OU softball legends Jocelyn Alo, Keilani Ricketts 'pumped' for OKC Spark debut
Keilani Ricketts and Jocelyn Alo, two Sooner legends and icons of their sport, were among the OU softball alums who congregated behind the third-base dugout Wednesday night at Hall of Fame Stadium.
“Every chance we get to come out here to the world series, we just see how much bigger the game’s gotten,” Ricketts said before OU faced Florida State in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series.
Ricketts and Alo represent different eras of Sooner softball, winning national titles — one for Ricketts and two for Alo — nine years apart, but now they’re teammates on the Oklahoma City Spark, a new franchise in Women’s Professional Fastpitch that will open its inaugural season next week.
“We’re freaking pumped,” Alo told The Oklahoman. “I’m so happy that Tina (Floyd) decided to make the investment in us women. We’re working hard, we’re doing the spring training right now and we’re just ready to win a ball game … Watching the Sooners play is making us more eager to get out on the field.”
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Alo, college softball’s home run queen, isn’t used to being on the other side of the netting at Hall of Fame Stadium, but she likes her new seat.
“It’s just awesome to be a fan and to watch the girls,” Alo said. “They don’t back down from nothing. They’re gonna take it on no matter what. They’re just so joyous of the journey that they don’t even care about the outcome. They’re always keeping their eyes up in this whole thing, and I’m just so proud of them.”
Ricketts was the ace, and a fearsome bat, for the 2013 Sooners — the team that broke a 13-year title drought and ignited a dynasty.
Those Sooners against these Sooners would’ve been quite the clash.
“We always thought we were the best team,” Ricketts said. “No one was better than us. But that’s what makes the program so great. Every team has that championship mindset where they think they’re unstoppable and can win every game.”
Lauren Chamberlain, one of the best sluggers of all time, was a sophomore on that 2013 team.
Now Chamberlain is guiding the WPF as its commissioner. With Chamberlain calling the shots, Alo hitting moonshots and Ricketts piling up strikeouts, the Sooner ties in the WPF are strong. The Spark, owned by Tina Floyd, features another former Sooner in catcher Lynnsie Elam.
Opening Day for the Spark is next Thursday at UCO. The Spark will play the Smash It Sports Vipers, based out of Oxford, Alabama, at 7 p.m.
“The state of Oklahoma needs a pro softball team,” Ricketts said. “We finally have one, and having a pro softball team in this state, it’s only going to help the pro league grow.”
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU legends Jocelyn Alo, Keilani Ricketts 'pumped' for OKC Spark debut
