Latest news with #KasidiPickering
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma eyes 5th straight national title at Women's College World Series
FILE - Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady (24) throws during an NCAA college softball game on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley, File) FILE - Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) warms up before an NCAA college softball game against Delaware State on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher, File) FILE - Oklahoma's Kasidi Pickering (7) celebrates a home run against Texas during the second inning of Game 2 of the NCAA Women's College World Series softball championship series Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File) FILE - Oklahoma's Kasidi Pickering (7) celebrates a home run against Texas during the second inning of Game 2 of the NCAA Women's College World Series softball championship series Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File) FILE - Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady (24) throws during an NCAA college softball game on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley, File) FILE - Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) warms up before an NCAA college softball game against Delaware State on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Buscher, File) FILE - Oklahoma's Kasidi Pickering (7) celebrates a home run against Texas during the second inning of Game 2 of the NCAA Women's College World Series softball championship series Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma could extend its record run of consecutive national titles to five at this year's Women's College World Series. Patty Gasso's second-seeded Sooners will face No. 7 seed Tennessee in their WCWS opener. Oklahoma beat Alabama on Saturday to win the Norman Super Regional. Advertisement Action in the eight-team double-elimination bracket begins Thursday at Devon Park. The final two teams will play for the title in a best-of-three series starting June 4. Gasso, who will coach the United States at the 2028 Summer Olympics, has led the Sooners to eight national titles, including six of the past eight and seven of 10. This was Oklahoma's first season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. In other opening-day matchups, third-seeded Florida will play No. 6 seed Texas, No. 9 seed UCLA meets No. 16 seed Oregon and No. 12 seed Texas Tech will face unseeded Mississippi. Oklahoma will face Tennessee star pitcher Karlyn Pickens, who broke her NCAA record by throwing a 79.4 mph pitch during Saturday's win over Nebraska. Pickens then shut out the Cornhuskers 1-0 on Sunday. Advertisement Nebraska's loss means Oklahoma won't be facing former Sooners pitcher Jordy Bahl, who transferred to her home-state Cornhuskers after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 World Series with Oklahoma. Although No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M was knocked out in regional play, the SEC has five teams in the field — Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Texas and Ole Miss. Florida beat Georgia in three games to advance. The Gators won national titles in 2014 and 2015 and lost to Oklahoma in the semifinals last year. Texas has reached the best-of-three championship series in two of the past three seasons, with both losses coming to Oklahoma. The Longhorns are also in their first season in the SEC. Advertisement Texas Tech and Ole Miss are first-time qualifiers. Texas Tech beat host Florida State in a super regional. Pitcher NiJaree Canady, last year's USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, led Stanford to the national semifinals two straight years before transferring to Tech. She led the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles. Ole Miss is the only unseeded team remaining. The Rebels beat Arizona twice to win the Tucson Regional and beat Arkansas in super regionals. UCLA and Oregon will meet in a matchup of former Pac-12 teams that moved to the Big Ten this year. Oregon, the Big Ten regular-season champion, defeated upstart Liberty to advance. Liberty stunned Texas A&M in regional play, but couldn't get past the Ducks. UCLA was down to its last out against South Carolina in Game 2 before winning, then took Game 3. The Bruins could add to their record 12 World Series titles.
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sam Landry, Kasidi Pickering lead Oklahoma to game 1 win over Alabama
Sam Landry, Kasidi Pickering lead Oklahoma to game 1 win over Alabama The Oklahoma Sooners (49-7) took game one from the Alabama Crimson Tide 3-0 and are one win away from advancing to the Women's College World Series. Sam Landry threw a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and striking out five to move to 23-4 on the season. Oklahoma's bats provided just enough offense in this one as Kasidi Pickering joined Gabbie Garcia atop the Sooners' home run leaderboard with her 18th home run of the season. It was Pickering's 10th home run in her NCAA Tournament career, spanning just 45 at-bats. The home run came in the bottom of the third after Abigale Dayton's lead-off walk. Pickering swung at the first pitch from Alabama starter Jocelyn Briski to give Oklahoma the lead. With Landry dealing, that's all the offense the Sooners would need but they got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth from freshman Sydney Barker drove in Dayton, who doubled to start off the inning. Landry only allowed one Alabama hitter to reach third base throughout the game. That came in the top of the fifth inning when Lauren Johnson advanced to third on a fly ball. Oklahoma's ace proceeded to strike out Alabama slugger Kali Heivilin, who was batting .373 with 14 home runs on the season. It was the sixth consecutive win for the Oklahoma Sooners, dating back to the final day of the regular season. They beat LSU and Arkansas in the SEC tournament and then swept through the Norman Regional. With a win over Alabama on Saturday, the Sooners can clinch their ninth-straight Women's College World Series berth. A loss to the Crimson Tide will force a game three on Sunday. Saturday's game begins at 2 p.m. CT at Love's Field in Norman. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pickering's HR, Landry's complete game help OU beat Alabama 3-0 in Game 1 of super regional
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Kasidi Pickering hit a two-run home run and Sam Landry pitched a complete game for Oklahoma and the Sooners beat Alabama 3-0 on Friday in Game 1 of the best-of-five Norman Super Regional. No. 2 seed Oklahoma (49-7) can clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series and eliminate the Crimson Tide with a win in Game 2 on Saturday. The Sooners have won 17 consecutive games in super regional play. Landry (23-4) allowed four hits with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and five strikeouts. Abigale Dayton drew a lead-off walk in the third and Pickering hit the next pitch over the wall in center field. Sydney Barker hit a two-out single that drove in Dayton — who led off the inning with a double — to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Alexis Pupillo led off the sixth inning with a double, but Landry struck out Salen Hawkins and Marlie Giles before Brooke Ellestad's groundout ended the threat. Jocelyn Briski (17-13) gave up three runs on six hits over five innings for No. 15 seed Alabama (40-22). Two of Oklahoma's losses this season came against the Crimson Tide. The Sooners are 7-6 against Alabama in NCAA Tournament play. ___ AP college sports:
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pickering's HR, Landry's complete game help OU beat Alabama 3-0 in Game 1 of super regional
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Kasidi Pickering hit a two-run home run and Sam Landry pitched a complete game for Oklahoma and the Sooners beat Alabama 3-0 on Friday in Game 1 of the best-of-five Norman Super Regional. No. 2 seed Oklahoma (49-7) can clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series and eliminate the Crimson Tide with a win in Game 2 on Saturday. Advertisement The Sooners have won 17 consecutive games in super regional play. Landry (23-4) allowed four hits with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and five strikeouts. Abigale Dayton drew a lead-off walk in the third and Pickering hit the next pitch over the wall in center field. Sydney Barker hit a two-out single that drove in Dayton — who led off the inning with a double — to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Alexis Pupillo led off the sixth inning with a double, but Landry struck out Salen Hawkins and Marlie Giles before Brooke Ellestad's groundout ended the threat. Jocelyn Briski (17-13) gave up three runs on six hits over five innings for No. 15 seed Alabama (40-22). Two of Oklahoma's losses this season came against the Crimson Tide. The Sooners are 7-6 against Alabama in NCAA Tournament play. ___ AP college sports:
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Pickering's HR, Landry's complete game help OU beat Alabama 3-0 in Game 1 of super regional
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Kasidi Pickering hit a two-run home run and Sam Landry pitched a complete game for Oklahoma and the Sooners beat Alabama 3-0 on Friday in Game 1 of the best-of-five Norman Super Regional. No. 2 seed Oklahoma (49-7) can clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series and eliminate the Crimson Tide with a win in Game 2 on Saturday. The Sooners have won 17 consecutive games in super regional play. Landry (23-4) allowed four hits with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and five strikeouts. Abigale Dayton drew a lead-off walk in the third and Pickering hit the next pitch over the wall in center field. Sydney Barker hit a two-out single that drove in Dayton — who led off the inning with a double — to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Alexis Pupillo led off the sixth inning with a double, but Landry struck out Salen Hawkins and Marlie Giles before Brooke Ellestad's groundout ended the threat. Jocelyn Briski (17-13) gave up three runs on six hits over five innings for No. 15 seed Alabama (40-22). Two of Oklahoma's losses this season came against the Crimson Tide. The Sooners are 7-6 against Alabama in NCAA Tournament play. ___ AP college sports:
