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'This is our family': OU's camaraderie, commitment fuels 3rd consecutive national championship

Kinzie Hansen and Jordy Bahl

OKLAHOMA CITY — On an 0-2 count to Florida State’s Katie Dack with two outs in the seventh inning, OU catcher Kinzie Hansen had a plan — one specifically designed for Sooners pitcher Jordy Bahl.

She knew Bahl could strike batters out with a fastball high in the zone. In a two-strike count, it became Hansen’s go-to call with Bahl, so she went back to it. 

Check swing. Ball one. 

Hansen called another one. Check swing. Ball two. Her plan didn’t work. 

Luckily for her, she had a backup plan. In Hansen’s mind, it wasn’t Bahl’s best pitch, but she knew it would give OU (61-1) its third consecutive national championship. On a 2-2 count, Hansen called a changeup. 

“I knew based on the pitch call that it was a good setup,” Hansen told the Daily. “We got her. I knew that would get the last out.”

Bahl swayed her arm back and forth, almost in slow motion. Her gaze was fixed on Hansen as if she was the only person that mattered at that moment. After a brief pause, she threw the changeup and got Dack swinging. 

Strike three. National Champions.

That pitch gave the Sooners a 3-1 win over Florida State (58-11) in Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series championship series on Thursday in Oklahoma City. It’s OU’s seventh national title in program history, becoming the second team to win three in a row since UCLA achieved the feat from 1988-90. 

Bahl ripped off her mask and pumped her arms, her routine celebration every time she ends an inning with a strikeout. Hansen heaved the ball in the air with the same amount of passion. Both embraced for a hug, and the passion turned to euphoria, then to tears.  

Before the pitch, Bahl took a deep breath and told herself “70%” as a reminder not to overthrow the pitch. Then, infielders Alyssa Brito and Grace Lyons told her “Eyes up,” OU’s mantra during the 2023 season.

“It just means give it over to God,” Bahl said. “Just trust that the end is already written. Firmly believe in those things. Set your eyes on it, and it allows you to be free. It lifts you and allows you to just play your game.”

It was the climax for a team that dominated with an NCAA-record 53 consecutive victories but one that showed much camaraderie throughout the season. It showed in Brito and Lyons' comments to Bahl before the last pitch and in the Sooners’ postgame celebrations, as no player celebrated alone. 

The Sooners celebrated with a dogpile near the pitcher’s circle, then in the confetti after lifting their trophy. They then joyfully walked to center field in the manner they did everything all season — together. 

For some players, the shared bond between teammates is what makes their championship special. 

“This has been the most enjoyable out of the three I’ve had,” junior infielder Tiare Jennings told the Daily. “The second one (in 2022), we just kind of cruised through. But this third one, I’ve experienced so much joy with everyone, and it’s what makes it the best one yet.”

From junior center fielder Jayda Coleman’s leaping catch to rob FSU of a home run in the third inning, to Lyons’ home run in the fifth inning, the Sooners celebrated as emphatically as possible.  

They did so not only to show their passion, but to increase the morale of their teammates. The louder the Sooners get, the more confident they get, and it’s what they say is the driving force behind each win.

That mindset isn’t just present in players but in coaches as well. Before the season began, coach Patty Gasso took each of her players out to eat. Gasso didn’t talk about strategies or game plans, but about their lives, wanting to know them better. 

It was part of her efforts to show more care to players, and it showed during bad times, too. Every time Gasso clashed with a player, she looked to improve herself first, allowing her players to have more leeway in how she operates OU. 

Gasso believes her actions were much-needed en route to seventh national title.

“I surrendered my ego to make sure I did that,” Gasso said. “That was a step in the right direction. With this group, I stepped back.

“That is what’s freeing for them. If you’re wondering why they don’t look nervous, that’s because they’re not. They know it’s written.”

OU’s shared bond also gives them unwavering belief in one another. After the fourth inning, the Sooners trailed 1-0 to the Seminoles after a home run from FSU’s Mack Leonard. But, OU responded instantly with two home runs in the fifth inning from infielder Cydney Sanders and Lyons, giving it a lead it wouldn’t concede. 

“We never had a doubt,” Hansen said. “No matter what the score is … We always believe in each other. We believe in our coaches. We know that we’ll get it done. We never doubt that.”

For Sanders, she credits her home run to what her teammates told her in the dugout.

“They just told me ‘See the ball, hit the ball’, and that’s all I really needed from them,” Sanders told the Daily. “Because of them, that’s all I was thinking. I just kept it simple, and it ended up working out.”

OU is the same way on defense. After senior Alex Storako pitched four innings, Bahl replaced her in the fifth inning. As soon as she entered, the Sooners relaxed, as they believed she wouldn’t falter. And she didn’t, pitching three clean innings to end her WCWS run with 24.2 straight scoreless innings, the third longest streak in tournament history. 

Some players had so much belief they already began celebrating before the game was over. 

“When she went out, I said ‘This game is over.’” Jennings said. “She was nails. Her poise and energy is unmatched. I knew she was gonna knock them down for us. She’s been steady her whole life.”

Players like Sanders experienced a championship for the first time. Others like Bahl, Hansen and Jennings experienced it for a second or third time. Some like Lyons have experienced it for the final time. But, no matter their experience, background, statline or pedigree, there’s one thing each OU player has in common — a vast amount of care for one another 

As each player lined up to receive their trophy in the pitcher’s circle, Gasso watched them near first base. As she witnessed each player gleefully cheering each other on, Gasso was filled with a sheer amount of pride. OU worked from preseason to postseason to form the connection they did, and it all paid off with another national championship. 

Gasso loves the victories, but she loves the lasting bond more than anything else.

“I want to be my best for them,” Gasso said emotionally. “They make a commitment to me, so I need to give it back. This is our family, so you take care of them. I raise them like they’re my own. 

“To see their growth, their heart, their expressions, it's like being a proud mom. They’re the coolest young women I’ve been around in a long time, and I love them."

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