Grace Lyons has never felt this relaxed at the plate before.
After launching 14 home runs in 2021, the senior infielder has honed in on her swing even more this season. With no added pressure from head coach Patty Gasso and a deep lineup in front of her Lyons is feeling freer than ever.
Ultimately, that autonomy has loosened Lyons’ swing, and it’s paying dividends in the batter’s box. So far, the Peoria, Arizona native has recorded a career-high .443 batting average and 17 home runs this season.
In No. 1 OU’s three-game sweep of Texas Tech last weekend, the senior infielder went 5-for-7, hammering four home runs and notching fiveRBIs. Lyons’ offense was a guiding force in Oklahoma collectively outscoring the Red Raiders 43-0.
Lyons usually expects success to come from a routine change, but her success this season has come more from a change in mindset and hard work.
“I feel super free and it just kind of goes to all the work that I put in the last three years,” Lyons said. “It’s interesting because you think of success when you're doing something different or focusing hard on one little thing, but I feel completely free… and it's just a confidence in my mindset. But, it’s also just a demeanor that whatever they're going to give me I'm going to give my best swing.”
Senior infielder Grace Lyons during the game against Wichita State on March 29.
As a veteran on the Sooners roster, Lyons’ mindset is one that the whole team should carry, according to Gasso. Lyons has remained undistracted by the Sooners’ impressive 36-game win streak, which has set a new NCAA record for best start to the season.
“I just know that Grace Lyons, right now, has the mindset I wish that every player could have,” Gasso said. “That is, ‘I am confident. I believe in what I'm doing. I am not fearful and have zero anxiety.’ She’s focused on the result, and very much process oriented. She could walk away from a game not feeling too high or too low, and she just has a really wonderful neutral balance about what she's doing.”
“I think it's taken her a while to get there. She's always kind of been like that, but her offense is showing that she's living in that world right now when athletes can live in that world and not take things home and not lose sleep over it.”
As the season moves forward, Lyons has solidified herself as one of Oklahoma’s top five power hitters. Alongside her hitting, the senior infielder’s defense has taken a step up, as well.
Lyons has a .930 fielding percentage and 29 putouts to just five errors on the season. Gasso noted recently that errant throws have been a problem defensively, but Lyons, as steady in the field as at the plate, has maintained solid accuracy.
Senior infielder Grace Lyons during the game against Tulsa on April 6.
In practice, Gasso has emphasized speed, throwing on target and securing the ball when fielding infield grounders. For Lyons, the extra seconds have mattered most for the defense.
“I think a lot of what goes into defense is focus on just making sure that you're taking that extra second to make sure you secure the ball,” Lyons said. “I think from all of us, we've just had to focus on those little details.”
Next, as Oklahoma (36-0, 6-0 Big 12) faces off against No. 18 Texas (30-10-1, 6-0) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 14 in Austin, Lyons and the Sooners are looking forward to the hostile environment awaiting them in the three-game series.
“I love softball for the fans,” Lyons said. It’s something that prepares us for the postseason, and it's that atmosphere that you really only get in certain parts of the country because we've had home field advantage on some of the away game… but we're gonna go into this weekend and definitely not have that home field advantage, which is gonna be really cool to see just how people step up.”
