OU Softball: Tiare Jennings is 'Confident' and 'Ready' to Take on Her Final Postseason at Oklahoma

The 2-seeded Sooners are riding plenty of momentum into the NCAA Tournament despite navigating a mountain of pressure in 2024.

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Pressure isn’t foreign to Oklahoma. 

The three-time defending champions are the No. 2-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the senior-laden team is looking to start a journey back to Oklahoma City to go out on top once again. 

But even the veteran Sooners aren’t immune to pressure put on themselves to perform. 

Tiare Jennings, who has been an important cog of OU’s success since she stepped on campus, wanted to finish her collegiate career in style. 

The pressure of living up to her own standards could have been overwhelming. 

Jennings still enjoyed an outstanding year. 

She leads the Sooners with 19 home runs, 57 RBIs and 19 doubles while batting .386 with a 1.260 OPS. Moving over to shortstop, Jennings was named a top 10 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, but she did have to work out of a slump. 

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How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Cleveland State:

When: 7 p.m.
Where: Love's Field
Channel: ESPNU

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Her home run in the Bedlam finale ended a streak where she had hit for 2-of-her-last-26, emblematic of the lull OU’s entire offense endured throughout much of April. 

That momentum carried into the Big 12 Tournament, where Oklahoma outgunned 1-seeded Texas for the championship. 

“I think this year, I definitely put a little too much pressure on myself,” Jennings said on Wednesday. “But I think it was good for me because I’ve never felt that before. So I think learning how to get out of that was probably one of the biggest things, most positive things I could’ve learned. 

“So now going into postseason if that happens again, I can quickly get myself out of that automatically.”

Jennings wasn’t the only one working through things for the first time in 2024. 

Patty Gasso has leaned on her seniors all year, but their day-to-day routines have changed a great deal throughout their OU career, even though the Sooners have always been able to peak in June. 

“There’s been a lot of… pressing,” Gasso said. “… Their lives are so different. I can’t even tell you what they’re doing in their lives because they have a lot of obligations with opportunities to make money. So there’s added that.

“… Tiare’s commitment is ‘I am going to leave all that behind me and I’m just going to focus on my last three weeks as a Sooner.’ And when she did that you could feel things start to fall off of her a little bit… I want is the best for these guys. I want them to walk off saying, ‘I left it all here.’ We’ve talked about that.”

Jennings, and all of the Sooner seniors, will get their first chance to finish their careers in the best way on Friday. 

Oklahoma (49-6) opens action at the Norman Regional against Cleveland State (22-24) at Love’s Field. 

Champions of the Horizon League, the Vikings have nothing to lose and a starting pitcher in Melissa Holzopfel that Gasso has plenty of respect for. 

“She’s been carrying them pretty much,” Gasso said. “And a lot sacrifice bunts. It’s kind of the, sacrifice bunt, move a runner in scoring position, get one through, score your run. So we’re gonna have to be good. 

“… If you’re not good enough you’re going home, bottom line… Pitchers need to be on. We better minimize walks, keep the ball in the yard. All of those things are really important.”

The Sooners will take on Cleveland State at 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. 

Friday’s winner in that contest will meet the victor of Oregon and Boston University on Sunday at 2 p.m. with a spot in Sunday’s Regional Final on the line. 

Oklahoma has advanced out of every regional since 2009 and has ended the last five seasons in the Women’s College World Series Championship Series. 

Jennings isn’t worried about any of that, however. She’s locked back into the mindset that has served her so well in her decorated career — taking life one game at a time.

“I feel confident. I’m ready,” Jennings said. “We’ve prepared a lot this week. Kinda just taking it all in. Not every day is guaranteed at this point, so I’m really gonna just try to contribute where I can.”