OU Softball: Oklahoma Looking to Continue Dominance in Ohio This Weekend
Oklahoma’s break from Big 12 play continues this weekend.
Patty Gasso’s top-ranked Sooners (37-1 overall, 9-0 Big 12) conquered the No. 13 LSU Tigers on Tuesday, escaping Baton Rouge with a 3-0 win.
Playing in front of the fourth-largest crowd in Tiger Park history, OU rode pitcher Jordy Bahl to victory.
The final 15 Sooner batters were retired, but Bahl’s 13 strikeouts and the team's timely hitting in the second inning proved to be enough for Oklahoma to continue its 29-game winning streak.
This weekend, OU will have to guard against an emotional letdown as the squad heads to Ohio for the Miami Invitational.
Expected inclement weather has forced a reduction to this weekend's schedule. Instead of two days, the event will be staged on Saturday only, with Miami and Oakland playing at 12 p.m. CT, OU and Louisville playing at 3 p.m. CT, and OU and Miami playing at 6 p.m. CT.
All games are scheduled to be broadcast on YouTube.
Updated: How to Watch OU Softball at the Miami Invitational
- Game 1: Miami vs. Oakland, 12 p.m. CT, YouTube
- Game 2: Louisville vs. OU, 3 p.m. CT, YouTube
- Game 3: OU vs. Miami, 6 p.m. CT, YouTube
(all games Saturday)
Oklahoma has experience handling the highs and lows of a season already.
After an emotional Texas series, the Sooners had to refocus to welcome Texas Tech’s potent offense to Norman on a quick turnaround.
The Sooners responded by shutting out the Red Raiders across the three contests while tackling the challenge of a revolving door in the pitching circle for Texas Tech.
“I think they know what’s at stake,” Gasso said after the Texas series about managing the emotions of a season. “It’s just bringing them back to reality. Sometimes they can get out there and you feel a lull or a slowness about them or a lack of urgency.
“From a coaching side, it’s keeping track of their pulse, and when you need to really give them some juice, or maybe I need to have a little more emotion in myself or push them a little bit.”
Lying ahead this weekend are a pair of unranked opponents in Louisville and Miami.
The Sooners now rank first in the country in team batting average (.373), earned run average (0.88) and fielding percentage (.988), but the pitching staff will face another test across the three games.
Both Louisville and Miami are in the the top 50 in the country in batting average, with the Cardinals checking in at No. 21 overall at .314, and Miami ranked 38th at .305.
None of the pitching staffs the Sooners face this weekend are currently ranked in the top 90 nationally in staff ERA. But OU hitters may again have to deal with a high volume of pitching changes, as has become the norm this season.
A league series with Baylor is on the horizon when Oklahoma returns to Big 12 play next weekend, but OU will have to first take care of business before it can begin to think about avenging its only loss of the season against the Bears.
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