Coleman adds another 'unbelievable' outfield highlight in win over FSU
NORMAN — Heading into the Sooners' Super Regional matchup with Florida State, OU hitting coach JT Gasso had a specific practice drill in mind.
He wanted to test the outfielders by hitting balls to the outfield wall, forcing the Sooners' defense to make plays in the air. Turns out, it was the perfect drill for the Sooners to be working on, and it paid off on Friday against the Seminoles.
With the Sooners leading Florida State 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning, FSU's Jaysoni Beachum stepped up to the plate as the leadoff hitter against OU pitcher Karlie Keeney. On the first pitch, Beachum made contact and sent the ball to the centerfield wall.
But waiting on it was Jayda Coleman, who's no stranger to these defensive moments in high-stakes games. As the ball arrived, Coleman jumped and robbed the ball just as it was headed over the fence.
The spectacular outfield play added yet another impressive highlight for Coleman's career, and also proved pivotal in the Sooners' 4-2 win over the Seminoles. The win secured the Super Regional sweep and clinched a berth to the Women's College World Series for the eighth-consecutive season.
OU coach Patty Gasso knows she shouldn't be surprised by Coleman's heroics, but she couldn't help but have an emotional reaction.
"We do this at practice all the time and (Coleman) acts like she's going to catch it and everyone tags up and the ball is going over the fence," Gasso said after the game. "She fakes us all out.
"I'm looking (at the swing) and I'm like, 'It's out.' I'm thinking, 'Here she goes.' I saw her jump, and then I saw her fall with the ball in her glove, and I'm not kidding you — and I know this is weird — but I just kind of had this little tear, like a little tear. Because I'm so expecting of it. But that was unbelievable."
One person who wasn't surprised was Florida State coach Lonni Alameda by surprise.
The longtime FSU coach, and former OU player, was in the dugout last season when Coleman robbed Kalei Harding of a home run in Game 2 of the WCWS final. That play, which helped the Sooners to a series-clinching 3-1 win, was arguably the defining play of the Sooners' championship run.
Alameda couldn't help but be impressed.
"I'm sure she has a Florida State highlight reel," Alameda said. "I'm sure she does. We can see it in our brains. She's robbed us many times. Kalei was like, 'Welcome to the club, Jaysoni.' She robbed her last year, too.
I had a chance to watch Jayda in club ball and travel ball. I was one of those coaches that wanted to recruit her also. She's a special player. She played shortstop for a long time and got the opportunity to come here and just roam the outfield like a legit athlete. It's fun to see that. It's fun to hear the roar of the crowd. It's against us, again, but for us in softball moments of where the game's growing, I think it's just really cool to see that style of athleticism so year. I've seen a lot of our highlight reels with her getting after that."
Coleman's robbery was felt throughout the rest of Friday's game. In the sixth inning, first baseman Cydney Sanders made a diving catch on a foul ball that secured an out and inched the Sooners closer to victory.
"I look over and Cyd's making a great play," Gasso said, "(Coleman's 'play) just bled right all over on our team in a wonderful way. But man, she just, she can't wait to line something up like that. And if it's coming and it's staying in she's gonna do it in.
The Sooners (54-6) needed that kind of defensive effort against Florida State, a high-powered offense that averaged 7.51 runs per game heading into the series. However, the Sooners held the Seminoles to just five runs across the three games, which tied their lowest scoring output in any two-game stretch this season.
Coleman's play was crucial to the Sooners beating Florida State while generating momentum as they continue battling for a fourth-straight national championship. And it was another memorable moment for Coleman as she heads into her final WCWS as a Sooner.
She credited her teammates for the play.
"I had 110% trust in (outfielder) Hannah Coor, because she was the one that was telling me how much space I had until the wall because I didn't even look back at the wall at all," Coleman said. "So having 100% trust in your left fielder or your right fielder is key to making those plays and that was a reason why I was able to make that play. And just to see her face after I caught it — like, 'Oh my gosh you actually caught it' — was the best thing out of all, is watching all your teammates celebrate and then... watching Cyd and (Alyssa Brito have) really good plays.
"The best part about making those type of plays is watching your teammates celebrate and just watching how happy they are."
The Sooners now await the full WCWS tournament field, which will be revealed late Sunday or early Monday.
Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, basketball and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!