All Sooners

Oklahoma's 'Glue', Grace Green Stole the Show During OU's Senior Weekend

Super senior Grace Green blasted a three-run bomb in her only plate appearance on Saturday, as she continues to deliver anytime Patty Gasso calls upon her at Oklahoma.

Ryan Chapman

NORMAN — Of Oklahoma’s three home runs on Saturday, one stood out above the others.

Super senior Grace Green stepped into the batter’s box in the fourth inning and delivered am moment of magic.

Making her 19th appearance of the season, Green blasted a three-run shot to cap off the day.

A testament to her standing within the program, Marita Hynes Field erupted for Green as soon as the ball cleared the fence, and her teammates immediately flooded out of the dugout to greet her at home plate with the biggest smiles of the day.

“Well first I almost lapped Sophia (Nugent),” Green joked about the moment after the game. “I was going a little too hard.

“… I was very excited. My family’s here and they haven’t been able to come a lot this year. And so for them to see that was really big.

“And also my team absolutely just went insane. And that’s so cool. And that’s what I think makes this team so special is everyone is cheering for everybody.”

SB - Grace Green
Grace Green's Oklahoma teammates flooded out of the dugout to celebrate her home run against Kansas on Saturday  :: Photo used with permission: Ty Russell / OU Athletics

Green’s Oklahoma career started with a bang.

She started 61 of OU’s 63 games, batting .359 and blasting 17 home runs while finishing with a .712 slugging percentage.

Green earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, and was named a 2019 NFCA Third-Team All-American.

She then played 24 games in the shortened 2020 season before seeing her role change.

Green still appeared in 40 contests as the Sooners marched to a national title in 2021, but she started 11 games.

Last year, Green played in 29 games, and hit three home runs and drove in 10 RBIs.

Instead of hitting the transfer portal, she stayed in Norman for her final season, a dedication that isn’t lost on OU coach Patty Gasso.

“You just want it for her, you know?” Gasso said after a flood of emotion poured out when talking about Green.

“Underappreciated. But the glue of this team. And I know it, but I don’t know that a lot of other people know it. So I trust her.

“She’s the most team-oriented player I’ve ever had. And I appreciate that she’s stuck with this program.”

Green’s bomb was her second of the 2023 campaign, and it brought her RBI total up to eight this year.

She’s continued to deliver for the Sooners, no matter how her role has changed, and Green again displayed her versatility and power in OU’s final home series of the regular season.

Green, alongside Oklahoma’s other three seniors in Grace Lyons, Alex Storako and Haley Lee, will have one last chance to put on a show for the Sooner faithful in the regular season.

The series finale between the Sooners and the Jayhawks will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, and a win will give Oklahoma sole possession of the Big 12 regular season title.

OU will presumably play a handful of other home games this season, as the Sooners will host regional and super regional play in the NCAA Tournament, but Green will cherish her senior moment from Saturday.

“Just seeing my team’s reaction was amazing,” Green said. “And it just felt — I don’t know. It just felt awesome to know that everyone’s got each other’s back.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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