The calendar has flipped to postseason softball in Norman again, and for the 15th consecutive season, the road to Oklahoma City will begin through the University of Oklahoma campus. This time, however, the path carries a slightly different tone.
Yes, Oklahoma enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 overall national seed. Yes, the Sooners won another conference championship, capturing the SEC regular-season crown for the second time in two years of playing in the league. And yes, Patty Gasso’s program remains one of the most feared postseason machines college softball has ever seen.
But after last week’s stunning collapse against Georgia in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, Oklahoma enters Friday’s Norman Regional opener carrying something it rarely does this time of year: questions.
Those questions begin Friday afternoon when OU opens NCAA Tournament play against Binghamton at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Love’s Field. The game will air nationally on the SEC Network, and it marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
On paper, it looks like a mismatch. Oklahoma is 48-8 and features one of the most explosive offenses in the sport. Binghamton enters at 20-25 after winning the America East Tournament. The Sooners have four USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 finalists. The Bearcats come from a one-bid league.
But postseason softball has never been played on paper. Oklahoma learned that lesson the hard way against Georgia.
Now the Sooners begin the NCAA Tournament balancing confidence with urgency.
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