Bahl-ing once again

It wasn’t being naïve. It wasn’t arrogance. It might have sounded like it, though. Entering the season, Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso simply had zero concerns about the health of sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl.

Bahl had a sensational freshman season until a forearm injury limited her effectiveness during the last month of the year.

Nobody really knew how Bahl would respond this season, but Gasso knew it would be a process but a process she was very OK with.

“Just the summer, the idea was to leave the ball in the bag and don't pick it up. No need to,” said Gasso back in February. “So just let it rest and let's heal and so, I mean, it's hard to keep her grounded because she wants to go, go, go, go, go.”

There were hiccups to start. Either giving up runs or problems with control, but Gasso assured everybody that it’s not about looking great in February or even March. The goal is just to keep building to where you’re performing at your best when it really matters.

In the first month of the season, Bahl had three games where she allowed at least three earned runs, two games allowing at least four walks and zero double-digit strikeout performances.

“I think she’s just another-level athlete that I'm not concerned about,” Gasso said.

Maybe her coach knows something. In the last month, Bahl has returned to that form that made her the national freshman of the year.

If you needed any last indicator, just look at what Bahl was able to do Tuesday evening in a 3-0 victory at No. 13 LSU.

Bahl threw a complete game, allowing just three hits with one walk and striking out 13. That final strikeout came on the last out and was pitch No. 130.

It’s the most pitches Bahl has thrown this season, and it shows the confidence Gasso has in Bahl. The pitching staff is not hurting for elite-level performances from Alex Storako and Nicole May. But Gasso elected to ride with Bahl in Baton Rouge, and it couldn’t have worked any better.

It punctuates a dominant month for Bahl. Since March 13, Bahl has gone 6-0 with one save. She has thrown 38 innings, allowing 12 hits, just one run, walked eight with 54 strikeouts. She is now 12-1 this season and this stretch has seen her ERA dip from 2.28 to 1.30.

Breaking it down even more, the last two starts have seen Bahl throw 13.1 innings with four hits, zero runs, two walks and 25 strikeouts.

OK, Gasso was right. No worries.

*It’s the rare non-conference weekend for the No. 1-ranked Sooners. OU (37-1 overall, 9-0 Big 12) heads to Oxford, Ohio, for the Miami (Ohio) tournament.

Riding a 29-game winning streak, OU begins the two-day event against Oakland at 10 a.m. Saturday. Then it’s Louisville at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by host Miami at 9 a.m. Sunday.

From there, OU will head to Waco for a three-game conference battle at Baylor next weekend. The Bears, of course, gave the Sooners their only loss this season in a tournament in Waco in February.