With Juarez recovered from biceps surgery, Patty Gasso said the goal of this year was always to build her up to be playing her best softball by the postseason.
Now, as the Oklahoma Sooners start regional play on Friday, Gasso said she’s pleased with where her ace is mentally.
“I think we came to a realization, you know, Giselle was one of the best pitchers in the country in 2019 and I think everyone knew that and then we had this injury,” Gasso said during a Zoom press conference on Wednesday. “It’s a different Giselle with a different route, but I think the hardest part was her pressing to be who she was and accepting that it’s just going to take a different road, and that’s what we’ve been figuring out.”
By Abby Bitterman | For The Transcript May 13, 2021 2 min to read
OUâs Giselle Juarez pitches during the 2019 Womenâs College World Series. Last weekend at Oklahoma State, she struggled to get batters out. Kyle Phillips / The Transcript
NORMAN â All season, Oklahoma has dominated at the plate.
The Sooners have run-ruled opponents in 30 of 44 games and maintained one of the best collective fielding percentages in the country. But in last weekendâs Bedlam series, OU revealed what might be its one weakness.
Pitching.
OUâs offense has shown it can overpower anyone it faces, but as the postseason begins and the opponents get tougher, the Sooner pitching staff will become more important than ever. For OU, the postseason begins this weekend with the Big 12 tournament.
May 12, 2021
Oklahoma collected four individual awards while Oklahoma State claimed pitcher of the year in the 2021 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Softball Awards, announced on Wednesday. The honorees were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Sooners’
Grace Lyons garnered Defensive Player of the Year,
Tiare Jennings was named Freshman of the Year and
Patty Gasso was voted Coach of the Year.
Oklahoma State’s
Carrie Eberle picked up the Cowgirls’ first Pitcher of the Year accolade.
Alo leads the nation in home runs (26) and slugging percentage (1.147). She is second in RBIs (71), sixth in runs per game (1.23), seventh in batting average (.481) and 10th in on-base percentage (.574). In Big 12 statistics, the senior is second only to teammate
OU s Giselle Juarez Drafted Second in Athletes Unlimited Draft
The Sooner senior became the 36th player drafted in program history on Monday night
Author:
Giselle Juarez has officially been drafted.
The redshirt senior pitcher was selected with the second overall pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball College Draft on Monday evening.
If she elects to join the league, she will join former Sooners
Shelby Pendley,
Caleigh Clifton in the second season of the Athletes Unlimited league.
With her selection on Monday night, Juarez become the 36th player drafted by a professional softball league in program history.
Recovering from bicep surgery this season, Juarez has posted a record of 15-1, striking out 108 batters while issuing just 14 walks.
May 9, 2021
STILLWATER With a championship on the line, it was a trio of freshmen who delivered for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Splitting the first two games of the Bedlam series, Sunday’s rubber match would decide the Big 12 regular season title.
After a back-and-forth affair, No. 1-ranked Oklahoma’s historic offense delivered the 11-8 win over No. 7 Oklahoma State inside Cowgirl Stadium.
Just as she did in the seventh inning on Saturday, true freshman
Nicole May was again thrown into the fire and had to pull the Sooners out of a jam. The 2018-19 Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year allowed only one run through the final 4 1/3 innings to clinch OU’s ninth straight Big 12 regular season title.