Patty Gasso on final moments at Marita Hynes Field: 'It's bittersweet'

“Bittersweet” is how OU softball coach Patty Gasso described this upcoming weekend.

While the Sooners begin NCAA Tournament play on Friday in the Norman Regional tournament, it’s also one of the final weekends the Sooners will play at Marita Hynes Field. The Sooners are set to open next season at Love’s Field, a new stadium that broke ground last year.

This weekend’s regional, and if they advance to the super regional tournament next weekend, will mark the last games played at the complex that’s been their home for nearly 25 years.

“My whole life has been spent on this field,” Gasso said during Wednesday’s media availability. “Lots of memories. Going from Reaves Park to (this) was like the Taj Mahal, the greatest thing we’ve ever seen. Then you did see that we were starting to outgrow this. I think once we won the national championship in 2000, everything started to change, fan-wise. We’ve been living in it since then.

“Every year the fan base grows and grows. Did I ever expect it to get here? In my mind, probably not. But in our play? Yes. People have been following us all over the country and showing up to see us. I know we’ve arrived. That’s been a while ago. That was probably around 2013 where I started to feel that it was consistently growing. It’s bittersweet. I hope Marita Hynes Field stays here a little longer.”

Marita Hynes Field opened in 1998 and has been the Sooners’ home for all six national championships. But given the Sooners’ success, and how much the fanbase has grown, Gasso knew the program would eventually need a bigger facility.

Love’s Field will more than double the current capacity at Marita Hynes Field and feature new facilities and amenities, and Gasso is confident the new stadium will help the program continue to grow.

“This is really going to be a class-act, grade-A facility for athletes,” Gasso said. “I’ve said this before, when recruiting, when athletes would come here I really wouldn’t walk them around the field, I’d say ‘Let’s go to football. Look at their locker room. Look at their tunnel where they run out, look at this hot/cold facility pool.’ Just talking about everything football. Now I know I won’t have to do that.

“It’ll be an extra benefit when we go down there and watch a football game, but the wow-factor is going to be in our softball stadium. That’s what we want and we’re getting beyond that.”

The Sooners are ready to be in their new home, but Gasso is cherishing these final moments at Marita Hynes.

“I think I feel it more than anybody,” Gasso said. “The players are like yeah, let's get out of here. Let's get bigger. And I'm just like, ‘Wow, what are we gonna do with the water-leaked ceilings over here.’ You know what this is? It's a blue collar stadium. It's what it is. And our players don't complain. They don't gripe about it.

“This is home. It'll always be home."

Gasso, Sooners not looking past regional tournament

If the Sooners (51-1), the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, advance past this weekend, they’ll also host next weekend’s super regional tournament. But the team isn’t getting ahead of itself.

The Sooners host Hofstra (29-25, 16-7 CAA), California (33-19-1, 9-14-1 PAC 12) and Missouri (34-24, 7-17 SEC) for the Norman Regional Tournament, and they open against Hofstra at 4:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN).

It’s seemingly a favorable schedule for the Sooners, but Gasso doesn't see it that way.

“I do not think this is an easy regional by any means,” Gasso said. “These teams play hard. They play in tough conferences week after week after week. They’ve knocked off some top-10 teams. They’ve knocked off some top-20 teams. Their records are commendable. They’ve got big wins.

“Our team knows we’re going to have to play really, really good softball in order to get through this weekend. We’re not taking anything for granted."

(Below is the dates, times and broadcast information for this weekend's tournament at Marita Hynes Field)

Friday, May 19th

Game 1 @ 4 PM CT- Oklahoma vs. Hofstra (ESPNU)

Game 2 @ 6:30 PM CT- Missouri vs. Cal (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 20th

Game 3 @ 2 PM CT- W1 vs. W2 (TV TBD, ESPN Networks)

Game 4 @ 4:30 PM CT- L1 vs. L2 (TV TBD, ESPN Networks)

Game 5 @ 7 PM CT- W4 vs. L3 (TV TBD, ESPN Networks)

Sunday, May 21st

Game 6 @ 1:00 PM CT- W3 vs. W5 (TV TBD, ESPN Networks)

Game 7 @ 3:30 PM CT (If Necessary)- W6 vs. L6 (TV TBD, ESPN Networks)