The top-seeded Sooners looked like a shell of themselves as they were upset by James Madison, but now have a chance to prove their grit matches their talent.
Sooners are getting major contributions from all over the field, but Hansen delivers leadership and playmaking from behind the plate, along with a clutch bat
The teams: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Washington
What to watch for: The Sooners are one of the most explosive, dangerous offenses in the country. They rank No. 1 in the country in home runs, slugging, batting average and more. They showed it this past weekend with 24 runs scored against Wichita State and production from their entire lineup. They hit six home runs in the regional finals. Nicole Mendes had a seven-RBI performance on Friday, and freshman Tiare Jennings has been huge. You cannot stop this offense.
But they are going up against Washington, one of the best defenses in the country, Pac-12 defensive player of the year Sis Bates and Gabbie Plain, who ranks in the top three in the country in strikeouts. This is now a different story here than what OU faced in the regionals. The Huskies took down Michigan twice to win the regional final and had an explosive fourth inning offensively in game seven with seven runs scored in one inning.