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Sooners On SI Softball Podcast: Pitching, Injuries ... Will it Matter? · The Sooners On SI Podcast

• 0:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: So everybody, welcome on in.
• 0:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: It is that time and week for the softball show.
• 0:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: The sooner it's on the side, softball show here.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ryan Chapman joined by Ryan Aber as we opened up love to field this past weekend, Ryan.
• 0:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've we never crossed paths, but it was good to be back.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Add it love to field.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll get to SEC play.
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll get some doubled up double Ryan coverage, but six games.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought we'd pay ourselves as we get Mr. Aber.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think it worked out pretty well in both of us certainly saw no shortage of runs in the games this weekend, which is exactly what we expected, maybe not at the quite the clip that we saw, but that's the so-you team for you.
• 0:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, for sure.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: And eight were and I both covered women's basketball as well.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're kind of, we're tag teaming both.
• 0:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: So as we at the SEC play, there's going to be a lot of weekends.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're right.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I are probably out there together, doing a bunch of different stuff.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: But that should be a ton of fun, a successful weekend.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, open up love field, three games.
• 1:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can tell they have a state.
• 1:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: A pair against him, Houston state in a Sunday against Southeastern Louisiana.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll dive into all of it, all the runs, oh, you played the minimum, all that stuff.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with, I guess what became kind of the biggest storyline of the weekend.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: We saw on Thursday, Nellie McEnroe Marina's not really in the lineup throughout the weekend up until Sunday, she was...
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: a pinch runner at time, she dropped in for an inning here or there and Ryan, you were there on Friday for the initial update before the knee stuff, let me tell you about the initial update and regardless of what the results of the eventual x-rays, which we'll get to kind of something to watch on Nelly.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Patty Gassos said that Nellie was dealing with a bit of a shoulder injury and a shoulder thing, I think, is how she described it.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: But said she didn't expect it to be very serious.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: One thing I ask her is, is it a little bit easier to take these things slow, considering the depth that you have in the lineup and heck, the way that Lexi McDaniel hit this
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lay back a little bit.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to really force Nelly back in there if she's not ready to take cuts in the box and you've still got You know several big-time hitters who can step in but certainly Lex and McDaniel was the one that really stood out this weekend And it's had that high batting average all year, but now you can start to get away from any arguments about small sample size with her
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of incredible because how many teams across the country Ryan can we talk about?
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're starting third baseman.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: All SC caliber, all that stuff goes out.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And everyone wants to talk about depth, competitive depth, take a drink from football season.
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: But you
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: come here and Oklahoma can now have if they want to a position battle for backup third basement because likes it, Daniels, who you got to see on Friday, a lot of Sid Barker on Saturday and Sunday, Sid Barker was awesome and even when now he got the star in the field on Sunday, it's South East Louisiana, which initially
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: became an encouraging thing that was kind of the the best team that came into love field this weekend so obviously patty gas so was just given Nellie some time off get letter ramp back up in but unfortunately if you missed it top of three against southeast Louisiana Nellie there's two outs
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: South East Louisiana's batter looks like they're about to lay down a bunch, so Nelly's charging in.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: They end up bunting and popping it up into foul territory.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd still say in not necessarily catchers domain, but it wasn't like, oh my gosh, is it going toward the first baseline?
• 3:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know how those goes?
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: The pop-ups that go toward the index circle and kind of wells the catcher was just locked in on the ball.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nelly's charging locked in the ball.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of those situations where they're both looking up.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: collide with each other, Kindle makes the out, but Nellie goes down and down territory.
• 4:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was kind of a scary situation because initially it looked like maybe she was grabbing her ankle and they were looking at her leg.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: She lives there for a minute or two to get some trainer help.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nellie herself pops up and walks to the dugout under her own power.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You could tell she wasn't shaking up and things like that.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Sid Barker is the one that comes in.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then the bottom of the third Sid Barker ride immediately Homer is kind of like the response to that.
• 4:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you want to go with likes of McDonald because you need Sid Barker elsewhere in the field whether it be the outfield or something like that for matchups You can do that if you're just looking for like for like replacement Sid Barker I think can can step in there, but after that game Patty told us hey, she's gonna get an x-ray on her knees So kind of waiting on that we talked to Nelly on the franchise morning show this morning and
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Understandably, Nellie didn't really want to talk a ton about it and just like, those are sponsored segments.
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, we're just happy she's coming on.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not going to sit there and, you know, they're like, Nellie, I need the response to your ex or something like that.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the way that she was able to join us, I'm this is speculated.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: We don't know for sure.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: If we know anything for sure, Oklahoma Studios on the side.com, we will be sure to pull our resources right out of big source story on that.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just an FYI, people I've talked to have just been like, we're waiting for the ex or I'm like, okay.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, um, one of those scenarios where it definitely just listing to how she was talking, it sounded like one of those, I'm not great right now.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mainly because her shoulder sore, her knee sore.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if she'll miss Nick City period time.
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if it'll just be, hey, they're going down to Denton.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no need to rush her back out onto the field against our Texas, and then they've got two against Lisean abling Christian, and we'll see for us.
• 5:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: You see, I just don't know about that, but it's one of those things that read in the
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: canceled the interview with the radio hacks that next day and that was it.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: She was just like, let me move you around and we did up beat up the link up with her at the same time.
• 5:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, on clear, like I said, as soon as we know anything definitive, Oklahoma Sooner's on-as-side.com, we will get that story up as we've been checking in.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: The things you don't want to talk about, but if anything, Ryan, the way that Barker McDadell, then you go across the line up.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cheney Helton's weekend, Tia Malloy's weekend, Isabella Emerling continues to slug when she gets opportunities.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the rare moment where,
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, if we were going into the Texas series, we could probably fill out a lot of the lineup card for you, probably.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Ryan, it truly feels like this is not a situation where you have 12 or 13 bats that you pair that down.
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, we actually have 10 bats that we really trust going into SEC play.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're multiple weekends in and I feel like against Auburn, they get throughout anybody in the first half of the game.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: The second half of the game.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that Patty and JT Gas so straight up would feel great about putting all those players in.
• 6:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and that's one of the things that Patty said after the games on Friday is that you know, it's not like, yeah, you know, feel alright about, you know, these players, but you start getting a little
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have really anybody that's on this roster right now, especially with the way that Cheney Helton has come on.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Anybody that's on this roster right now, you can have in the lineup and feel confident that they've got a chance to produce in any way.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you look just at the home run numbers, everybody's got at least three.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: At this point, up and down the order.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think you just add in third base to this, uh, you know, first base D.P.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Catcher to some extent, although kind of wells are going to be in line up virtually all the time, but it's just, you know, how it those pieces fit, uh, you know, in the corner outfield spots and how you fit all those pieces together again.
• 7:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: You just add third base to that group now with the Nellie Mac and Roe Marina's being a little bit banged up.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you do have options, like you mentioned, Cindy Barker can play just about everywhere, unless a Parker can play just about everywhere, you know, Lexington, again, you know, we've seen her in a couple different spots and she's produced.
• 8:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's just sort of an embarrassment of riches at this point for Patty Gasso.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: That offense just keeps rolling along.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think, gosh, what is it, what's the number?
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: 86 if we're looking for the home run number home runs.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know why this was this one I was looking at was not updated.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: 86 home runs.
• 8:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I believe the next is UCLA with significantly less than that.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: they just keep on rolling right along and it doesn't matter, you know, who's in the order, what order they're in, they're going to keep mashing, but, you know, I think we continue to learn just how good this offense is, you know, game to game.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's something that I think it was Settler de Eras on Twitter who had put stack the numbers together, which doing a great work there, if the season ended today, 21 games into the season, 21 games into the season.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: This would be the 11th most home runs in program history.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: 21 games into the season.
• 9:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: We were talking with some of the people in the press box.
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Brock Borgin said he does a fantastic job as the sports information director.
• 9:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oklahoma hit their 100th home run in the Arkansas game at the SEC tournament last year.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was home run 100.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would not be stunned if they get to 100 frankly by the time they maybe opening weekend at some point against the Auburn of SEC play with just the one game Then four games and one game.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that might be enough for them to get there It depends on what we saw at times whether they're just he has the issue there offense.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not just home runs I know that every run against sadly Suisiana up until the final one was
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Plated via a home run, but we've seen that they can just string singles doubles together walks, take advantage of those, that you could get to the run rule pretty easy without even hitting home runs, and that's kind of like the only question is just how do they score the runs here?
• 10:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: These next couple of games leading into SEC play to see if they get to 100.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: at the start of it or before, but it's insane, they're batten 465 is a crew and I know this is not something to worry about, 21 games in, but in a really, really weird, sick-demented way.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: the opportunities that a lot of people are getting might hold you over if you're patty gaso until I want to act by any graduates and you've got a spot at second base next year until Abbey date and graduates and you've got a spot in the outfield next year.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: It feels like in a weird way Isabella Immorling will graduate and then that's another utility spot whether it's getting Kind of Wells off for feet occasionally at catcher or over it.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like it's a way that patty gaso can play
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: 13 players and try to keep them all happy leading into next year.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Which again, we're not worried about that right now.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think that something that we might look back on and go, hey, she was actually able to keep everyone happy because of all this rotation.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and that's something she talked about earlier in the season.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: With this team.
• 11:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you could see it next year.
• 11:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to add any bats, even though they are.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to add any bats.
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you still feel really good about the lineup, but they could roll out.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, obviously they're going to have to add pitching and we'll talk, you know, quite a bit about that as the year goes on.
• 11:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk
• 11:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: quite a bit about that.
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure later today, but as far as the the offense and the the defensive acumen, I mean, there's a lot of great defensive plays to think about Gabby Garcia's bear hander on on Friday to end the the first game against Sam Houston state and some of the other defensive plays they made I think was it was at Sydney Barker made a really good one down the line
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh, made a really good one down the line in foul territory.
• 11:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have Gabby Garcia's layout dives deep into the hole and as she's diving, she's able to in one motion flip it over to Agbiani, who's been able to fire down to first and not yet any defense, it would be one of their plays of the season just to get the out at second and owe you rolled that into a double play and even more impressive as they perfectly hit their
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Bashbro's celebration immediately after I don't know what was the most impressive part the fact that like the stuff that they do all the time pre-game translated to a game or the fact that the celebration was on point or that our guy Carson Field got a phenomenal photo on Saturday which is on the front page of our website yeah you look at it up and down Ryan and whether it be the defense which was pretty solid for most of the weekend whether it be
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: The 30 runs against Alabama State on Thursday, the 21 run ining against Alabama State, which program record second most in NCAA D1 history and ining.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was one of those situations where we saw the really cool scenes on Friday night of the dance party and things like that for OU and Alabama State.
• 13:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: But a team drops out, OUD to fill three games, they got Alabama State.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: We knew that they were going to kind of pumble them all weekend.
• 13:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought that the, and hey, Alabama State, I thought,
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wasn't there for Saturday when they took the lead, but just seeing what happened Friday when they hit a couple of home runs and the reactions that those drew, even though they were down massively at that time, I can imagine it was as fired up as a visiting team has been in that
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and it was something, too, that, you know, Patty talked about it, and Nellie talking to us this morning, I think everyone had a great appreciation for Dave's, oh, he's run with a lot of teams really bad over the last, you know, 15 plus years, but certainly the last five years, it feels like they've taken it to another level, and
• 13:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: just the energy and joy and respect that they were still working their butts off even if it wasn't going perfect and being able to find it within themselves to celebrate the wins.
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know that OU was not bothered by that one bit and it's like Patty said on Sunday.
• 14:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: OU will be rooting for Alabama State the rest of the way.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'll say it'll be rooting for OU the rest of the way and that was
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: really really cool to see.
• 14:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's dive into some of the pitching staff stuff.
• 14:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's start on the good end and then we can work our way back to the not so perfect stuff.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes I find it really hard-rine these weekends to have grand pitching takeaways.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're trying a lot of different infields behind you, things like that, but I thought
• 14:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Audrey Lowry on Sunday was fantastic, she only gave up two hits one of those was a solo shot, but it'll come as already for nothing at that point, so it made it four one.
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: The other one came at deep in the fourth or the fifth, and I thought the important thing, Audrey Lowry throw in six strikeouts.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's something that we've kind of talked about.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: That you and I, not maybe not on air or on the podcast, but pitching a contact with a patty
• 14:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: But at a certain point, if you want to not run into trouble, again, some of the not top teams in SEC play, you want to see some big gotty strikeout numbers and what Chanio has that ability and she showed that again this weekend and if she can just stay a little bit more in control when she goes inside and not hit as many badders than you've got a really nice one, two punch with her an Audrey Lowry.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I thought Lowry bounced in back from some of the slow start stuff against the Sam Houston team on Friday to throw
• 15:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: not shut out innings, but six strikeouts that was tied for her season high this year and the way that she talked about after the game that she basically said, uh, talk with Coach Gasso.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a time to go dominate as a pitcher to see her kind of embrace that and be the head of the staff and something that Patty had talked about is that those sophomores, they know it to expect and they're ready to grow in that in that realm.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that Audrey Lauri is ready to step forward
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: be the ace of this staff with plenty of support from Sidney Purson who you hope continues to ramp up in and Wachania who I think's been really good but that gives you someone that you can throw on a Friday while Purson continues to build into the season.
• 16:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it gives Oklahoma something that I was really excited about what we saw from Audrey Larrie a year ago up until she got hurt at that after the injury That's when her performance has got a little jekyll and hide which is a freshman injured SEC play.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: more than okay.
• 16:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think she's taking that step forward here and I'm really excited when says we see play gets going in a couple of weekends to see what can she do as like the ace of the staff even if Oklahoma doesn't want to label one single person as an ace.
• 16:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, right now, there's no escape in it.
• 16:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Audrey Lauery is their ace.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's pitched that way throughout the season, but yeah, I thought Sunday was massive for her, like you mentioned, a little bit of a bounce back, not that she'd been bad, but maybe hadn't been a sharp as she'd been at various points during the season.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: But,
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: The six strikeouts were great and that's encouraging.
• 16:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: You want to see those numbers continue to be right around there.
• 17:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think would be good for her and good for the Senators.
• 17:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: But to me, the biggest thing that stands out is, no walks, no hit by pitches, just efficient.
• 17:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Give it up to a couple of hits.
• 17:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can live with solo home runs when you're hitting five a game on your side.
• 17:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Pat, I guess I talked about that last week.
• 17:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can give up the home runs, just don't make them two, three runs, grand slams, things like that with walks and bad defense and things like that.
• 17:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were able to limit that and you can certainly live, especially when you're up already.
• 17:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Challenger hitter in the zone and if they pop one out, hey, tip your cap to him and then move on to the next one, but that's certainly better than, you know, stringing together a couple walks and then you have to attack the zone and then you get burnt.
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I thought, you know, yet another moment of growth.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: from Audrey Lowry, I liked, like you mentioned, what we saw of Miley Wachino.
• 18:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: She continues to be somebody who, I think is probably ahead of where I thought she would be at this point of the season.
• 18:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: really saw some really good things out of her last year at Ole Miss, but I wondered how quickly it would translate and how much she'd be able to really carry the load here, but you know, I think that she was solid in her couple of appearances, just the three endings will allow and you know, one run against Alabama State.
• 18:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: It came on a solo home run again and then
• 18:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: just two-thirds of it ending against Sam Houston on what was that Saturday, I guess, scoreless innings and, you know, just another solid outing from her.
• 18:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think, you know, the biggest thing is just continue to bring her Sydney birds on along and try to get them into a group.
• 18:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because if you get those three pitchers going,
• 18:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think we're going to see Alyssa Parker in certain situations, then, you know, you've got a pretty good chance, especially again, with the kind of offense that, uh, use role and out there.
• 19:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you saw Alyssa Parker open it up on Thursday, which another Patty talked about the post game being.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really cool.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's like to have a freshman in an local home in kind of earn that shot to open up the home opener is pretty cool.
• 19:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: You saw Berkeley's decay come in and serve kind of as the reliever and I thought Berkeley got a couple of nice things.
• 19:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know just can't really what role, whether it's like a
• 19:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Peyton Monticelli just come in for one batter.
• 19:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's got different kind of stuff.
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Whether it's not really have a role in SEC play.
• 19:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: We know that patty gas was not afraid to throw those freshmen in there and something patty talked about is that she's been so impressed with Alyssa Parker's ability to do everything play in the field pitch bat that she really, really, really wants to get her more and more bullpen time and she's gotten more of her feet under both in the field and at the plate because
• 19:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: She said that right now what she's doing, she's still doing it kind of as a thrower.
• 19:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is something that Patty likes to label that sometimes there's throwers and you make that transition to pitching.
• 20:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that that's just something on the OU staff of fitting in, bullpen time and things like that.
• 20:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that Alyssa Parker can only get better, which gives you two arms and Audrey Lauri, Milo Chano that are performing really well, one in Sydney, Brazil and it's got all the experience that you assume will ramp up in.
• 20:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then kind of a freshman wild card and just how big of a role I think she could play any weekend in the circle.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I guess the the the top edge of it is you get to Saturday the start that Kirsten Deel had and I know that you and I like talking to Kirsten Deel and she's put in a lot of great time at this program But you asked the question earlier this year Hey, she hadn't had the best star in pedigasso had said that she feels like Coach Rocha from
• 20:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Back home, it kind of identified maybe a little mechanical hiccup or a glitch as she had called it to kind of fix that Kirsten Deal has not had great luck this year as far as her defense having some bobbles and things like that, but She gives up the grand slam to Alabama stage.
• 21:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: She then gives it up a solo shot to Alabama state and is much Really appreciate Alabama state.
• 21:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's not the kind of adding I think
• 21:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: that is going to build that confidence in Kirsten deal and she's someone that just you see how Audrey Larry takes the circle right now confident cool calm collected
• 21:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: When one or two things goes wrong, it's very subtle, but you can kind of see Kirsten deal almost get tight.
• 21:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you've watched her pitch throughout her career at Oklahoma, I mean, I'm not trying to pile on anything, but right now it's Ryan, if you're building a staff for the Auburn Week, and I don't think that you can even rely on her and relief, which is something that is gonna be tougher her, because we've seen her perform on the the biggest stage for Oklahoma, but she's got to rebuild that confidence faster, it just might be
• 21:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of those pictures that we see kind of fall to the way side during conference play and less Oklahoma's already got a weekend wrapped up and you can get it like a Sunday start just to see how it goes.
• 21:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but I wonder if it's time to maybe just pull back a little bit, really work with her in the bullpen and in practice and things like that and try to get her, like you said, the confidence back a little bit.
• 22:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know obviously not pitching in games, that confidence can take a hit, but right now the way she's pitching, it just feels like it just keeps getting worse.
• 22:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know,
• 22:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a to give up those kind of numbers against Alabama state through through four earnings give up five hits five runs they were all earned did strike out for but allow the couple of home runs.
• 22:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, like we've talked about and what was it hit a couple I think it didn't walk any so that was good, but
• 22:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's back to the, given up, you know, multi, multi run home runs there that you just can't live with and it's one thing to do it against Alabama state when you can play 30, it's another when you're doing it against the SEC opponents that they're going to face weekend and weekend and weekend.
• 22:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Kirsten deals been really, really good at times during her career again has never been just the overpowering one.
• 23:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's never been the ace, but she's been a really good piece and I think.
• 23:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's still a chance for her to be a really good piece this year, but you just wonder if it's time to maybe take a step back, really hone in on some things with her.
• 23:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I also wonder how the dynamic with her and Carly Keeney is going and how it can go.
• 23:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: She might be missing Jen Rocha as much as anybody right now, because that's a tough dynamic getting coached by a player that you were teammates with.
• 23:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... just a couple of years ago and that's not saying anything about carly kini is a coach now are certainly carly kini is a coach in the future but it's it's just a tough dynamic and it's some sometimes hard to work through some things especially if there's some mechanical stuff uh... there going on but uh... i think all of us like you mentioned we love talking to kierston deal she is one of the best players on the team to talk to if you're asking her about one of our teammates especially
• 24:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... she's phenomenal in those situations and i know her teammates lover uh... to death and want nothing but her to succeed but you've got to do something different with the way that she's pitching right now i mean uh... any r a uh... you know twelve point seven five that's just not the kirsten deal that we've seen really since the start uh... of her or you career and if this thing's going to get back on track it needs to start getting back on track here pretty
• 24:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: In a weird way, too, it might be an okay time to pair it back a little bit just because I think everyone understands once you get to SEC play, you've just got three games a weekend.
• 24:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: So there's only three starts up for grab.
• 24:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not like this past weekend where there's six and everyone's trying to get to everybody.
• 24:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that everyone, like this is where we get into, sorry, my dog is going crazy if you hear in the back of the dog.
• 24:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not the dog.
• 24:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's very concerned about Kirsten Dill.
• 24:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: She loves watching Kirsten Dill pitch.
• 24:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's one of those things where I think that player, you get into a competitive atmosphere and you know, like everyone, new at some point last year, Sam Landry was going to get two of the three starts.
• 25:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that everyone's like, all right, cool.
• 25:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let me fit in on that Saturday spot or things like that.
• 25:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so I don't think it's like an in-care still doesn't have a big ego.
• 25:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think she's anyone talks about her.
• 25:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's one of the biggest team players there is.
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think it'll be an understanding spot.
• 25:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'm probably not pitching right now to a spot where I deserve one of the
• 25:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can I get in the lab and attack one inning where I could be used as kind of relief there?
• 25:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's where you start to build that and ramp that back up and in it.
• 25:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's like you said that Kirsten speaks glowingly of Carly Kini, but Audrey Lowery who also speaks glowingly of Carly Kini talks about it.
• 25:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's had to mature because Coach Rocha just knows you and things are unsaid.
• 25:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to say I'm feeling this or that Rocha's been around them long enough that I could say.
• 25:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: you, you're feeling this right now.
• 25:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you could have not Carly Keyless take that out.
• 25:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: You could have pick your Mike White could come in and be working with Kirsten Deal.
• 25:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Another just, you know, long time great pitching coach.
• 25:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it would take a while for anyone to know Kirsten, the way that Jim Rochino's Kirsten, right?
• 26:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: In
• 26:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: hey in the past we've had a rough patch here's how I worked through it here's what we knew got through to cure like that dynamic it just takes a little bit to build that up and and that's not a reflection on Carly Keene or Kirsten deal whatsoever that's just life been knowing people you know what I mean and so yeah
• 26:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: It'll be interesting to see that dynamic is I know that Patty Gasso wants nothing more to get been to get Kirsten deal going because that means you've got three chips to the world series with Kirsten deal, three chips through SEC play with Sidney Burzon, a world series trip last year for both lorry and Miley Wachania.
• 26:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you can get four pictures that have been to the women's college world series and four pictures that have released
• 26:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, four pictures that have gone through at least one year MSCC play multiple years for Burzana, multiple years of big-time battles are curious to every coach once that.
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 26:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, they've got as much experience as anybody in the country, but they do need to get Kirsten deal going.
• 27:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Even if it is, just as that, you know, one or two innings solution.
• 27:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: She doesn't have to, you know, do things like the start last year against Texas, things like that, some of the great performances that she's had.
• 27:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: If she can just be a piece that you can count on to get three
• 27:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Crystal situations, then I think you'd feel pretty good about where she's at, but I think, again, we all hope that she's able to get things turned around and find a role in this pitching staff because she's done some really, really good things during her career and it's tough to see what she's going through right now.
• 27:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: before we just do a quick breeze through the weekend ahead and not really going to preview a ton of dark taxes because if you link up with us on the full and proper seniors on the side podcast, they'll play Tuesday nights we'll be able to touch on that a little bit Wednesday but when you just look at some of the numbers right and going back to the home run total specifically I think that's the easiest one.
• 28:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's one of those things that early in the year I put off the on-paste stuff just go and hey, let's get as you see play a lot different scouting when you come to quality of picture, but just one pitching staff scouting one line up and vice versa and all that stuff, but
• 28:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's been one of those things Ryan that there are a lot of teams across the country that have played games here there It gets to team like a UTEP and not put up 30 runs.
• 28:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: There are a lot of teams across the country that have a home weekend where they get to take a breath and you get like, you know, Some less than competition.
• 28:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're not putting up 30 runs and then a 21 running in the next couple of days.
• 28:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at kind of well.
• 28:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we've seen some incredible hitters.
• 28:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ryan by the end of the next weekend, she's going to be halfway to the freshman record of 30.
• 28:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's like, yeah, even if she takes a nose dive during SEC play, she's still gonna get close to 10 home runs.
• 28:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Man of them, I feel like it's SEC play the new got the whole tournament runs and stuff like that.
• 28:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's hard not to look up and go, yeah, early in the season, they're on pace for 200.
• 29:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'm not talking to 200, but you look at that 161 and that OU team needed to play the maximum at the Women's College World series to get there.
• 29:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean if they just keep hammering away this way and it doesn't look like there's a bunch of elite SEC pitching stats coming to love's field, which in the summer can really start to rock at some stuff, especially if you hit that channel out to right field.
• 29:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that this team legitimately not like, oh hey, look, this is a knockout.
• 29:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're not on history watch with this team, then you're sleeping on it because we've seen South noncompetes and it has never looked like this.
• 29:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I think I texted you yesterday is it is a time to put up a record watch for home runs and runs in particular.
• 29:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, those, those records, it would almost be, you know, you're never going to say it's going to be a surprise if they don't reach a record, they're clearly going to get close at least, but at this point with 86.
• 29:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kindlewells has 15 like you mentioned halfway there already, even before conference play begins and she still got a weekend ahead against some non-conference opponents before that starts.
• 30:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just incredible.
• 30:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Gabby Garcia's got 11, but just the depth of the power in this group.
• 30:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because it's not like late in those big time blowout games when you roll out a hitter who has no chance to get one out
• 30:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: everybody in this lineup has a chance to drive one out and like you mentioned it's not just the home runs with this offense but the home runs are certainly eye-popping and to have again we talk about her a lot but Kindle Wells the way that she's been able to handle this transition and it's been you know better than Jocelyn Allo better than Lauren Chamberlain better
• 30:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: and it's just amazing.
• 30:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she's doing it at a position that takes a lot out of you.
• 31:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Defensively and and just mentally at the catcher spot and she's still able to do that at the clip that she she's been able to That's been incredible was just looking at I don't think I brought this up earlier But look at UCLA's numbers.
• 31:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have 60 home runs Which is which is really really good and you know those numbers are impressive, but
• 31:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, they've got two players I think that have combined for 27 of those, so they just they don't have the depth anywhere near what OU is rolling out there right now and that's a depth that
• 31:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, not that there's going to not going to be slumps and down turns along the way with individual players, but when you've got this many players who can hit home runs and hit them consistently, it's hard to see that taking too much of a dive even as SEC play turns around because like you said, the pitching, you know, there's there's some really good pitchers in the SEC, but the depth maybe isn't there.
• 32:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Weekend a weekend like we've seen sometimes in the past.
• 32:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that 2021 non-conference wasn't as good as some of the ones that Patty put together in 2223.
• 32:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was partially just due to your limited reach now, the COVID stuff like that.
• 32:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: But this is again, through 15 games that not play 21, they'd hit 128 or 161.
• 32:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Fifty of those 161 through 15 games.
• 32:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oklahoma this year had hit 56 So they were already plus six if you're doing the on-page tracker and then to just add it and rope that all the way up this weekend I mean, they're still gonna be on pace.
• 32:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've not touched on the official number, but
• 32:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at it, I mean, Wells is already double digits, Gabby's already double digits.
• 32:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pick has eight, she's going to get there, Alyssa Parker has eight, she's going to get there, Ella Parker has seven, she's going to get there, and I'm just talking about every day starters, you look at if we just tape Nelly and Sydney Barker together, if that's kind of the two that like platoon at third base.
• 33:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's someone's going to get there and you're looking at Lexi McDaniel up the bench has five.
• 33:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's going to get to double digits.
• 33:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Kai minor has four.
• 33:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: She Ryan, we're talking about Oklahoma could have like legitimately push for 10 players to hit 10 home runs, 10 players.
• 33:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's unbelievable.
• 33:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's absolutely insane.
• 33:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you mentioned Barker, Ogg Byani has shown some power, Cheney Hilton, you know, Petty Gesso sort of laughed about it the other day that, hey, Cheney Hilton's a home run hitter now.
• 33:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she got,
• 33:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: she got really close to having another one on Friday night if Alabama State Center Fielder hadn't made a heck of a play at the wall to haul one back in and just the the depth of this offense.
• 33:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know we've talked about it a ton today, we've talked about it a ton the last couple weeks, but it's it's just unbelievable and
• 34:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: you know it's hard to again see them go and do a slump but it's also hard to see it's not like you can pull back because you're not going to you're not going to tell you know Tia Malloy to get up up there you know in the fifth inning she's taken a pinch hit appearance and not uh try to put a good swing on it.
• 34:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: and you're still able to just keep stacking those things and it's just unreal.
• 34:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be fun to see how this offense sort of evolves.
• 34:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: As we move into SEC play, obviously the home runs are going to take a dip even if they're still there at a big clip.
• 34:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: you look at the other numbers and they're still just so solid.
• 34:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: The double numbers, they've hit, you know, over 40 doubles, drawn a lot of walks, 123 to this point, including was a 20 from Alyssa Parker, which is saying a lot about her plate discipline, Cassidy Pickering has 21.
• 34:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, this offense,
• 35:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... just can kill you in so many different ways i mean heck they've even shown uh... a fair amount of speed uh... was it etliparker has four stolen bases uh... kind minor has seven which we expected agbody has six which we expected but uh... you know etliparker to run the way that she did not that they're going to run a ton
• 35:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when they're able to do that, they're generally pretty successful, so it's going to be a fun one to keep track of all of those different marks here as we start to take a turn toward SEC play.
• 35:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as we talked about at the top, it's something that it's not just home run.
• 35:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like pitching staffs are not just, hey, we can keep it in the park.
• 35:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a one under pressure, a hundred percent of the time.
• 35:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: The walk numbers like we talked about last week are astronomical.
• 35:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's been fantastic.
• 35:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Top to bottom A plus plus.
• 35:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll come up offensive, obviously.
• 35:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I excited to see this thing grows.
• 35:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: We continue to grow into the season with SEC play just around the corner.
• 35:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Before that, those six more non-conference games, tomorrow night Tuesday, I feel as if it's on Tuesday, they'll take on North Texas down in Denton, we'll do a little mini recap of that on the Wednesday full sooner or so on a side pod cast, and they got two against Louisiana, two against abling Christian, it's a one, two, one as far as Louisiana Friday, both those in a double header on Saturday, abling Christian on Sunday, then a midweek next week against Tulsa before SEC play gets going.
• 36:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll do a little bit of preview of that Louisiana matchup.
• 36:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Wednesday on the pot as well.
• 36:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know Patty gas, so that's the one she's kind of circles that she's excited to see Louisiana come on in as know they've been a really really good program Start later during last go and then they've kind of kept that rolling so let's leave it here today Ryan will will regroup fully with Carson and who On Wednesday and then we'll be back next Monday to recap the O'Connor invitation out at loves
• 36:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for stopping it Little Ryan squared action, but that's Ryan Avery I'm Ryan Chapman, Oklahoma suitors on SI.com is the place to be We got softball for you every single day from now until the world series ends and beyond math So be sure you're headed there for your best source for Oklahoma softball coverage all year long Oklahoma suitors on SI.com for Avery I'm Chapman We'll see you guys