Patty Gasso Love's Field Opening Weekend (2-27-24)
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00:00 >> Mind opening us up first with thoughts on Mary Nutter and
00:03 then looking ahead to in-longs field and then we'll open up the question.
00:07 >> I thought we played really well at Mary Nutter.
00:10 I was, we had a long conversation as a team about our approach and
00:16 things we need to do and I thought they really did a good job of stepping up and
00:20 pitching staff was very good.
00:22 We faced some good competition.
00:24 Mississippi State was really a challenge for us early.
00:29 So I felt like we walked away better without question.
00:33 I don't even know what to tell you about Love's field because it's still a dream.
00:39 And until the first pitch is thrown is when I will really pinch myself
00:45 because I go by it every day.
00:48 I try to look over and see anything new.
00:50 I did get down on the ground floor when I wasn't supposed to.
00:59 But I couldn't help it.
01:01 And it is an absolute wow factor.
01:05 Empty.
01:06 I can't even imagine when you get excited senior fans in there what this is gonna
01:11 be like, but I think we all feel a little anxious about it because we just
01:15 don't know what it's gonna play like, what it's gonna feel like.
01:18 We may not know that until the first pitch.
01:21 >> Start with Janet.
01:25 Went back and watched the press conference from when you announced
01:28 Love's field today.
01:30 You talked about not knowing what it's gonna be like in the coaches box until
01:34 first pitch, stuff like that.
01:35 Feels like you're still there.
01:37 >> Still here.
01:38 I still have a leap.
01:39 >> But a lot of the things that have become a reality as far as knowing
01:44 all the specific features that are gonna go in it,
01:46 student nations gonna be able to see everything as far as the fan side of it.
01:51 Is there something that as things have come along that's become your,
01:54 like some of the guts of the stadium,
01:55 you're like I'm most excited to nail down on this once you fully get moved in.
01:59 >> It's just overwhelming.
02:01 Everything is just magnify it by 100 as to the size of the room that we're doing
02:08 video in to the training room to the equipment room.
02:13 We have our own offices there.
02:15 I mean, this is brand new things we've never thought we would have.
02:19 The scoreboard is, I remember Joe Castiglione talking to me about
02:26 this idea of creating, I'm like, God, I don't know.
02:30 And then I saw it, I'm like, this is legit.
02:34 It is just a great, I don't know, it's Oklahoma.
02:40 It's a state of Oklahoma, as big as you could make it.
02:43 And it's just a great representation of who we are and who we're representing.
02:48 So the girls amenities,
02:53 the athletes amenities are not even done yet.
02:57 But I think people are, they may not be able to see it, but
03:01 that's gonna be something that's gonna really change recruiting.
03:05 And I don't know, I'm so excited, but it's still not completely done.
03:11 So I am still as excited as everybody else.
03:15 >> Do you know as far as just the nuts and bolts of preparing to play there as far
03:20 as these early stages, these first couple weekends, you have get dressed here and
03:25 bust out, what is all that gonna look like for
03:27 you guys at game day for the first couple weekends?
03:29 >> Yeah, a lot of our staging is gonna be here at Marina Hines.
03:33 So our warm ups will happen here, our hitting at least.
03:36 We can use the indoor facility at Love's Field to do our warm ups and
03:45 running and things like that.
03:46 But all of our hitting will be here.
03:48 We've got like shuttles moving teams back and forth.
03:52 So that'll be a little bit challenging.
03:55 They'll dress here, they'll come back and change out of their uniforms here.
04:01 But doesn't matter, I mean, we're playing on it, so who cares what we have to do?
04:05 We will walk, we'll do whatever we have to do to get on that field this weekend.
04:09 >> Jesse, then Bob.
04:13 Patty, as far as the players, particularly seniors who have spent their career here
04:17 have only ever known this field, what do you think this week and
04:21 this weekend is like for them?
04:22 And I know you guys still have games to go play, but do you expect them maybe to
04:27 soak it all in or take a minute to just appreciate the new stadium and
04:31 things like that?
04:32 >> We're gonna make sure we do that.
04:34 I'm not gonna let this be chaos and panic and rushing, rushing.
04:39 We're gonna try to take it as slow as we can to take it all in,
04:43 cuz there's so much to see.
04:45 There's so much to look at.
04:47 There's things that are so new and bigger and better.
04:51 And it's gonna take us some time to get used to all of it.
04:56 The sound system, and we have one speaker over here that barely works.
05:00 And so I just want them to hear the sound of what's gonna be coming out of these
05:05 speakers, they're all over the place.
05:08 And really, truly having a 360 encompassing looking down at us is,
05:13 it's gonna be a wow factor, and it might take your breath away for a minute.
05:19 And I just wanna make sure we're all together and
05:21 we're trying to take this all in together.
05:24 >> Yeah, Patty, was there a singular moment when you realized something like this
05:30 was actually gonna happen?
05:31 >> [LAUGH] There was a lot of talk about it.
05:40 There were plans coming out, things like that.