In this year’s softball super regional, we will see a rematch of the 2023 Women’s College World Series between the defending champions, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the runner-ups, the Florida State Seminoles.
Before the two teams could square off, Sooners head coach Patty Gasso discussed the similarities between the two programs and how it will impact their super-regional matchup.
“I think it helps both teams; you know exactly what you’re getting versus having to really research,” Gasso said. “I think that both teams have significant elders. I know some of these names by heart because we’ve played them so much; there’s good leadership on both sides (and) an elderly roster for both teams who have been there and done that. So there’s nothing, no surprises, nothing new.”
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Gasso’s Sooners swept Florida State in the WCWS, winning 2-0. The Sooners were able to keep the Seminoles’ offense in check in the series on their way to their third straight softball national championship.
As the Oklahoma head coach mentioned above, they are heading into this matchup knowing what to expect out of their super-regional foe. According to Gasso, she believes that there is a few things that Florida State does well that her Oklahoma team must be prepared for.
“They hit the ball hard, we hit the ball hard,” Gasso said. “There’s trade-offs, right? Like we might hit a few home runs, where they will steal a few extra bases… but top to bottom, they’re very explosive, and they do the same thing. They’ll drop a bunt at any time, keep you guessing— they’re hard to defend. And we’ve got to be ready for them to take the extra bag; if balls are hit to center field on the ground, they’ll go from first to third. That’s how they’re trained; that’s how they move. So they’re going to challenge us to play defense.”
Oklahoma and Florida State will go head-to-head on Thursday, May 23. The game will take place at the host team’s home stadium, the Sooners’ OU Softball Complex. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM CT and will air on ESPN 2 or can be streamed using the ESPN app.
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