Oklahoma's Mackenzie Donihoo 'Doing What's Best' for Herself in Absence From the Team
Oklahoma will be without Mackenzie Donihoo for the near future.
After not making the trip to Austin with the team against Texas, Patty Gasso confirmed the junior outfielder has taken a step back from the team at this time.
“Right now all I can say is Lou is taking care of Lou and what’s best for Lou, and that’s about it,” Gasso said on Tuesday. “Kind of more of personal, just leave it at that.
“Lou is doing what’s best for Lou right now.”
The OU outfielder was a standout player in last year’s Women’s College World Series, but to this point has been unable to recapture that magic thus far in 2022.
So far this year, Donihoo has a .250 batting average, hitting one home run and drawing seven walks while striking out 11 times. Her numbers have dropped from the .432 batting average she posted last year, where she launched nine home runs, drew 20 walks and struck out 23 times.
Donihoo’s fielding percentage has taken a small dip as well, falling to .846 percent from her .981 fielding mark in 2021.
Unfortunately for Donihoo, her early-season drop-off in form has coincided with excellent play from both Rylie Boone and Alyssa Brito, who have taken steps forward to lock down spots in the outfield.
Boone currently ranks third on the team with a .444 batting average, and Brito ranks seventh with a .358 average. Brito has also added some power to her game, already equaling her home run total from last season with 10 bombs.
The frustration with the situation came to a head after OU’s series against Texas Tech, after which Donihoo took a step back to recalibrate.
Donihoo is still a member of the team, and the door is open to rejoin as the regular season winds down over the next few weeks for the Sooners. Oklahoma is in prime position to defend its National Championship crown, as the No. 1-ranked Sooners are 38-1 having just dropped their first game of the season.
Up next, OU travels to North Texas on Wednesday night for a mid-week battle before returning home to host a three-game series against the Iowa State Cyclones this weekend.
Want to join the discussion? Click here to become a member of the AllSooners message board community today!
Sign up for your premium membership to AllSooners.com today, and get access to the entire Fan Nation premium network!
Follow AllSooners on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest OU news.