On Thursday, Oklahoma handed Duke a 9-1 loss in the Women’s College World Series. While OU head coach Patty Gasso didn’t hesitate to down the Blue Devils, she admitted she’s rooting for Duke head coach Marissa Young.
“When she got the Duke job, she really did a great job of recruiting and building it,” Gasso said after the game. “She’s gone through some really, really horrific times with the health of her husband. She’s trying to balance being a mom, a wife, a coach, and so many things, in such a very difficult time.
“To me, it’s more than softball. She’s just a great example of a woman battling for her family, battling for her team. So I respect what she’s done through all that to still get her team here. I really hope they keep going.”
In her seventh season at the helm of Duke softball, Young has guided the program to its first appearance in the WCWS. More impressive, Young did so while her husband, James Lamar, battled severe health complications.
For around a year, Lamar has been dealing with unspecified medical issues with his heart and cardiovascular system that have required numberous surgeries and procedures. He spent a portion of last spring and early summer on a ventilator before his condition improved.
Patty Gasso’s history with Marissa Young
Now, with her husband back in the bleachers, Young has led Duke to unrivaled heights. Gasso couldn’t be prouder of Young’s unlikely success story.
“I’ve known her since she was a high school kid. I actually tried to recruit her,” Gasso said. “She didn’t have any idea where Oklahoma was. She was living a good life out in California.
“I watched her, followed her career. Phenomenal pitcher. Watched her coaching career — I knew she was going to be really special because she just was a real competitor.”
Young was a three-time All-America selection as a pitcher at Michigan and was named the 2002 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and 2003 Big Ten Player of the Year. Young graduated from Michigan in 2003 as the all-time strikeout leader (927) and her 88 career wins became the second highest in program history.
On Friday, Young will courageously face another challenge. The Blue Devils will square off against Alabama in an elimination game at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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