Most programs in college softball would be thrilled to be 31-3 through the end of March.
But Oklahoma is not most college softball programs. And coach Patty Gasso certainly isn’t most college softball coaches. She was blunt following her Sooners’ loss to Tennessee on Sunday, a loss that provided Oklahoma its first Southeastern Conference series defeat.
“It’s humbling, but we know we’re not good enough,” Gasso said. “We’re winning, but we’re still not good enough.”
That’s how it goes for a team that has won four straight national titles. Gasso has won eight since becoming coach at OU in 1995. Her first came in 2000 and the Sooners have been in the national championship final series every year but one (2018) since 2016. Of course, that excludes 2020 because no Women’s College World Series was played.
OU hadn’t lost a conference series at home since 2011 (Missouri) when teams played only two games in each series instead of the now standard three. The Sooners entered the weekend against the Volunteers second in the nation in runs, averaging 8.68 per game. Against Tennessee, OU managed nine combined over three games.
“This did not feel good watching this happen on our own field,” Gasso said. “But this is what this young team has to learn as we go forward.”
Oklahoma gets a break from SEC play next weekend. The Sooners host St. Thomas and Central Florida in the Okana Invitational. A game against Texas-Arlington comes before it and another against Oklahoma State follows the week after.
Steph Curry reminisced on his time with former Warriors teammate Donte DiVincenzo as the two get set to face off in the Western Conference semifinals.
Key word: former.
Curry was asked about DiVincenzo’s growth over the years, to which he replied with a heartwarming response. But he made one thing perfectly clear about the Minnesota Timberwolves guard.
“It’s been fun to watch,” Curry told reporters in Minnesota on Tuesday, “but I don’t want to see him do great these next two weeks.”
Fair enough.
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