

And judging by their awesome start, that’s obvious.

The Sooners last carried the championship trophy back to Norman was in 2017 when they defeated Florida, 5-4, in the final for back-to-back honors that followed the 2016 2-1 final over Auburn. They won their first in 2000 via a 3-1 victory over UCLA, and in 2013 blanked Tennessee, 4-0. In 2019, they gained the final versus top-ranked UCLA, and lost a best-of-three, losing game one, winning game two, then losing game three in extra innings on a two-out single.

UCLA has won the championship 12 times out of 32 appearances. Next comes Arizona with 27 appearances bringing four titles, and Arizona State has claimed four titles in 19 appearances in Oklahoma City. Then there’s Texas A & M with a dozen appearances that brought three championships.

It’s no surprise that senior left fielder Jocelyn Alo is leading the way in home runs with 10. She has led the team over the last four seasons. Next comes senior catcher Lynnsie Elam, senior right fielder Nicole Mendes, and junior shortstop Grace Lyons with six each. Three each have been powered by sophomore second baseman Mackenzie Donihoo,  sophomore catcher Kinzie

Hansen, freshman third baseman Zaida Puni, and sophomore utility player Raylee Pogue.

It’s a roster of four seniors, three juniors, six sophomores, and four freshmen. Eight players hail from Oklahoma, four from California, two from Texas, and one each from Arizona, Florida and Georgia.

The pitching has contributed well. They have a staff of seven, five righthanders and a pair of southpaws. The ace is three-year senior lefty starter Giselle Juarez, and righthanded senior Shannon Saile who is also in her third season, plus sophomore righty Brooke Vestal in her second season. The other southpaw is sophomore Alana Thiede now in her seocnd year, Any of them is capable of starting, working the middle innings, and finishing.

Two impressive victories came at nationally ranked Arizona State, one a 3-0 zip followed by a 5-3 win. Coming up could be tough tests at Iowa State, at Baylor, and home to Texas, and home to Texas Tech, all Big 12 opponents. Then comes the three clashes  at state-rival Oklahoma City on May 7, 8, 9.  Then there’s March 13 and 14 contests versus Liberty, the first at Hall of Fame Stadium, and the next day at Martha Hines Field in Norman. If fans are allowed in the stands, there should be plenty more support for Oklahoma.

Grasso has been a head softball coach for 30 years, 22 at Oklahoma, where she has compiled a record 1,292 wins and 340 losses for a .791 percentage. There, she was won 17 Big 12 championships and being named Coach of the Year 12 times. She has had 88 All-Americas, 144 All-Region, and 100 Big 12 First Teamers. In the Big 12 she has a record of 343-85 for a .801 percentage.

Her son, JT Grasso, is the assistant coach who deals mainly with the pitchers. Two former Sooner standouts, third baseman Sydney Romero, and shortstop Kelsey Arnold, are also on the coaching staff, Romero as as student assistant, and Arnold as a graduate assistant.