"With Jordy Bahl’s swag, Jayda Coleman’s fire and Kenzie Hansen’s constant heroics, Oklahoma’s softball squad is loaded with different personalities and qualities. They showcase those unique personal aspects through their celebrations and passion on the field — and that’s what makes Oklahoma softball so special." - Ross Lovelace, Sports Illustrated

Oklahoma Softball One Win Away from National Title

Tyler Kenyon June 8, 2023 Softball 870 Views

Florida State is on the verge of falling short of a national title. Oklahoma Softball hopes to finish the job against the Seminoles and complete the two-game sweep Thursday night. Let’s delve a little deeper into this Sooner team and look at all the ways they can win.

Unapologetic

The Sooners have been more dominant than most people realize this season. This Oklahoma team is currently riding a 51-game win streak and are the No. 1 team in the nation. They play with fire. Head Coach Patty Gasso said Tuesday that she tells players they must be “unapologetic” for the way they act on the field. The Sooners have definitely earned it, seeing as their vast amount of success has carried this team to the highest levels of college play three seasons in a row.

Double Standard?

Many college softball fans are against the demeanor of the Sooners during their play this season. Center fielder Jayda Coleman commented on this criticism in an interview earlier this week.

“I really don’t get it,” she said. “I feel like we are continuously — and softball itself — are just breaking barriers. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and I feel like it’s just very disappointing to just see people just trying to tear us down in that type of way. Maybe not tearing us down, but just kind of making it into a negative light when you’re seeing the MLB players do the exact same thing or the NBA or NFL, throwing their helmets and having emotion. Like, why can’t we have emotion? We are in the same stakes as them. We are athletes just like them. Why can we not wear our emotions on their sleeves? It disappoints me on the double standard and how the male athletes slide with things and female athletes don’t, and hopefully that will change very soon.”

Coleman leads the team in home runs, with 17 this season alone.

 

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About Tyler Kenyon

Tyler Kenyon, a native of Tampa, Florida, is an advertising and professional sales student at the University of Florida.

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