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OU Softball: Oklahoma's Tarleton State Postgame Press Conference (3/12/24)
Transcript
00:00 I'm excited.
00:03 >> Patty, a pretty different midweek double header after the open conference
00:07 play, but what were you looking for coming in and
00:09 how do you feel like the team did overall?
00:11 >> I wanted a little more of the weekend, but
00:14 I mean it was our first big 12 opponents, so you could feel the energy.
00:19 I don't know that we were completely physically ready to play a double header.
00:25 It's a lot, it's standing around a lot.
00:28 So I think we started off a little bit slow and then we finished strong.
00:33 Game two, it was nice to get a lot of our newcomers or
00:36 those that don't get in the game as much opportunity.
00:40 So I think we got some things out of it that we wanted, but
00:45 we're just glad we're done with double headers.
00:48 >> How neat was the Hannah core home run in that second game?
00:51 Just how cool of a moment is that?
00:53 >> Excited for her.
00:54 I mean, you guys have all seen her in the fall and just having one of the best falls
00:59 I've seen anyone have and then just trying to bring that back.
01:03 And so that might be kind of opening up some things for her.
01:08 >> Sydney, what was that moment at the plate like for you guys as Hannah comes in?
01:11 >> I'm super excited.
01:12 I think I PR'd in a jump.
01:14 >> [LAUGH] >> Jump over.
01:17 >> She sprinted around the business.
01:19 >> She got there fast.
01:20 Exciting.
01:22 >> Kelly, what kind of rhythm do you feel like you're in here about month or
01:25 so into the season?
01:27 >> It's feeling good.
01:28 I think I've worked really hard with Coach Rocha here lately,
01:32 just really trying to nail down her philosophy.
01:35 And I think it's kind of showing.
01:37 It's getting easy, kind of learning what she's taught.
01:45 So it's just cool to see kind of everything fall into place.
01:48 >> Sydney, just the swings you're getting on the ball.
01:49 I mean, the run you're on, how does it feel as a hitter?
01:53 >> Very, everything's lifted off of me.
01:58 I don't know, it just comes easy now.
02:01 Not really worried about anything.
02:03 I don't know, it's coming to me.
02:05 I don't know, it's amazing to see for myself from progress from last year to here.
02:10 Very uplifting, I would say.
02:13 >> And Sid, Patty's mentioned before your ability to fight through it fast and
02:17 get more.
02:17 How's your patience at the plate maybe helping you now?
02:21 >> Probably getting a good pitch to hit.
02:24 Some I'll let go, and then I'll try and battle back,
02:28 get my swing off on some of the pitches that I've missed off on.
02:33 I feel like having a good eye allows me to see things more clearly,
02:38 like the umpire strike zone versus what the pitcher's throwing, things like that.
02:44 >> Specifically with the home run hitting,
02:46 do you think there's anything that's kind of led to that increase here in March now?
02:50 >> I don't know what's going on, honestly.
02:54 >> [LAUGH] >> I'm just swinging a good bat.
02:57 I don't know, it's just coming.
02:59 >> Coach Gasso, what have you seen in Sidney that's really worked with her
03:04 offensively?
03:05 >> I think she said it.
03:06 I don't know that she knows that we can see it in the way she feels.
03:11 It just looks very light.
03:12 Same thing with Kelly.
03:13 Those that are really shining are the ones that will tell you,
03:18 I don't feel anything.
03:20 If things aren't going great, they don't feel it the way they used to.
03:25 Sid would feel things real hard.
03:27 I think Kelly could also.
03:29 So they're just kind of shaking it and coming right back in and
03:34 doing their thing, and it's become really easy for some of these players.
03:37 You can see it.
03:38 Alina is another great example.
03:41 She's really been fighting and struggling at times.
03:44 And she just loves the game differently right now.
03:48 You can see it in the way she moves, the way she looks, and
03:51 the way she plays the game.
03:53 >> Patty, a lot of us were over at the Board of Regents meeting today, and
03:57 of course, the statue was a clue.
03:59 >> [LAUGH] >> I just wanna ask you,
04:01 how humbling is that though,
04:02 to see so many people just wanting to put a statue there?
04:05 >> It's extremely humbling, and I actually have been able to see it and
04:10 talk about humbling and I look like that.
04:14 >> [LAUGH] >> It's really surreal.
04:18 It's really, I don't even know what to say.
04:22 I mean, I'm honored, I'm humbled.
04:24 I was shocked when it was announced.
04:29 I wasn't expecting that at all, but
04:32 it's kind of cool that it'll be there for a while.
04:37 >> Peter, same thing.
04:38 What do you think about the statue for quick gas?
04:41 >> She deserves it.
04:42 I say hard work pays off.
04:47 That's all I gotta say about that.
04:50 >> Patty, after starting here, love for the entire month,
04:53 you ready to get back on the road?
04:55 What do you see from Texas Tech?
04:56 >> I'm not ready to get back on the road.
04:58 It's nice to be home for a while.
05:00 Texas Tech is tough.
05:02 They got a very nice record.
05:04 They swing, and it's a tough place to play.
05:08 So it's usually windy or dusty or things like that.
05:14 [LAUGH] It's tough to play there, and they've got a good fan base.
05:20 They've got a very good coach that's coaching.
05:22 They're very confident, and they've been swinging well, scoring lots of runs.
05:28 So it's definitely one of the tougher places to play.
05:32 Maybe not exactly because of the fans, but
05:36 more of just the environment and the way the wind is and the temps and so forth.
05:41 And I think we're walking into some of that this weekend.
05:44 So we've got to be tough.
05:46 We've gotta be tough athletes this weekend.
05:49 >> How much of a challenge is it for your pitching staff?
05:51 Because this Texas Tech team's one of the top hitting teams in the country.
05:55 >> It's a challenge.
05:56 Any team we play that has a bat in their hand, it's gonna be a challenge for us.
06:01 And that's the way we look at it.
06:02 So we're gonna have to be pretty pinpointed.
06:06 And we're not gonna try to out hit them.
06:10 We're just gonna be us, and trusting that'll be good enough.
06:14 >> Patty, so like Kinsey Hansen wasn't listed as a reserve today.
06:20 So did they just rest day for her?
06:22 Was there a reason?
06:23 >> It's not feeling very well, and smart for us to keep her away in case she was
06:30 infectious to keep her away from any of the athletes.
06:33 So she needs a rest.
06:35 You could hear it in her voice, but she'll be fine.
06:38 >> Expect her to be fine for the weekend, if everything, yeah.
06:40 >> Yeah.
06:41 >> Hey, Coach Gasso.
06:44 >> Hey.
06:46 >> What are- >> [LAUGH]
06:49 >> What are your expectations?
06:51 I know you guys are back to back to back champions.
06:54 What are you guys working on to continue growing this amazing
06:59 foundation of the softball team?
07:01 >> Well, thank you for that.
07:04 It's quite interesting because we have some really good young players.
07:09 I've got ten seniors.
07:10 So there's such a, it's a little more difficult to bring all of us all together.
07:17 Because there's just a lot of people in different parts of their lives.
07:22 So that's part of the challenge.
07:25 But when they all get together and they really battle every at bat with the hitter.
07:31 And every pitch with their pitcher.
07:33 When we really get locked into that and we're not thinking about ourselves and
07:37 our accomplishments or our at bats and, my goodness, what's gonna happen?
07:43 Am I gonna get pulled or any of that?
07:46 If we could just really think about each other and
07:50 team oriented, we'll go a long way.
07:54 That's really, really important.
07:56 A lot of people have individual goals.
07:58 We don't talk about goals.
08:01 We don't talk about here, what are our goals?
08:03 I know what they want for them individually.
08:07 We don't put it out there because this is really a team sport.
08:11 So that's where we need to stay is playing as a team,
08:16 fighting as a team and working for each other instead of self.