OU Softball: Oklahoma Opens NCAA Tournament Journey With Boston University

That extra time without classes and finals has been put straight into preparations for the Norman Regional. 

California returns to Norman as an at-large bid out of the ACC alongside Summit League Champions Omaha to round out the four-team field this weekend.

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Boston University

• When: Friday
• Where: Love's Field
• Time: 5 p.m.
• Channel: ESPNU

"I don't care what anyone in the world says,” Gasso said. “I know — and the team knows certainly from us — that we're facing champions. You don't get in this by luck. You get in because you did something really well.”

Oklahoma is familiar with all three teams in the regional this weekend. 

The Terriers, who will take on the Sooners at 5 p.m. on Friday (ESPNU), were in the Norman Regional last year, though the teams didn’t meet. 

Cal was sent to Norman two years ago for regional play, and the Sooners have played Omaha in the regular season over the past few years, though the two teams haven’t met this year. 

“Good pitchers in this regional,” Gasso said. “Cal's got that feisty — they still have a Pac-12 mentality. Feisty, West Coast kind of toughness about them.

"So we've got our hands full. I'm not listening to one thing because nobody knows. I do, and I'm not listening to what naysayers might say or, 'Wow, you've got the easiest.' When people say that to you, you've got to plug your ears."

One of those great pitchers will take on Oklahoma on Friday in Boston’s Kasey Ricard. 

She’s pitched 237 2/3 innings this season for the Terriers across 40 appearances, yet she enters the postseason with a 1.97 ERA and opponents are hitting .223 off her. Ricard has struck out 227 batters and allowed 49 walks.

Though the Sooners didn’t end up battling Boston last year, it’s the second straight regional that Oklahoma’s coaching staff has scouted the Terrier ace. 

“I can tell you that you could have 12 pitchers on your roster and we're gonna look at every single one of them. So I know that we did,” Gasso said. “… She's definitely helped carry them."

OU’s offense belted six home runs in their last outing, though, so they’ll carry plenty of confidence into Friday’s tournament opener. 

It’s an open question who will start in the circle for Oklahoma. 

Gasso and associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha will have to decide if they want to save Sam Landry, or get her action from the start. 

On Wednesday, Gasso voiced confidence in both of her left-handers, Audrey Lowry and Kierston Deal, as the Sooners enter the postseason. 

Regardless of who fills out OU’s first starting lineup, however, Gasso is proud of the progress the entire team has made from the start of the regular season until now. 

“I don’t think any of them have feel like they’ve arrived yet,” Gasso said. “Their work ethic is quite different in a wonderful way of how you would want to see freshmen come in and keep asking for more. Coming in and hitting at night on their own. Those types of things. And it shows. I mean, they just keep getting better and more comfortable.”