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With just more than a month remaining until Selection Sunday, there’s still plenty to prove for the second-ranked OU softball team.
While the Sooners’ record is strong — 34-3 overall and 9-3 in SEC play — they still have quite a bit more work to do to clinch one of the top eight spots as Super Regional hosts.
OU will play its final non-conference game of the regular season Wednesday when it takes on Oklahoma State in the lone Bedlam matchup of the season at 7 p.m. at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
The Sooners also have SEC series remaining at Alabama and Florida and at home against Mississippi State and Texas.
Heading into Wednesday’s Bedlam showdown, which will be televised on ESPN2, here are three questions that remain for the Sooners heading down the closing stretch of the regular season:
Super 16 college softball rankings: How Bri Ellis, Arkansas smashed their way past Florida
Senior transfer Sam Landry and freshman Audrey Lowry have been excellent this season.
The duo have combined to go 16-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts with just 16 walks in 116 1/3 innings.
But both have dealt with injuries that kept them out of series in recent weeks.
Isabella Smith and Kierston Deal have had their moments, but neither have been as consistently effective as Landry and Lowry.
The Sooners have a 2.42 team ERA, which would be their highest since posting a 2.49 in 2021.
OU has had a dominant ace in each of the last three seasons, and while Landry or Lowry have looked the part at times, they have yet to show that they can be the type of pitcher that Patty Gasso and Jennifer Rocha can lean heavily on in a super regional or Women’s College World Series.
SEC softball power rankings: Florida-Arkansas series, Tim Walton ejection shifts things
Ella Parker was the hottest hitter not only in the Sooners’ lineup but in the country through the early part of the season.
In February, Parker hit .617 (29 of 47) with 21 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs, 15 walks and just one strikeout.
But since March 1, Parker is hitting just .146 (7 of 48) with 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, 13 walks and five strikeouts.
A big reason for Parker’s struggles has been the toe injury that she’s been battling recently, though Gasso has stuck with Parker in the lineup.
If Parker can get back on track, the Sooners’ lineup looks significantly more potent.
Kasidi Pickering has turned things back around after a bit of a lull and Gabbie Garcia and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas have come on strong over significant stretches to give the lineup a boost.
More: OU softball not where it wants to be. Still, Sooners are among this season's best.
It’s been a while since Gasso has had to talk much about RPI during the season.
The Sooners have hosted a super regional each of the last six seasons without much drama — either in seedings on Selection Sunday or once the super-regional round was there.
OU has won 16 consecutive super regional games, by a combined score of 109-30.
But though the Sooners are in excellent shape to become a top-eight seed once again, the schedule ahead of them is a bit daunting and they’ll need to continue to perform well to stay in the top eight.
OU is just 2-4 in super regionals played on the road, while it is 10-1 at home with its only loss coming in 2007 — the first super regional in Norman.
The Sooners’ relatively light pre-conference schedule gives them less wiggle room than they’ve had in several years.
FIRST PITCH: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City (ESPN2)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What OU softball needs to accomplish in last month of regular season
Continue reading...
While the Sooners’ record is strong — 34-3 overall and 9-3 in SEC play — they still have quite a bit more work to do to clinch one of the top eight spots as Super Regional hosts.
OU will play its final non-conference game of the regular season Wednesday when it takes on Oklahoma State in the lone Bedlam matchup of the season at 7 p.m. at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
The Sooners also have SEC series remaining at Alabama and Florida and at home against Mississippi State and Texas.
Heading into Wednesday’s Bedlam showdown, which will be televised on ESPN2, here are three questions that remain for the Sooners heading down the closing stretch of the regular season:
Super 16 college softball rankings: How Bri Ellis, Arkansas smashed their way past Florida
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How will the pitching hold up?
Senior transfer Sam Landry and freshman Audrey Lowry have been excellent this season.
The duo have combined to go 16-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts with just 16 walks in 116 1/3 innings.
But both have dealt with injuries that kept them out of series in recent weeks.
Isabella Smith and Kierston Deal have had their moments, but neither have been as consistently effective as Landry and Lowry.
The Sooners have a 2.42 team ERA, which would be their highest since posting a 2.49 in 2021.
OU has had a dominant ace in each of the last three seasons, and while Landry or Lowry have looked the part at times, they have yet to show that they can be the type of pitcher that Patty Gasso and Jennifer Rocha can lean heavily on in a super regional or Women’s College World Series.
SEC softball power rankings: Florida-Arkansas series, Tim Walton ejection shifts things
You must be registered for see images attach
Can Ella Parker break out of a slump?
Ella Parker was the hottest hitter not only in the Sooners’ lineup but in the country through the early part of the season.
In February, Parker hit .617 (29 of 47) with 21 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs, 15 walks and just one strikeout.
But since March 1, Parker is hitting just .146 (7 of 48) with 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, 13 walks and five strikeouts.
A big reason for Parker’s struggles has been the toe injury that she’s been battling recently, though Gasso has stuck with Parker in the lineup.
If Parker can get back on track, the Sooners’ lineup looks significantly more potent.
Kasidi Pickering has turned things back around after a bit of a lull and Gabbie Garcia and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas have come on strong over significant stretches to give the lineup a boost.
More: OU softball not where it wants to be. Still, Sooners are among this season's best.
Can the Sooners hold on to a top-eight spot?
It’s been a while since Gasso has had to talk much about RPI during the season.
The Sooners have hosted a super regional each of the last six seasons without much drama — either in seedings on Selection Sunday or once the super-regional round was there.
OU has won 16 consecutive super regional games, by a combined score of 109-30.
But though the Sooners are in excellent shape to become a top-eight seed once again, the schedule ahead of them is a bit daunting and they’ll need to continue to perform well to stay in the top eight.
OU is just 2-4 in super regionals played on the road, while it is 10-1 at home with its only loss coming in 2007 — the first super regional in Norman.
The Sooners’ relatively light pre-conference schedule gives them less wiggle room than they’ve had in several years.
You must be registered for see images attach
OU vs. OSU
FIRST PITCH: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City (ESPN2)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What OU softball needs to accomplish in last month of regular season
Continue reading...
