OU Softball: Oklahoma Wary of 'Fearless' California Golden Bears

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By Ryan Chapman | Last updated May 17, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Oklahoma strolled past the Boston University Terriers on Friday to set up a date with the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday.

Corri Hicks’ fifth inning home sealed OU’s 8-0 run-rule win over the Terriers, while Cal outlasted Omaha in a 1-0 victory to open the Norman Regional.

California pitcher Annabel Teperson threw the complete game shutout for the Golden Bears, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four Maverick batters.

“They're seasoned. They're tough,” OU coach Patty Gasso said of Cal after the Sooners won on Friday. “They play a hard style of softball for sure. Pitching duel today, which is something we expected. Both teams had very good pitchers, so I didn't expect high-scoring game.”

Teperson is one of Cal’s four pitchers who have thrown at least 60 innings this year, which forced OU’s coaching staff to work overtime this week preparing the scouting report.

“I think that’s one thing that makes us a little bit different is our prep and looking at video and breaking it down,” Gasso said. “Sometimes I practice having a pitcher simulate who we might see or have the machine on and make sure that the pitches are showing themselves up in an at-bat. So it’s not easy but it’s necessary. Because if you walk in and you think, ‘Well, we’re not going to see her’ and then she shows up, then you just wasted three innings trying to figure out. I really credit JT (Gasso) and Jen Rocha for doing the same thing on the pitching side.”

Oklahoma’s offense has scored eight runs in consecutive contests, so the Sooners’ bats will carry plenty of momentum into Saturday.

Cal also has six starters in its lineup that hit .300 or better, something OU’s pitching staff will have to contend with.

Oklahoma ace Sam Landry pitched three innings on Friday and Kierston Deal threw two innings, leaving Isabella Smith, Audrey Lowry and Paytn Monticelli all unused and as fresh as possible heading into Saturday.

“I was really probably more in tune with KD,” Gasso said, “because she's really important to this program and to this pitching staff. And she had that look on her face of boss and calm and confident, and that was huge for us.”

The Sooners dumped Cal out of the Norman Regional in 2023, but Gasso expects another big effort from the Golden Bears on Saturday.

“They're fearless,” Gasso said. “And their coach — I've known Chelsea (Spencer) for a while. She's just that baller-type. She was that way in college. She was one of the best shortstops out there, and just hard-nosed and her players are just like that. They play fearless.”

Oklahoma and Cal meet at 1 p.m. at Love’s Field on Saturday.

The winner moves into Sunday’s regional final, while the loser will have to work their way through the loser’s bracket on Saturday night and then have to win two games on Sunday to advance to next weekend’s Super Regionals.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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