NORMAN — Saturday wasn’t necessarily anything out of the ordinary for Oklahoma.

The Sooners crushed Alabama, 13-2, to complete the Super Regional sweep and punch their ticket to the Women’s College World Series for the ninth consecutive season. They went through their typical postgame celebrations. They removed the section of the outfield wall which lists their WCWS appearances, so that this season can be added. OU coach Patty Gasso and a few players came into the postgame press conference wearing hats that read “NCAA Super Regional Champs," something the program has done 18 times.

By all accounts, it was a typical weekend for a team that has won the last four national championships and has a real chance to add another one. But as Gasso couldn’t help but show the emotion on her face, it would’ve been easy to think this was all new for the Sooners.

“Representing this team, I will tell that we give God the glory,” Gasso said. “The power He has given this team, the swag, the love, joy. It has been an incredible journey. The fact that we are wearing these hats right now? I’m going to look back because I still can’t grasp how big this is.

“I didn’t expect this.”

It certainly wasn't a given. The Sooners graduated 10 players from last year's title team, a group that included some of the most highly-decorated players in softball history. Only eight players from last year's team returned for this season, and an even smaller handful had played meaningful roles.

The youth and relative inexperience was on display in the Sooners' dominant win over Alabama. The Sooners had five underclassmen and three freshmen in the starting lineup. Three of the upperclassmen in the lineup weren't on the team last season and had never been to the WCWS.

And the young players showed their growth. True freshman Gabbie Garcia — who leads the team with 20 home runs — blasted two bombs. Redshirt freshman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, who is team captain, blasted a solo home run of her own.

The talent was always there. Junior pitcher Kierston Deal, one of the lone contributors from last year's championship team, knew early the Sooners had championship potential.

"I kind of knew at the beginning, like, 'Wow this team has some really great talent and we're just gonna continue to work together and let it show off on the field,'" Deal said. "So it's been really cool to see all the growth and see everything. It's cool because it's my third super regional but it feels like the first with this new group. It's been so fun."

That doesn't mean there weren't hiccups. The Sooners lost three of their eight series in SEC play. There were some real low moments – that includes the trip to Tuscaloosa last month, when the same Crimson Tide team the Sooners eventually eliminated beat them twice. The Sooners faced questions about their depth, their pitching staff and their youth.

But the entire season was about growth, and they showed it. The Sooners won the SEC regular season title in their first year, then won all five games of the regional and super regional tournaments by a combined score of 47-5.

"I didn’t know what the expectation was," Gasso said. "I can look back. I don’t remember a lot of things right now. But I can look back to September and remember what that looked like. It was a little bit of hard working, but we’re scattered. We were learning, figuring out positions, figure out who is playing next to them? It was really like a new beginning, a complete new beginning. To see them trust us? Means a lot.

"They trust (OU hitting coach JT Gasso) to the end. They trust (OU pitching coach Jennifer Rocha) to the end. I appreciate it. I think that’s where my heart is – just the appreciation for them giving back to this program because I didn’t know what it was going to look like when all of these unbelievable, some of the best softball athletes that have played this sport left this program. And we were just — had kind of a bare cupboard. And worked around Ella (Parker), worked around (Kasidi Pickering) and a few others. And we're here."

Returning to the Women's College World Series is quite the accomplishment for this group. But Gasso and the Sooners are confident it won't end there. They'll enter with a 50-7 record and a true belief that they can finish with another national championship.

Gasso has remained adamant that despite any ups and downs that the team would peak at the right time. They've proven that to be the case. And they're not taking any of it for granted.

"I’m really excited about the things we can do in the World Series that is going to surprise some people," Gasso said. "We still wear Oklahoma across our chests, and we’re proud of that. This is a team that is made a little bit different, in a different way than what you’ve seen in the last four years, and it’s been glorious and wonderful.

"I’ve had an absolute blast with this group."

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