Who is Tiare Jennings? Former OU softball star back in WCWS as Sooners' coach
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Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens lead WCWS players to watch
The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson highlights several Women's College World Series key players to watch.
Tiare Jennings is back at the Women's College World Series for the fifth consecutive season, but just not in the capacity Oklahoma (and college softball) fans have seen her in before.
This time around, one of the greatest to ever put on the Sooners uniform is doing so as a member of Patty Gasso's coaching staff.
One of the best power hitters and players in college softball history, Jennings is in her first season as a graduate assistant on the Sooners' staff, where she has taken a prominent role as OU's first base coach.
REQUIRED READING: How does WCWS work? Explaining double-elimination format for NCAA softball tournament
In her new role, the first-year graduate assistant coach now looks to help lead her alma mater to continue its dominance at the WCWS by winning a fifth straight national championship, a feat that has not been met in college softball history before.
That run to another trophy hoisting that is followed by the playing of Toby Keith's "How Do You Like Me Now?!" begins on Thursday, May 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET against No. 7 Tennessee at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
Here's what you need to know about Jennings ahead of her WCWS coaching debut:
Who is Tiare Jennings?
Tiare Jennings is one of the all-time Oklahoma Sooner softball players, and the No. 3 OU player of all-time on The Oklahoman's recent top 50 list.
The San Pedro, California native reached levels not many softball players have in their collegiate careers: a four-time national champion and four-time All-American First Team selection. She was also named to the WCWS All-Tournament Team three of her four years in Norman.
It didn't take long for Jennings to make her mark on the OU program, as she started all 60 games as a freshman while posting a .462 batting average on the season, which ranked seventh best among all Division I hitters that year. She ranked second in the country with 27 home runs, which was three shy of the NCAA freshman record, and a 1.000 slugging percentage.
Statistically speaking, Jennings ranks first in program history with 64 career doubles, second with 98 homers and 314 RBIs, and third with a .412 batting average. She holds the WCWS career record for most RBIs (29) at the WCWS, while setting a single-season WCWS record for RBIs (15) and home runs (5) at the 2022 WCWS.
"I know our journey together is far from over. With God, none of this is possible and I'm so thankful that he gave me the talents to play the game that I love," Jennings wrote in a letter to softball at the 2024 WCWS. "... From all the ups and downs, the best thing that I learned playing is that the sport doesn't defy me. It is something that I love to do with my sisters next to me.
"Softball is giving me the opportunity to represent who I am."
Following her graduation from OU last spring, Jennings played with the OKC Spark and was on Team USA at the 2024 WBSC World Cup, where she helped guide the United States to a silver medal.
Tiare Jennings coaching at Oklahoma
This past season, Jennings has taken on a new role with the Sooners' softball program: coach.
"It's cool to still be on the field and coaching," Jennings told The Oklahoman on May 4. "OU has a lot of new faces, and it's been cool to get to know them and teach them the championship mindset and what OU softball stands for."
She added: "It was always one of my dreams to stay around the team with OU and play softball."
In her graduate assistant coaching role with the Sooners, Jennings has served as the team's first base coach. She's also putting together scouting reports for OU this season in her new role.
"I didn't know what I was doing," Jennings told The Oklahoman about coaching first base at the beginning. "I was just a little bit rattled. Like, 'OK, do I send them two? Do I not? Did I miss any signs?' I'm starting to get the hang of it, have my feet on the ground and enjoy the moment. It's been super fun to do it. I wasn't a base stealer, so I didn't get many signs at first base. Now I'm in the brunt of it, where I pay attention to everything."
REQUIRED READING: How former OU softball star Tiare Jennings has passed knowledge as Sooners' student coach
Tiare Jennings stats at Oklahoma
In her illustrious four-year career at Oklahoma, Jennings finished with a career .412 batting average and slash line of .412/.885/.491. She finished with 98 home runs and 314 hits and RBIs each.
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Jennings' stats at Oklahoma:
2021: .462 batting average/1.000 slugging percentage/.517 on-base percentage with 92 RBIs, 91 hits, 81 runs scored and 52 extra-base hits (27 home runs)
.462 batting average/1.000 slugging percentage/.517 on-base percentage with 92 RBIs, 91 hits, 81 runs scored and 52 extra-base hits (27 home runs) 2022: .401/.934/.507 with 87 RBIs, 83 runs scored, 73 hits and 38 extra-base hits (29 home runs)
.401/.934/.507 with 87 RBIs, 83 runs scored, 73 hits and 38 extra-base hits (29 home runs) 2023: .415/.781/.477 with 66 RBIs, 76 hits, 57 runs scored and 33 extra-base hits (17 home runs)
.415/.781/.477 with 66 RBIs, 76 hits, 57 runs scored and 33 extra-base hits (17 home runs) 2024: .370/.820/.463 with 74 hits, 69 RBIs, 56 runs scored and 40 extra-base hits (25 home runs)
Tiare Jennings Athletes Unlimited Softball team
Jennings' playing career is set to resume this summer with the Volts in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League. She was drafted by the Volts in the fifth round of the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft back in January.
With the Volts, Jennings will get to play with Sooners' ace Sam Landry, who was taken No. 1 overall in the AUSL college draft earlier this month.
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