Patty Gasso Lauds Strength of Big 12 Entering Conference Play
The Big 12 pitted a pair of teams against each other for the national championship last summer and boasted three of the final four teams in the Women’s College World Series. We could be on track for another all-Big 12 national title, think Bedlam perhaps, and it’s not entirely out of the question that the WCWS Semifinals could again include three teams.
Not only that, but the depth of the league is looking stronger this year as well. That’s evidenced by Baylor’s inclusion in the rankings–they already have a win over top-ranked Oklahoma–and Texas Tech grabbing votes.
“It is, yeah,” Gasso told Heartland College Sports Wednesday. “Well, we’ve already got our looks on Baylor, and they’ve got a very solid team. Obviously, Texas and Oklahoma State, you can see what they’re doing and how they’re moving. And, I mean, Oklahoma State is standing strong up there, and Texas continues to stay around the Top 10.
“So, any time we have conference teams that are that good, they make us prepare hard and they make us better. And that’s ultimately our goal. I don’t know if people believe it or not, but win or lose we want to get better so that when it matters the most—and to us, it matters the most in the end of May and early June—that we are playing our best softball.
“So, all of these teams help create that for us.”
The Sooners enter Big 12 play with a nearly unblemished 27-1 record, that lone loss coming in Waco. They’re on a 19-game winning streak.
The Cowgirls are riding high on a nine-game winning streak. They’re 26-2 overall and second in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
The Longhorns are at No. 10 in the rankings. That’s while compiling a 27-5-1 record.
Then the Bears are behind them at No. 20. They’ve stumbled some in recent days, but still own a very respectable 23-5 record.
The Red Raiders, meanwhile, downed ranked Maryland once last weekend and have ascended in recent days. They’re 26-8 as conference play commences.
Kansas and Iowa State are below those five. But it should be a very competitive season all around, and expect plenty of tightly contested games throughout.
