The Sooners have now advanced to the Women's College World Series. Attendance is always good but having OU there will assure the organizers of great crowds. The Sooners have been plowing through everyone this year. The competition will certainly be good but they have to be a strong favorite.

I'm no softball expert, but I did try to follow this particular team a bit more than normal. The things I've read from softball "experts" talk about this year's Oklahoma team as an all-timer with one of the most potent offenses ever combined with the 1-2 pitching combination of Ricketts and Gascoigne (sp). They started getting people's attention early this year by plowing through a couple of west coast tournaments just about unchallenged.

Obviously, anything can happen in any give game, but OU has a sore spot from last year's national title loss to Alabama, dropping two straight championship chances, so this team has a huge goal clearly in mind. They certainly are what would be termed a prohibitive favorite to win the whole thing.

Texas A&M was no slouch team, and OU won the 2-out-of-3 series by a combined score of 18-2 in only ten total innings. Yesterday's game was a bit tighter than the 10-2 final would suggest, but today's game was a comparative walkover.

This Sooner team is special. Here's hoping they win the whole thing!

Potent offense indeed! They can hit for power. They can hit to get on the bases. And once on the bases they have great speed. Hard to beat an offense like that. Especially when backed up by excellent pitching.

Off to a good start. 7 - 1 over Michigan with a no-hitter by Keilani Ricketts. Next up is Texas on Friday night.

Off to a good start. 7 - 1 over Michigan with a no-hitter by Keilani Ricketts. Next up is Texas on Friday night.

Sooners had a very close series with Texas during the regular season, taking 2 of the three games down in Austin (which was pretty impressive). Of note was that these were all close games - no blowouts. UT's' Luna (pitcher, believe that's her name) is really, really good, but I will say after last night that a patient slate of hitters might be able to get her frustrated. I think ASU was just a little too aggressive at the plate a few times last night and let her off the hook when she wasn't quite as accurate later in the game.

I'm hoping OU got their first-game jitters out in that third inning last night - could not believe those fielding errors in the inning that allowed Michigan to score their lone run, and you almost have to attribute that to nerves/situation. On the other hand, however, Kelani Ricketts was just dominant. I think at one point Michigan was just taking hacks hoping they could manufacture a hit off some contact - they just couldn't catch up to her.

Hey, maybe someone who follows both softball and baseball can answer a question for me - how is it that a fast-pitch softball pitcher can throw 100+ pitches back-to-back on consecutive days with no rest, when a major league pitcher typically takes four or five days rest in a normal pitching rotation? I mean, the swinging underhand delivery seems to me to be every bit as violent, and potentially fatiguing and stressful on the arm, shoulder, and wrist as a baseball pitcher, yet it obviously isn't. Just wondering how that can be (and I realize I'm probably showing some ignorance here, oh, well :) )

I’m very concerned about the potential for high end weather for today’s games.

Hey, maybe someone who follows both softball and baseball can answer a question for me - how is it that a fast-pitch softball pitcher can throw 100+ pitches back-to-back on consecutive days with no rest, when a major league pitcher typically takes four or five days rest in a normal pitching rotation? I mean, the swinging underhand delivery seems to me to be every bit as violent, and potentially fatiguing and stressful on the arm, shoulder, and wrist as a baseball pitcher, yet it obviously isn't. Just wondering how that can be (and I realize I'm probably showing some ignorance here, oh, well :) )

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the overhand delivery is far more taxing and violent on an arm than an underhand one. If you take a picture of a MLB pitcher in the middle of their motion, their arm will be extended in a completely unnatural position before jerking it forward. It has to put a lot more stress on the arm than underhand pitching where the arm is never extended in such a way. Again, maybe someone with more expertise could chime in.

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the overhand delivery is far more taxing and violent on an arm than an underhand one. If you take a picture of a MLB pitcher in the middle of their motion, their arm will be extended in a completely unnatural position before jerking it forward. It has to put a lot more stress on the arm than underhand pitching where the arm is never extended in such a way. Again, maybe someone with more expertise could chime in.

Great thought. Hadn't thought about the difference in the actual arm motion away from the body for a baseball pitcher, compared to how the arm is basically in a controlled "circle" for a softball pitcher. Makes sense to me. :)

I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the overhand delivery is far more taxing and violent on an arm than an underhand one. If you take a picture of a MLB pitcher in the middle of their motion, their arm will be extended in a completely unnatural position before jerking it forward. It has to put a lot more stress on the arm than underhand pitching where the arm is never extended in such a way. Again, maybe someone with more expertise could chime in.

You're right on that. Softball pitchers release at the hip and the ball is peeled off of the fingers, which is a much more shoulder friendly mechanic in that the rotator cuff, ligaments, and other muscles are going is going to be less stressed by that motion. Those muscles work a lot more when the arm is overhead, which is were baseball players throw from. Add the force on the elbow and the wrist and overhead throwing is quite a bit more stress. Over time, that leads to a lot more problems.

Another great day for state teams. The OU women's softball team run rules Texas giving the steers their worst loss of the season. The OU men's team wins again today leaving them one win away from advancing to the super regionals and the OSU men's team wins to remain alive in their regional game.

The women''s game was amazing. Looked like there might be trouble when they went down 2-0, then * F O O M * they erupted like a Mentos in a Diet Coke bottle.

One thing I've NEVER seen: a FOUR-BASE fielding error. During the eruption inning in the third inning, OU already up 3-2, and had runners at 1st and 2nd with two out. Brianna Turang lays down a bunt that looks for all the world like a simple grounder back to the pitcher, who picks it up and throws it wide of first base. The ball rolls completely back to the side fence, then caroms to the outfield fence. The right fielder has to go chasing it, which allows both runners to score, and Turang to score from the hit. Three runs that put OU up 6-2, and that was all-but the ballgame.

I can't help but wonder if UT's coach will be second-guessed for being what seemed to me as relatively hair-triggered in pulling their ace Luna after OU loaded the bases in that fateful third inning. She was struggling with accuracy a bit, but seemed to me you give your ace at least some chance to pitch out of trouble. Dunno. Not nearly smart enough about softball to comment very intelligently, I suppose :) TV announcers seemed at least mildly surprised.

At any rate, it is great to see both the softball and baseball teams doing so well. I'm a bit cautious on my outlook for the baseball team, as I think a bit of an inconsistent offense may prove a liability, but hey, they're one win away from a super regional. Boomer!!

The UCO Women also won the NCAA Division II National Championship last weekend, they had a 51-11 record.
http://bronchosports.com/images/2013/5/30/rp_primary__3EA9281_SOFTBALL.jpg

All the world series games have been very well attended, too, and not just the OU games.

OKC really is a fantastic sports town.

All the world series games have been very well attended, too, and not just the OU games.

OKC really is a fantastic sports town.

The Florida - Nebraska game is now in the 12th inning and the crowd is still great. The last game was supposed to start at 8:30PM. I'll forgive the crowd if it thins about before the last game is over.

http://newsok.com/wcws-notebook-fans-set-another-wcws-attendance-record/article/3841065


There's nothing like a Red River Rivalry to help sell some tickets.
With Oklahoma vs. Texas as the second game of the day, the third session of the WCWS set the record for fans at any one session with 9,587 fans coming into ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The previous record of 9,310 was set last year in the Saturday evening session.

Not a run rule for the Sooners tonight but a very solid 6 - 2 win over Washington. Now they are just two wins against Tennessee away from the championship.

OU got out to a 4 run lead and then seemed to lose intensity.

As soon as Washington scored a couple of runs, they focused and closed them out.

OU got out to a 4 run lead and then seemed to lose intensity.

As soon as Washington scored a couple of runs, they focused and closed them out.

Thought the same thing - they left the bases loaded in one of those early innings, and were hitting the ball well, and probably let themselves just relax a bit.

That said, I really think Kelani Ricketts was tiring just a bit in those later innings. She obviously got a second wind and finished them off in fine style, but even in the post-game interview she really looked like she needed a blow. All the games plus the stress I'm sure arose from the storm chaos of Friday has to take its toll at some point.

Power to the Sooners to finish it off and bring home the title!

An amazing game tonight which really demonstrates the resolve of this OU team. It was the first real challenge for them and was tied 0 - 0 through 10 innings. Tennessee scores 3 in the top of the 11th and OU answers with 3 in the bottom. OU wins with a 2 run homer in the bottom of the 12th.

Man, I'm glad I didn't turn it once Tennessee scored! Great game. Great ending!

Anything is possible but I'm predicting an easier OU win on Tuesday.

Anything is possible but I'm predicting an easier OU win on Tuesday.

Has to be a crushing loss on the UT side. I think OU could jump on them early. I think OU was feeling the pressure, playing tight early, not taking good cuts at the plate. They cut loose, obviously, in the 11th, and tomorrow they'll smell that title right in front of 'em.

Man, I'm glad I didn't turn it once Tennessee scored! Great game. Great ending!

I missed it, I turned it off after the Tennessee girl hit the homer....

I missed it, I turned it off after the Tennessee girl hit the homer....

I have to admit, shame and all, I did the same thing. That game was so incredibly intense that I just thought there was no way the Sooners could come up with three when they'd stranded so many runners early in the game, Ellen was pitching so well for UT, and OU just looked out of sync at the plate most of the game. When that bubble burst, I was already starting to get edgy about Ricketts getting fatigued, admit I feared the worst.

Went back to bed, watched part of a Horrendously Drippy Lifetime Movie with my wife, and flipped back to the OU game to see they'd closed to 3-2 with the runner at third, and thought, "okay, I can't do this to myself again..." so I went back to the Horrendously Drippy Lifetime Movie, and when I saw they were in commercial, I figured it was over, Tenn had won...then they came out of commercial, and talked about how OU had tied it up. I was floored.

Couldn't just take over the wife's movie, so I flipped back to it (it was almost over), and after the last five or ten minutes of glurge, went back, and ESPN2 was talking baseball. I didn't know what had happened. Ran to my phone, and saw that Twitter had exploded with "CHAMBERLAIN" and "RICKETTS" tweets, read about the walk-off homer, and knew I shoulda stuck around for the bottom half of the 11th.

But they didn't need me. :)

But I saw every bit of the last 20 minutes of the Horrendously Drippy Lifetime Movie. :(

BOOMER.

Man, I'm glad I didn't turn it once Tennessee scored! Great game. Great ending!


I missed it, I turned it off after the Tennessee girl hit the homer....I didn't turn it off but damn, damn, damn, I fell asleep during the 9th. I missed the good part!

3-run homer in the 3rd for Ricketts and the Sooners have a quick 3-0 lead!

Beautiful night for a game.

3-run homer in the 3rd for Ricketts and the Sooners have a quick 3-0 lead!

Beautiful night for a game.

Is Rickets' arm bothering her to where she can't pitch? Im not complaining though. This Gascoigne girl is good!

The said Rickets could go although she threw 180 pitches last night!

They also said it's typical to pitch Gascoigne when games are closely grouped. Obviously, she darn good herself and is mowing through their lineup thus far.

Gascoigne is just droppin 'em left and right!

Sooners win a Championship!

They were so much fun to watch.

Perhaps the best of all time!

And they were obviously having fun. The game went basically like I anticipated and they deserve all of the accolades that are being poured on them. Congrats

Sheer domination. Boomer!

Sooner!

Is Rickets' arm bothering her to where she can't pitch? Im not complaining though. This Gascoigne girl is good!

Gascoigne actually had the best ERA in the country this year. This team is definitely one of the best of all time. Best offense, lowest ERA, best pitcher (maybe 2), best hitter, undefeated in the postseason and it all added up to a 56-4 record. Pretty impressive.

Some teams have the best pitching, but only mediocre hitting.

Some teams have great hitting, but only mediocre pitching.

This OU team had the best hitting lineup in the country, and the two best pitchers in the country.

That's almost unfair :)

The Tennessee coach, interviewed after the game, said that "I know my team is good, but we just happened to run into the '27 Yankees."

Now, I realize part of that is gracious coachspeak, but at the same time not everyone tosses out a '27 Yankees reference to draw a comparison to a particular baseball or softball team. That's how much regard a lot of coaches and softball folks had for this Sooner team. And at least two of the three members (if not all three, but not certain) of the ESPN broadcast team said this was the all-time best team ever by virtue of their being loaded on both offense and pitching. And, keep in mind they held a 3-0 lead in the second game of the championship series last year (even though that didn't work out), so its no fluke. This was a superteam.

Hope we all appreciate just how special this team was. And their humility after the game was almost more impressive than their performance on the field. Nothing remotely resembling smack or arrogance, just sincere appreciation for the fans, and the folks in Moore, and the broader circumstances surrounding their win. Just a real special event.

These were special athletic players for OU but they showed they had the heart of a champion and came together as a team. What the OU softball team did this year reminds me of the determination that the 2000 OU football team played with. It’s great stuff to watch that never grows old when it’s your team doing it.