OU Softball: Oklahoma's 'Incredible Journey' Has One Last Chapter at the WCWS

To many, getting OU to the WCWS has become the minimum Gasso can do. 

But the legendary coach thought back to the fall. 

She had to replace the most decorated senior class in the sport’s history, reloading with a horde of talented freshmen and transfers from across the country. 

Donning hats adorned with “NCAA Super Regionals Champs” and pulling down the pad in right field at Love’s Field to represent another trip to Oklahoma City was far from Gasso’s mind in September. 

“I’m going to look back because I still can’t grasp how big this is. I didn’t expect this,” Gasso said. “…  I can look back to September and remember what that looked like. It was a little bit of hard working, but we’re scattered. 

“We were learning, figuring out positions, figure out who is playing next to them? It was really like a new beginning, a complete new beginning.”

The Sooners dropped three series in conference play, but still won the SEC in their first try. 

Oklahoma then split the conference tournament crown with Texas A&M, and avenged its regular season loss to Alabama in Supers by setting a school record for runs in a Super Regional game. 

Those leaps could only come from hard work and complete trust in OU’s coaching staff. 

“They trust JT (Gasso) to the end. They trust Jen Rocha to the end. I appreciate it,” Gasso said. “I think that’s where my heart is – just the appreciation for them giving back to this program because I didn’t know what it was going to look like when all of these unbelievable, some of the best softball athletes that have played this sport left this program.”

Winning is all junior pitcher Kierston Deal knows. 

She’s helped the Sooners end the season in a dog pile the last two years. She knows what it looks like for Gasso to guide a team through the highs and lows of the regular season, and Deal knew this team would find their best at the right time. 

“It just shows how gritty and our work ethic and how we continue to just put in so much work,” Deal said. “This team is so new but yet it feels like we've know each other for our whole lives, which is really cool. 

“… You always have this feeling being in this program that anything is possible, and just being able to beat all the odds… It's been really cool to see all the growth and see everything. It's cool because it's my third super regional but it feels like the first with this new group. It's been so fun."

Oklahoma’s lineup, top-to-bottom, has been on fire for three straight weekends. 

Ella Parker doesn’t expect that to slow down as the Sooners roll into Devon Park on Thursday with nearly 13,000 crimson-clad fans at their back. 

“We're fighting the good fight and we're keeping the faith and we're all hands on deck,” Parker said. “So just being able to play that (way) with togetherness is what we're looking for… Really looking forward to it. Really exited to see us at Devon Park.”

Even Gasso, who has eight titles to her name, let a wry smile sneak through as she began to think about returning to the WCWS for a 18th time.

“Knowing what we can do? I’m really excited about the things we can do in the World Series that is going to surprise some people,” Gasso said. “We still wear Oklahoma across our chests, and we’re proud of that. This is a team that is made a little bit different, in a different way than what you’ve seen in the last four years, and it’s been glorious and wonderful. 

“I’ve had an absolute blast with this group.”