Oklahoma Softball: P Jordy Bahl 'Throwing a Little Bit' Ahead of Super Regional

OU's true freshman star is taking needed steps in working toward a return to the pitching circle.

Jordy Bahl is getting closer to a return for the Sooners.

The true freshman right-hander hasn’t played yet this postseason, after suffering from what OU head coach Patty Gasso label as “soreness” in Bahl’s pitching arm.

“The good news is Jordy’s been throwing a little bit in the bullpen,” Gasso said during a Zoom press conference on Wednesday. “… I don’t know exactly when. But we’re optimistic she’s going to be able to help this team.”

All season long, Bahl has been OU’s ace on the best pitching staff in the country.

With a record of 21-1, Bahl has struck out a team-high 199 batters while only allowing 29 walks, holding opponents to a .137 batting average.

But now the freshman has been sidelined through the Big 12 Tournament and regional play, something Gasso said has been tough on Bahl.

“She is a competitor. She’s extremely frustrated,” Gasso said. “She wants to get back where she was right now and it’s not the right way to do it.

“So we’ve got to get her to listen to what the doctor’s saying. Listen to what the trainer and the coaches are saying and just be patient.”

In the meantime, Bahl’s fellow pitchers have picked up the slack.

Nicole May and Hope Trautwein were steady throughout the Norman Regional, holding opponents to just two runs and only surrendering one walk all weekend.

The top-seeded Sooners now have their sights set on the 16-seeded UCF Knights, who will arrive in Norman with aspirations of pulling a massive upset to reach the program’s first Women’s College World Series this weekend.

Even without Bahl, the UCF offense is shaping up to be manageable. The Knights are currently hitting .300 as a team, just the 36th-best mark in the country.

Bahl’s competitive fire will continue to fuel her as she awaits her return. But Gasso said she’s just happy her young pitcher is nearing the point where she can again enter the circle for the Sooners.

“Her attitude is 'I want to go 100 percent right now,' ” Gasso said. “And we’re not able to do that at this moment.

“But she’s working toward that. And that is better news than I thought I would have going forward. So we’re excited.”

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