Unbelievable: Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso Said Choosing Oklahoma Was The Biggest Mistake He Has Ever Made….

Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso on Tuesday described catcher Kinzie Hansen as “day-to-day” after Hansen missed almost all of last week’s five games with an injury. Gasso described the injury as a “tweak” of the knee. Hansen, a senior from Norco, CA, was voted alongside Tiare Jennings a co-captain prior to this season. She started 23 games for the Sooners this season, but missed both games of last week’s midweek doubleheader against Tarleton State, then started the opener Friday at Texas Tech and got just one at-bat before heading back to the bench and then missing the rest of the series with the Red Raiders. When coming out of the lineup this year, Hansen has been replaced by senior Riley Ludlam, a transfer from Furman. In 26 games this season, Ludlam has 12 starts and is batting .385 with one double, two home runs and 16 RBIs. Gasso said senior Alynah Torres, who caught games for the Sooners last year, is Ludlam’s backup. Hansen is batting .367 on the season with seven home runs and 16 RBIs. Of her 22 hits, 10 are for extra bases.

She came into this season batting .387 for her career, with three seasons batting over .400. Last season Hansen hit .409 with 13 home runs. In 2021, Hanson hit a career-best .438 with 24 homers. She’s a two-time NFCA All-American and last year won the Johnny Bench Award as college softballs best catcher.

After a couple of weeks at home, the Big 12 grind once again forces Oklahoma to hit the road. Patty Gasso’s No. 1-ranked Sooners dispatched of Iowa State last weekend, opening up a one-game lead atop the league. This weekend, OU (24-1, 3-0 Big 12) will battle dust, wind, heat and opposing fans as the Sooners roll into Lubbock to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders (21-5, 2-1) for the final time before heading to the Southeastern Conference in 2025.

Texas Tech’s bats are again formidable under second-year coach Craig Snider, power that was on full display in last week’s conference opener.

The Red Raiders scored 33 combined runs in three games in Provo against BYU, but faulty pitching cost Texas Tech a sweep last Sunday. Through 26 games, the Red Raiders have blasted 35 home runs which is 11th in the country, and Texas Tech’s .326 team batting average ranks No. 30-overall. “Texas Tech is tough,” OU coach Patty Gasso said on Tuesday. “They’ve got a very nice record. They swing. And it’s a tough place to play.”

Oklahoma’s pitching staff is equipped to slow down the Red Raiders — especially with the run that Kelly Maxwell and Kierston Deal are currently enjoying. Maxwell shut out Iowa State in OU’s first Big 12 game of the season, firing eight strikeouts in a complete seven inning outing. She followed that up with the team’s first no-hitter of the year against Tarleton State on Tuesday, an outing that was a first inning error away from ending as a perfect game. “It’s feeling good,” Maxwell said Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve worked really hard with (pitching) Coach (Jennifer) Rocha lately. I’m really trying to nail down her philosophy and I think it’s kind of showing.