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OU softball seeking 'revenge' as Sooners head into final Big 12 Tournament before SEC move

ryan aber, the oklahoman
·4 min read

NORMAN — OU softball coach Patty Gasso met with the media Tuesday evening ahead of this weekend’s Big 12 Tournament.

The fourth-ranked Sooners (46-6, 22-5 Big 12) open the tournament at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Devon Park against the winner of Wednesday night’s Kansas-Houston matchup.

OU swept both teams this season.

Here’s a look at three takeaways from Gasso’s weekly interview session:

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Karlie Keeney’s emergence gives Sooners pitching options

There was plenty of disappointment in OU’s series loss in Bedlam.

But one of the biggest positives was the performance of graduate pitcher Karlie Keeney.

Keeney appeared in all three of the games, including recording all but one out in Sunday’s victory.

She threw 10 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

Keeney had thrown just 13 ⅓ innings in Big 12 play before last weekend’s series.

“She handles her work like a professional,” Gasso said. “And she’s a team person. She’s just always in it. She’s not pouting and boo-hooing and I should be this or that, she’s just waiting for her turn and she’s just a wonderful example of a good team player and a hard worker and everything you would want out of a pitcher or just an athlete.”

Keeney suffered a broken finger, which required surgery, in the fall, and the injury continued to affect her for much of the season.

Not any more.

“It was almost kind of a matter of time when this was going to be her time and she grabbed it,” Gasso said. “She shined and it gives us some great options going forward.”

Gasso said Keeney’s approach can also serve as an example for the Sooners’ other pitchers.

“She’s making it look easy and I hope that we all saw that, learned lessons from that instead of trying to be perfect,” Gasso said. “And the harder we try the more we’ll leave balls over the plate.”

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Oklahoma's Karlie Keeney (8) throws a pitch in the first inning during the Bedlam college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May, 5, 2024.
Oklahoma's Karlie Keeney (8) throws a pitch in the first inning during the Bedlam college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May, 5, 2024.

Sooners looking for ‘revenge’

If the Sooners are to break through and win yet another Big 12 Tournament before making the leap to the SEC, there’s a very good chance they’ll have to go through the two teams that beat them in series this season — No. 3 seed (and third-ranked nationally) Oklahoma State in the semifinals and top seed and No. 1-ranked Texas in the finals.

“I think this team is a team that likes the opportunity to get — whoever might have beaten them they hope to see them again to make it right or revenge tour or whatever you want to call it,” Gasso said. “There are things we can gain from this weekend. If we can win it all, likely going through some really good teams, which would maybe help move us.”

But Gasso said she wasn’t too concerned about where the Sooners wound up being ranked when the national seeds are revealed Sunday — as long as they are in the top eight, which they almost surely will be.

“We honestly don’t care if we’re one, two, four five, as long as we’re in the eight and home throughout,” Gasso said. "That’s what we’re looking for. I really think we can catapult off this last game Sunday. Finals are going to be over. We’ve had long conversations about this is the last thing you’re going to do as a senior and what you want to remember the most.”

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Oklahoma head coach talks with Oklahoma's Ella Parker (5) during the Bedlam college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May, 5, 2024.
Oklahoma head coach talks with Oklahoma's Ella Parker (5) during the Bedlam college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Sunday, May, 5, 2024.

Ella Parker continues to impress

Freshman Ella Parker has been one of the focal points of the Sooners’ lineup all season.

That was apparent once more in Sunday’s victory, when she was 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs.

Parker is hitting .388 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs, along with a team-high 15 stolen bases.

“When she first came, she was very nervous and shaky somewhat,” Gasso said. “She had a lot to learn, and she did. But hitting-wise, that’s always been something (that was expected). She was heavily recruited specifically for that. But some freshmen come in with an attitude like, ‘I know how to hit. This is the way I hit,’ and they don’t want JT (Gasso)’s help. But when they surrender and they believe in what he’s doing, and she did, they go to another level. So she surrendered that really quickly, as did Kasidi Pickering. And I can’t see them not in this lineup with the way they’re both swinging.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball seeking 'revenge' in Big 12 Tournament before SEC move