Much love for you ladies ❤❤ Will miss you SO much 😢 So glad I got to watch you play the game you love. Wishing you nothing but the very best success and happiness in everything you do. Fingers crossed that next year's barnstorming brings some games to the SF Bay Area. Thanks for being awesome! 🫶🫶 Go AU🥎
Nicole - I'd enjoy having you tell us your memories of the 17 inning game vs. Florida in 2017. I remember you hit what could have been the game winning HR in the 6th inning, putting OU ahead 2-1. OU was still up 2-1 in the 7th and Florida was down to their last strike. They had Ocasio on first base with 2 outs and Reynoso at the plate with a full count. Paige Parker jammed her and got a pop fly into left center. My memory of that play is that OU had their outfielders playing way back next to the fence - and because they were so deep, Hatfield came up just a little bit short of making a catch that would have ended the game. I have always thought that it was a coaching mistake to have the outfielders that deep, If Macey had been just 5 feet closer when the ball was hit, I think she makes the catch and that game would have ended in 7 innings - and the Nicole Mendes 6th inning HR would have gone down in OU WCWS history as one of the big game winning home runs. That game went on to finish in 17 innings. Did you get some food to eat as the game went on and on into the night..? And were you shocked when they put you in to pitch during game two the next day..? I have to wonder if you are the only freshman player who pitched a scoreless inning - and also hit a HR in the deciding game at the WCWS. And I also wonder if you are the only freshman to hit a HR in each game of a WCWS finals. Suggestion for the "dirt". I'd like to hear an interview of Mackenzie Donihoo and what happened for her to leave OU. Or if you have any info to share about that situation from the 2022 season.
Riley Boone seems like someone who might spill some dirt and I haven't seen interviewed at all, maybe someone from stanford who just graduated and could share if there were issues there the last two years, and would be curious to hear details from Alo's post graduation process - maybe some bts stuff from the savannah bananas...
Is there a reason why none of the pro leagues have gone the route of solely showing games on youtube and getting money direct from fans? I get it would be an upill climb, but given the rise of things like patreon, substack and youtube subscriptions and superchats, etc in addition to the popularity of college softball is that not a viable option? Being able to watch games without subscribing to cable or some weird app like happened with women's soccer seems like it would make it way more accessible. And then players coming out of college with social media fans could easily promote the games and you could add interviews with players and player podcasts and stuff to that channel.
Good podcast. Nicole followed your career, I usually follow all Oklahoma players. Wish you played for the Spark. Grey just getting used to you but you seem to know your stuff. Appreciate both of you
Hi Nicole, I totally get it about being disappointed that softball in the Olympics is being held in OKC instead of in or close to LA where you all can get the true olympic experience of being close to all of the other Olympic athletes that are the best in the world in their sport. How it now just feels like a softball tournament (still an elite-level one) instead of being a part of a collection of the best athletes in multiple sports all getting to compete in one place. Please forgive us Oklahomans for being a little excited to be able to host. I know there's excitement here in OKC about getting to host because Oklahoma rarely gets to be on this big of a stage. Unfortunately it's only happening because softball isn't being valued the way it should by the decision makers in LA. I truly hope that OKC can make it as great as an experience as it can be considering the circumstances. Best of luck to you should you be able to compete with Team Mexico or Team USA in 2028.
Checked out this video because I needed a softball fix after the season ended. Enjoyed your comments. Tara gave me a laugh when she said this at 22:44: "In the Big12 tournament championship game Oklahoma took the title game and beat the Sooners 5-1". You both did a great job of breaking down what might happen in the finals. Thought you both looked great for this show and it was fun to see how much you both love the game and talking about it. I really enjoyed all the times you were laughing and smiling throughout the video. You obviously enjoy working with each other and your beautiful smiles and all the laughs made it even more entertaining. Nicole could probably be a model if she isn't one already.
remember oklahoma lost to ucla in the championship series and then lost the first game of the finals to florida state before they went on their run. jlo’s 2-run homerun in the 6th inning was monumental!
Nobody left? Gray, what do you mean, Bro? Bahl, Erickson, Nugent, T. Coleman, Donihoo, Puni, and others left through the portal. In the game 2 postgame, Mike White said his pitching staff was "one-dimensional," and he explained that his pitching staff complement each other but they lacked versatility to deliver different kinds of pitches to keep OU bats off-balance. Ummm. Isn't MW a pitching guru? Isn't it his job to make sure they develop more pitches? Seems like he kinda threw his staff under the bus.
I got the chance to meet Nicole briefly at the WCWS. She did a great job on her podcast this year. I'm looking forward to her commentary going forward.
Interesting softball conversation, excellent show, between Gray, Tara & Nicole, yall got it covered. You mentioned two titans for OU, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering. I would add a healthy & very talented R-Fr., Nelly McEnroe Marinas. But what I most want to mention is the phenomenal, and that's the right word, recruiting class that OU has coming in as freshman next season. Eight, no less, absolute cream of the crop talent. Gasso has no recruiting peer, and this is arguably, on paper for now, her best job ever. Can't wait for the season to start!!!
I'll answer that question. With OU and Texas in the SEC, the NCAA, the SEC and ESPN will finally be correct when they say the SEC is the toughest division.
I know its not kosher to say, but the teams are representatives of their coaches. Mike starting off with the sooners having a unfair advantage. Really? Sounds like he is sabotaging his team. Gasso said, i don’t over coach them. I trust them. So yes Oklahoma was ready and texas was hoping. Simple things have big impacts. Like how Oklahoma handled the loss to Florida. They shook hands and regrouped. Last night texas held a grudge. They better not get behind again because the pressure will multiply. Coaching!
@@christoffesedao3579 the correct answer should have been. Wow Oklahoma has elevated women softball with the 3 peat and even tho its an advantage for them. My girls are here to elevate it even more by knocking off the champions. He’s a complete moron and way in over his head.
When the Sooners played Texas in the series approximately a month or so ago, it was a hard-fought very competitive series, quite low-scoring for both teams. It was astonishingly Stark to me, the difference in the Sooner batting from a month ago and the second game of the series was incredible. I was taken aback, way back and Texas appeared to have been shell-shocked.
It’s from the dugouts. Banging a softball on a bucket. It’s the teams keeping themselves energized instead of sitting still and going stiff while waiting. As long as they keep a rhythm it doesn’t bother me. But yeah there are field mics that catch the sound.
Enjoyed everyone's comments, good show! If OU snags one more game, and I'm confident they will, they join an *extremely* elite club of 4-peat national championship teams. Uconn women's basketball comes to mind. Considering the next two spectacular OU softball recruiting classes, we may indeed see a Uconn-like dynasty over the next decade.
