The school’s journey to the sixth national title this season spanned 62 games, of which 59 won and 41 ended in mercy. There were 155 home runs, 33 shutouts, and 8 no-hitters. This reflects the striking power as well as the skill of the pitching staff.
In the process, Star Slugger Joslyn Alo broke NCAA’s career record for the 122nd home run and many others. All-American Tiare Jennings set a record for the Women’s College World Series with 15 RBIs. And Jordy Bahl, a freshman phenom, finished the year with 207 strikeouts with 22-1 records, 1.16 ERA and 1451/3 innings.
Their statistics and superlatives have led to questions about the best Oklahoma locations in school and sports history. Some players avoided a direct answer after the win, but Patty Gasso turned the question over by asking his heart.
“I’ll let you decide,” Gasso told reporters. “You all have stats and so on. Everything they do looks so easy to me and they make it so fast that I rank them very high, if not the best. I was able to attach it. “
Oklahoma lost three games this season, including one-no. Another member of the Top 10 Oklahoma State team in 18 Texas in mid-April, a month later in the Big 12 title game. The latter 4-3 defeat is one of the team’s lowest scores this season and shows that Sooners did not win the regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2012.
“This team isn’t happy with the defeat,” Gasso said after the defeat. “It’s what they always seem to bounce even harder. They did it in Texas. They want to win the championship. When someone robs them of it, they react. “
Oklahoma crushed the next six opponents by 113-11 when the regional began. In the first game of the semi-finals, he lost to UCLA in 7-3 Game 1. This was revenge by Sooners at 15 on the brink of defeat. -Blueins 0 driving later that day.
Why focus on loss? It’s easier to count than records.
Alo has set a prolific record for this year’s College World Series. Having played in the match on Thursday, she already holds at least five WCWS records or shares them with Jennings. She is the only player in the history of the NCAA Division I Softball to lead the country in three different seasons of home runs.
Her team has more home runs, total bases and scores than any other team in the WCWS game. And that was after the Snurs started the season with a record of 38-0, the best start in Division I history. This season, the Snurs led the country in batting average (.371), ERA (1.05), home runs per game (2.5), home runs per game (9.34) and slugging percentage (.734).
Among stars such as Alo and Jennings, who led Division I at the RBI (Alo’s 85 was second and senior Grace Lion was 70 and sixth in Thailand), Oklahoma’s firepower was well known before this season. It was a product that was sold. When asked if the team could repeat, it focused on pitching (NicoleMay) after the program returned only one of the major pitchers.
However, Gasso reloaded Barr, who was named All-American this season, and North Texas transferee Hope Troutwayne, who recorded the first all-strike-out perfect game in NCAA Division I history last year. All three are ranked in the top 10 of ERA led by Trautwein (2nd), Bahl (5th) and May (10th). In the May part, she won a 20-0 victory over Texas A & M on May 22, sending the Snurs to Super Regional, marking the largest winning margin in NCAA tournament history.
UCLA has become the only team in Division I softball history to win three consecutive titles between 1988 and 1990. After being qualified for another year for the pandemic, Alo, one of the team’s five “super seniors,” will depart. But Jennings is in second grade, and so is Jida Coleman. Jumping robbery Helped to win the school’s fifth title in the last nine World Series.
When asked where the 2022 Oklahoma softball team fits into the history of softball, Alo was more decisive than her teammates. But she left the door open.
“I can say I’m a senior, but I think this is the best team,” Alo said. “But one thing about Sooner softball, and I’ve seen it year after year, they’re just getting better. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year, but they’re great too. I know I could be a candidate for my team. “
