One more softball column: the 10 bests of the bests from Sooners' historic four-peat
Though I typically abhor “list” columns — you know, five things to watch; five things about; five reasons why; etc. — as crutches to write stories more quickly rather than actually tell them, I’m going to write one anyway.
As everybody knows, coach Patty Gasso’s Sooner softball program just put the wraps on four consecutive national championships, going 235-15 along the way.
It’s incredible, amazing, impossible, unthinkable, unprecedented and all the other adjectives. Also, it needs a top 10 list. Or, more accurately, a 10 bests list
To better remember it, to mark it in time, to not forget the full breadth of it, which is mammoth, such a list appears in order.
Hopefully, you’ll remember some things you thought you’d forgotten.
Best hitter
Jocelyn Alo, of course.
She was there for the first two crowns. She is the Babe Ruth (or Josh Gibson) of the smaller diamond, provided Ruth or Gibson ever DH’d, with they didn’t.
Yet, despite rarely playing in the field, Alo’s bat knew no limits.
She continues to own the NCAA’s lifetime home run record of 122, but more impressive are her back-to-back slash lines* of .475/.566/1.109 in 2021 and .515/.646/1.212 in ’22, hitting 68 home runs and driving home 174 between both seasons.
*Slash lines, if you didn’t know, represent batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage**.
** Also, if you didn’t know, slugging percentage is bases accumulated in each at bat divided by at bats. For instance, if it’s the first game of the season and go 1 for 4 with a single, you’re batting average and slugging percentage are both .250. Yet, if you go 1 for 4 with a home run, while you’re batting average remains .250, you’re slugging percentage is 1.000.
Best foil
James Madison’s Oddici Alexander.
She’s the one who stunned Oklahoma the first day of the 2021 World Series, pitching the Dukes to a 4-3 victory, closing with five straight scoreless innings, allowing JMU to win in the eighth.
The Sooners earned their spot in the championship series by coming back to beat her twice three days later, 6-3 and 7-2.
The first of those was dicey, OU breaking through with three runs in the seventh inning to force the if-necessary game.
Best forgotten heroes
Hope Trautwein in 2022 and Alex Storako in ’23, both pitchers, who both enjoyed real World Series success.
In 2022, Trautwein pitched to a 0.77 earned run average over 126 2/3 innings — 14 2/3 innings less than Jordi Bahl, whose ERA was 1.09 — went 22-1 and was the Sooners’ busiest World Series pitcher.
In 2023, Storako pitched to a 1.15 ERA over 103 2/3 innings, went 18-0 and tossed the first four innings of OU’s championship clinching 3-1 victory over Florida State.
Best change
The one that took place after the 2021 WCWS, the last one that made teams play well past midnight, on super short rest, twice in a day, without any days off … to what’s in place now: a schedule that mirrors the Men’s College World Series, with real rest and days off built into the structure, no more playing twice in a day, occasional network television and greater respect shown all the players.
Reluctantly, because being outspoken isn’t her style, Gasso was a real part of the change, advocating on behalf of the players.
Best pitcher
Jordy Bahl and it’s not close. She was the leader of the Sooner pitching staff for two of the seasons and tossed the best World Series we’re likely to ever see in 2023.
How good was she?
In five World Series games, three starts and two relief efforts, Bahl threw 24 2/3 innings, allowed 12 hits, walked three, struck out 33 and did not give up a single run.
Best team
2023 and it’s not close. Though Alo was gone, Bahl, Storako and Nicole May headlined the pitching staff, the Sooners slashed .366/.456/.666 and lost only one game, finishing the season 61-1.
It also appeared to be the least joyful of the titles, players and coach appearing far more relieved than exultant when it was won.
Still, one loss.
Holy cow.
Best story
The one Giselle Juarez wrote on the way to the 2021 crown.
She was the best pitcher on the Sooner team that lost the 2019 championship series, yet after COVID ended the 2020 campaign, Juarez was no better than the third best pitcher on her own team throughout the 2021 regular season, nor did she pitch in the super regional round after seeing limited action in the regional round.
But after OU fell to Alexander and James Madison to open the World Series, Juarez entered and caught fire, not finishing until she’d become the nation’s best pitcher, throwing 31 1/3 innings, allowing 16 hits, walking eight, striking out 38 and allowing four runs, total.
Best pickup
Kelly Maxwell, who the Sooners do not win the 2024 crown without, plain and simple.
The numbers hardly matter.
Maxwell made the four-peat possible in the first place, giving OU the go-to pitcher it didn’t have.
All that and Oklahoma State coach Kenny Gajewski still owes Maxwell a very public apology.
Not only did the rules allow her to transfer, but she’d already given Oklahoma State five years of her life and had long since graduated when she chose to move on.
Best players
Tiare Jennings and Jayda Coleman, not only because they were there for every title, which is enough to put them in front of, say, Alo and Bahl, but also because they played in the field, every day, and were among the nation’s best in their roles, just as they were at the plate.
Though neither enjoyed their best season this season, both failing to hit .400 for the first time, they were still the constants and they were still fabulous.
Incidentally, should you desire the list of Sooner softball icons, here it is:
Jennifer Stewart, Keilani Ricketts, Lauren Chamberlain, Paige Parker, Alo, Jennings, Coleman, maybe Kinzie Hansen, maybe Grace Lyons, maybe Kami Keiter.
Debate amongst yourselves.
Best thing
Finding the joy again, which the Sooners did on May 5, during an 8-2 victory over Oklahoma State after falling to the Cowgirls the previous two days.
In diamond parlance, they “salvaged” the series’ final game, but in actuality they did much more.
Karlie Keeney did not allow a run over 6 2/3 innings, Ella Parker, Tiare Jennings and Kasidi Pickering all went deep and Rylie Boone seemed to start it all with an infield single that could not have excited her more, which led to it exciting the entire team.
The final sprint to OU’s four-peat began that day.
Great column!