Gasso's goal? Tracking the pulse

[BudaSooner]

Gasso's goal? Tracking the pulse

Bob Przybylo • SoonerScoop
Staff Writer
@BPrzybylo

It’s human nature and nobody would blame them. Coming off an incredibly emotional series vs. Texas, it’s time to see how Oklahoma softball is going to respond.

The Sooners are hosting Texas Tech (28-12 overall, 2-4 Big 12) at Marita Hynes Field for a three-game set, beginning 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.

And although Tech took two-of-three from Iowa State last weekend and lost two games at UT by just one run two weeks ago, this weekend is yet another test of what the 2023 Sooners are all about.

Walking out of the park Sunday, you could hear fans talking about what a draining series it was against the Longhorns. If the fans were drained, you can amplify that for the players.

They were a part of history last Friday with 8,930 people in attendance at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Then OU overcame a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh to win 4-3 the next afternoon. And to cap it off, sweeping one of your biggest rivals.

Physically? Head coach Patty Gasso said Wednesday night she isn’t worried. She said the team has had good practices, and they’re still hungry.

But fighting off an emotional letdown is something everybody will find out against the Red Raiders.

“I think they know what's at stake,” Gasso said. “It's just bringing them back to reality. Sometimes they can get out there and you feel a lull or a slowness about them or a lack of urgency. From a coaching side, it's keeping track of their pulse and when you need to really give them some juice or maybe I need to have a little more emotion in myself or push them a little bit.

“I have different strategies – some that I won't share. It's not that I'm cussing or anything like that because I don't do that, but it has to do with them getting something that they really like. So there's a little bit of betting going on every once in a while but there's different strategies. You just have to keep your eye on the pulse of the team. That's really important. I can't just be upset about what they’re not doing and just kind of disappear. I have to stay right in front of them as much as I can.”

The No. 1-ranked Sooners enter at 33-1 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play and on a 25-game winning streak. OU only has one more home series after this weekend, facing Kansas in three weeks.

*A welcome sight Sunday for the Sooners was Cydney Sanders. The transfer from Arizona State hasn’t had the best sophomore season, but she provided a couple of hits vs. the Horns, including the walk-off double for the run-rule.

“The team is very excited to see this happen for her because we know how good she can be,” Gasso said. “So when you see her starting to even hit the ball, like a hard out, you hear the dugout get pumped for her. Just at practice today, she’s continuing on with a really solid feel about her and confidence and a different look.

“You see her just standing a little bit taller. Everything looks different, and the team is all behind that. They’ve been working with her and encouraging her and in her ear the whole time.”

Sanders said she’s doing her best to put in the past the first part of the season and saying last weekend was the fresh start she’s needed to get herself going again.

It was only her second multi-hit game of the season and raised her batting average from .216 to .236.