Analyzing the marquee games on OU softball's schedule

The Oklahoma softball team has made a lot of history in the last decade. In 2023, the Sooners won their third consecutive championship and seventh overall, becoming the first program to three-peat since UCLA in 1988-90.

This year the Sooners have the chance to continue making history as the first program to ever win four consecutive Women's College World Series. They're the betting favorite to do so, as they enter the 2024 season as the unanimous top-ranked team in softball. They also return most of their starters and key players from last year's squad.

However, it won't be easy. The parity and talent in softball has never been higher, and the Sooners faced several challenges in last year's postseason. That'll be likely the case again this year

With the season opener (Feb. 8) just a few weeks away, here's a look at the must-watch games on the Sooners' schedule:

When: February 8

Where: Puerto Vallarta College Classic, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Time: 1 p.m. CT

TV: Flosports.com

Radio: KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM

Analysis: The Sooners haven't faced much adversity, especially during the non-conference slate, in recent years. Last year, they outscored their non-conference foes 243-23, and their only loss came to a Baylor team in non-conference play that they eventually swept in a three-game conference series in April.

It might be a similar situation this year. Of the Sooners' 18 non-conference opponents, only two were included in D1Softball's Top-25 preseason rankings. However, if there is one team that has the best chance to be an early test for the Sooners, it's Duke.

The Blue Devils, ranked No. 8 by D1Softball, is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign that featured a program-best 48 wins and included a run to the ACC Tournament Championship Game. where they fell 2-1 to Florida State, the eventual WCWS runner-up. Their season ended in the Super Regional at Stanford, a team that gave the Sooners serious problems at the WCWS. Duke returns 16 players from last year's team and is an obvious candidate to win the ACC.

The Sooners opened the season last year against Duke in a game they won 4-0, and they again play the Blue Devils on opening day. This matchup could be the Sooners' toughest game until late April or early May.

When: March 1-3

Where: Love's Field

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Radio: KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM

Analysis: The long-awaited debut of Love's Field comes on March 1, when the Sooners host the annual OU Tournament. The Sooners' new ballpark has been years in the making, with the groundbreaking coming in September 2022. The new complex will have a capacity of 4,200, more than double the seating of Marita Hynes Field, which has been the Sooners' home since 1995.

The Sooners will host Miami (OH), Liberty and Louisiana for the three-day tournament, but make no mistake — the story will be about the unveiling of the Sooners' new field.

When: March 22-24

Where: USA Hall of Fame Stadium (March 22), Love's Field (March 23-24)

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Radio: KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM

Analysis: Everyone remembers the Sooners' non-conference loss to Baylor last season on Feb. 19, the only blemish on an otherwise stellar 61-win campaign. The Sooners did make up for it when the two teams met in Waco for a Big 12 conference series, winning all three games. However, outside of a 7-0 victory in the first game, the series was close. Game 2 was scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Sooners rattled off four runs. In Game 3, the Sooners scored a run in the first and second innings before holding on for a 2-0 victory.

That Baylor team went on to win 40 games before their season ended in the Utah regional. The Bears could be better in 2024, as they return 21 of the 22 players from last year's team. While this year's series is in Norman, the first game will be played in Oklahoma City and will almost certainly be nationally televised.

When: April 5-7

Where: Red & Charline McCombs Field, Austin, Texas

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Radio: KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM

Analysis: The Longhorns have been one of the country's top teams in recent years. They advanced to the Women's College World Series final in 2022 — they fell to the Sooners — and were ranked inside the top 10 for much of last season before losing in the super regionals at Tennessee.

The No. 5-ranked Longhorns are fully expected to be in the mix again for a Big 12 title and more. They return eight starters from last season — including infielder Mia Scott and pitcher Mac Morgan — and had five players named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team while finishing second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll. Plus, this year's three-game series between the Sooners and the Longhorns will take place in Austin, and it'll be the last time both teams face off as Big 12 opponents in the regular season before heading to the SEC.

Could this be a WCWS finals preview? Maybe. Fortunately for the Sooners, they've had the Longhorns' number recently. The Sooners have won the last seven games between the two teams, outscoring the Longhorns 61-15 over the stretch.

When: May 3-5

Where: Love's Field, Norman, Oklahoma

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Radio: KREF 99.3 FM, 1400 AM

Analysis: There will be no shortage of storylines for this edition of Bedlam softball. For one, this could be the last matchup for the foreseeable future, considering this will be the Sooners' final year in the Big 12.

And, of course, the Sooners nabbed Kelly Maxwell via the transfer portal last summer. Maxwell spent the previous four seasons with the Cowgirls, establishing herself as one of softball's top pitchers while leading the team to three consecutive WCWS appearances.

OSU coach Kenny Gajewski certainly indicated there were hard feelings during an event in Oklahoma City back in August.

“My only disappointment for Kelly is that she went to OU, because now she’s lost everything here that she’s ever done,” Gajeski said, according to a story by the O'Colly, the school's student newspaper. "... I didn’t feel like that at first. I’ll just be very honest. I was upset like most of you guys were upset."

While Maxwell won't have to play in Stillwater, it will still be a marquee matchup. The Cowgirls will be one of the Sooners' top challengers in the Big 12, and they are on their own quest for a fourth-straight appearance in the WCWS.

It could be the most drama-filled matchup in softball.

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