Meet the early ones who play leading roles during the offseason

After winning four consecutive NCAA national championships, the seniors on the University of Oklahoma softball team are turning their attention to the professional game.

Catcher Kinzie Hanson signed with the Oklahoma City Spark on Friday, infielder Alyssa Brito teamed up with BSN Sports as an ambassador for their SURGE program, and several others joined the all-time leader in NCAA and former Sooner Jocelyn Alo in Wichita for all three series of Athletes Unlimited. event this weekend.

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For the young players replacing them, high expectations await them as they develop during the offseason.

Speaking about her former teammates, current OU utility payer Ella Parker said it was their turn to carry the baton.

“He greeted us and welcomed us from the second we arrived on campus,” Parker said. “It’s a relay race, now it’s our turn, they’ve achieved incredible things, and now it’s our turn to fulfill that legacy.”

Sooners outfielder Kasidi Pickering said that when they arrived on campus, head coach Patty Gasso told the new players to learn as much as possible from their teammates.

“When I got here, coach told me, ‘You have to be like a sponge,’” Pickering said. “You can take anything from them.”

OU pitcher Kierston Deal, now a two-time national champion, said she always dreamed of winning a title but owed it all to her faith.

“Just being able to talk about it more publicly, even though I’m coming to a religious community and culture like OU, I thought, ‘This is really the perfect time for this,’” Deal said. “God’s timing was so cool.”

As for their former teammates in the Oklahoma City Spark, their season opener is Wednesday, against the New York Rise at 6:30 p.m. at the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Oklahoma City Spark’s season opener is Wednesday.

They take on the New York Rise in the Scenic City tournament in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at 6:30 p.m.

The Spark’s first home match will take place on Thursday June 27 at 7 p.m., against Great Britain in the Royal Spark Challenge.