Norman— Patty Gaso The start of the NCAA Tournament couldn’t have been better.
Her No. 1 seed, the Sooners (50-2), fielded Prairie View A&M Friday night as Oklahoma was on fire.
Nicole May and Hope Troutwin The merger was a no-hitter, setting a new program record in the process, as it was the pitching staff’s seventh no-hitter of the year.
The dominant performance in the circle was bolstered by the offense’s 14-point performance, in which four different Sooners hit home runs.
How to watch:
- Oklahoma City vs. Texas A&M: Saturday, 1 p.m., ESPN+
If there were any hangovers after OU’s loss to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in last weekend’s Big 12 tournament, Oklahoma State showed no sign of it in its NCAA tournament opener.
While the team played well on the court, Gaso said she was more satisfied with how her team played in the dugout.
“The dugout is on fire,” Gaso said after Friday’s win. “I think it’s the most top-down engagement I’ve seen in a long time.
“For example, I pointed it out to the team after the game. Alyssa Brito The first hit was not so good, the second was very educated, and I took her away. The girl just caught fire (in the dugout)…feeling very team spirit tonight. “
Even after a good game, the energy poured out of the dugout.
freshman year Turia Coleman Hit her first home run of the year, which sparked the Sooners’ longest night of celebration in a home run.
“When (Turiya Coleman hits a home run, you think we’ve just won a major championship,” Gaso said. “…I am most satisfied with the team’s camaraderie in the dugout. That’s all we need.
“The dugout needs to be so engaged … and I feel like they’re involved in every hit and every pitch.”
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Oklahoma’s victory over the Panthers puts the Jaguars in the winner’s ranks, and the Texas A&M Aggies (30-26) are now looming.
The Aggies had a big win of their own on Friday, beating Minnesota 5-1 just before the Sooners played.
No matter who gets the ball for the Sooners against Texas A&M, they have experience to fall back on.
May helped guide OU to last year’s championship run, and Gasso stressed the need for Trautwein to play Prairie View A&M in a game so the North Texas transfer can experience the playoff vibe at Marita Hynes Field.
Pitching staff will once again benefit from Oklahoma offense’s running support Jada Coleman back to the lead.
In her return to the top of the lineup, the sophomore midfielder went 2-for-2 on an RBI with a walk and a throw.
Jayda Coleman said the job she started for the Sooners was actually pretty simple.
“My role was just to get into the base because I had (Jocelyn Allo) right behind me,” Jada Coleman said Friday. “I’m just doing my best to get into the base.”
If Oklahoma can get things done on Saturday, the weekend will be surprisingly easy. OU arrives at Marita Hynes Stadium on Sunday, and a team will have to beat the Sooners twice to deny them a spot in next weekend’s Super Regionals.
OU will have a chance to win Saturday’s normal regional competition.
The Sooners and Aggies are scheduled to play at 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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