The 2021 Oklahoma Sooners softball team was an American college softball team that represented the University of Oklahoma during the 2021 NCAA Division I softball season. The Sooners were led by Patty Gasso in her twenty-seventh season, and played their home games at OU Softball Complex. They competed in the Big 12 Conference, where they finished the season with a 56–4 record, including 16–1 in conference play.

The Sooners won the 2021 Big 12 Tournament, and qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division I softball tournament. They advanced to the 2021 Women's College World Series, where they defeated Florida State in three games to win their fifth championship in program history. The Sooners homered in 58 of their 60 games, including 45 multi-home run games, and set the NCAA Division I single-season record for team batting average (.405), team slugging percentage (.778), on-base percentage (.490), home runs (161), runs scored (638), runs per game (10.63), home runs per game (2.68) and total bases (1,279). They also set Women's College World Series records for home runs (15), runs scored (49) and hits (67).

Roster 2021 Oklahoma Sooners roster Pitchers 4 – Shannon Saile – Redshirt Senior 7 – Olivia Rains – Sophomore 13 – Macy McAdoo – Sophomore 18 – Brooke Vestal – Redshirt Sophomore 19 – Nicole May – Freshman 42 – Giselle Juarez – Redshirt Senior 48 – Alanna Thiede – Sophomore

Catchers 1 – Kinsey Koeltzow – Junior 9 – Kinzie Hansen – Sophomore 22 – Lynnsie Elam – Senior

Outfielders 1 – Rylie Boone – Sophomore Infielders 3 – Grace Lyons – Junior 5 – Taylon Snow – Senior 12 – Mackenzie Donihoo – Sophomore 20 – Jana Johns – Senior 23 – Tiare Jennings – Freshman 33 – Zaida Puni – Freshman

Utility 6 – Paige Knight – Freshman 11 – Nicole Mendes – Redshirt Senior 21 – Grace Green – Junior 24 – Jayda Coleman – Freshman 25 – Raylee Pogue – Sophomore 78 – Jocelyn Alo – Senior Reference:

Schedule 2021 Oklahoma Sooners softball game logRegular season (42–2)February (12–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Big 12RecordFebruary 11 at UTEP No. 4 Helen of Troy FieldEl Paso, TX 29–0 (5) Juarez (1–0) Salazar (0–1) Rains (1) 0 1–0 –February 11 vs Abilene Christian No. 4 Helen of Troy Field 9–0 (5) May (1–0) White (0–1) — 0 2–0 –February 12 vs Abilene Christian No. 4 Helen of Troy Field 11–0 (5) Juarez (2–0) Sinnott (0–1) — 0 3–0 –February 12 at UTEP No. 4 Helen of Troy Field 21–2 (5) May (2–0) Collins (0–1) — 86 4–0 –February 21 at Houston No. 2 Cougar Softball StadiumHouston, TX 12–4 (6) Juarez (3–0) Hertenberger (1–1) — 120 5–0 –February 21 at Houston No. 2 Cougar Softball Stadium 5–3 May (3–0) Lee (0–1) Saile (1) 120 6–0 –February 22 vs. Tarleton No. 2 Cougar Softball Stadium 13–0 (5) Saile (1–0) Bridges (0–3) — 0 7–0 –February 26 vs. New Mexico No. 2 FarringtonTempe, AZ 8–0 (5) Saile (2–0) Guindon (1–3) — 147 8–0 –February 26 at No. 13 Arizona State No. 2 Farrington 5–3 Juarez (4–0) Royalty (3–1) Saile (2) 285 9–0 –February 27 vs. New Mexico No. 2 Farrington 33–4 (5) May (3–0) Hannappel (0–1) — 0 10–0 –February 27 at Grand Canyon No. 2 GCU Softball StadiumPhoenix, AZ 14–0 (5) Saile (3–0) Hambrick (2–4) — 65 11–0 –February 27 vs. Portland State No. 2 GCU Softball Stadium 8–0 (5) Juarez (5–0) Grey (1–1) — 45 12–0 –March (13–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Big 12RecordMarch 5 Sam Houston State No. 1 OU Softball ComplexNorman, OK 7–0 May (5–0) Billmeier (0–1) — 184 13–0 –March 6 No. 18 Missouri No. 1 OU Softball Complex 5–2 Juarez (6–0) Krings (3–1) — 0 14–0 –March 6 ULM No. 1 OU Softball Complex 9–0 (5) Saile (4–0) Chavarria (1–2) — 216 15–0 –March 7 No. 18 Missouri No. 1 OU Softball Complex 11–0 (5) Saile (5–0) Weber (5–1) — 150 16–0 –March 7 Sam Houston State No. 1 OU Softball Complex 17–0 (5) Thiede (1–0) Fitzpatrick (0–2) — 200 17–0 –March 10 UT Arlington No. 1 OU Softball Complex 14–0 (5) May (6–0) Gardiner (1–1) — 405 18–0 –March 12 Houston No. 1 Hall of Fame StadiumOklahoma City, OK 9–1 (5) Saile (6–0) Lee (2–4) — 0 19–0 –March 12 Kansas City No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 6–2 Juarez (7–0) Hoveland (5–3) — 0 20–0 –March 14 Liberty No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 5–4 May (7–0) Wagoner (2–2) — 550 21–0 –March 14 Liberty No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 16–0 (5) May (8–0) Kirby (4–3) — 1,083 22–0 –March 26 at Iowa State No. 1 Cyclone Sports ComplexAmes, IA 9–7 Juarez (8–0) Charles (10–3) — 527 23–0 1–0March 27 at Iowa State No. 1 Cyclone Sports Complex 10–2 (6) Saile (7–0) Swain (1–2) — 560 24–0 2–0March 28 at Iowa State No. 1 Cyclone Sports Complex 22–2 (5) May (9–0) Charles (10–4) — 0 25–0 3–0April (14–1) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Big 12RecordApril 1 Kansas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 14–0 (5) Saile (8–0) Goff (7–3) — 449 26–0 4–0April 2 Kansas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 6–2 Juarez (9–0) Mills (1–2) — 445 27–0 5–0April 3 Kansas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 10–1 (5) Juarez (10–0) Hamilton (3–6) — 465 28–0 6–0April 10 vs. Mississippi State No. 1 Dr. Billy Bundrick FieldRuston, LA 9–0 (5) Juarez (11–0) Williams (3–4) — 500 29–0 –April 10 at Louisiana Tech No. 1 Dr. Billy Bundrick Field 10–0 (5) May (10–0) Hernandez (6–6) — 500 30–0 –April 16 No. 7 Texas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 11–1 (5) Juarez (12–0) O'Leary (9–1) — 459 31–0 7–0April 17 No. 7 Texas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 10–2 (5) Saile (9–0) Jacobsen (11–3) — 484 32–0 8–0April 18 No. 7 Texas No. 1 OU Softball Complex 9–0 (5) May (11–0) O'Leary (9–2) — 497 33–0 9–0April 20 at No. 21 Georgia No. 1 Jack Turner StadiumAthens, GA 6–7 (9) Mary Wilson (15–5) May (11–1) — 400 33–1 –April 20 at No. 21 Georgia No. 1 Jack Turner Stadium 12–3 (5) Saile (10–0) Cutting (6–5) — 400 34–1 –April 24 Texas Tech No. 1 OU Softball Complex 15–0 (5) Juarez (13–0) Zoch (9–10) — 766 35–1 10–0April 24 Texas Tech No. 1 OU Softball Complex 5–0 Saile (11–0) Edmoundson (7–9) — 766 36–1 11–0April 25 Texas Tech No. 1 OU Softball Complex 20–0 (5) Juarez (14–0) Zoch (9–11) — 752 37–1 12–0April 27 at Baylor No. 1 Getterman StadiumWaco, TX 7–1 Juarez (15–0) Rodoni (9–7) — 600 38–1 13–0April 27 at Baylor No. 1 Getterman Stadium 11–0 (6) Saile (12–0) Mansell (7–4) — 600 39–1 14–0May (3–1) Date Opponent Rank Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Big 12RecordMay 4 at No. 25 Wichita State No. 1 Wilkins StadiumWichita, KS 14–3 (5) Saile (13–0) Lange (19–6) — 730 40–1 –May 7 at No. 9 Oklahoma State No. 1 Cowgirl StadiumStillwater, OK 4–6 Eberle (19–1) Juarez (15–1) — 609 40–2 14–1May 8 at No. 9 Oklahoma State No. 1 Cowgirl Stadium 6–4 Saile (14–0) Maxwell (14–3) May (1) 652 41–2 15–1May 9 at No. 9 Oklahoma State No. 1 Cowgirl Stadium 11–8 May (12–1) Eberle (19–2) — 663 42–2 16–1Postseason (14–2) (3–0) Date Opponent Rank Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord B12TRecord May 14 vs. Baylor No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 10–2 (5) Saile (15–0) Binford (5–4) — 3,839 43–2 1–0May 14 vs. Texas Tech No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 8–2 Juarez (16–1) Edmoundson (7–11) — 3,839 44–2 2–0May 15 vs. No. 9 Oklahoma StateFinal No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 10–2 (6) Saile (16–0) Eberle (21–3) — 3,879 45–2 3–0 (3–0) Date Opponent Rank Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord RegionalRecordMay 21 vs. Morgan State No. 1 OU Softball Complex 19–0 (6) Juarez (17–1) Rundlett (12–8) — 1,555 46–2 1–0May 22 vs. No. 23 Wichita State No. 1 OU Softball Complex 7–5 Juarez (18–1) Lange (22–6) May (2) 1,556 47–2 2–0May 23 vs. No. 23 Wichita State No. 1 OU Softball Complex 24–7 May (13–1) Lange (22–8) — 1,668 48–2 3–0 (2–0) Date Opponent Rank Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Super Reg.RecordMay 28 vs. No. 6 Washington No. 1 OU Softball Complex 4–2 May (14–1) Plain (32–4) — 1,758 49–2 1–0May 28 vs. No. 6 Washington No. 1 OU Softball Complex 9–1 (5) Saile (17–0) Plain (32–5) — 1,800 50–2 2–0 (6–2) Date Opponent Rank Site Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord WCWSRecordJune 3 vs. No. 22 James MadisonFirst round No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 3–4 (8) Alexander (17–1) Saile (17–1) — — 50–3 0–1June 5 vs. GeorgiaFirst round No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 8–0 (6) Juarez (19–1) Wilson Avant (20–12) — — 51–3 1–1June 5 vs. No. 2 UCLASecond round No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 10–3 Juarez (20–1) Garcia (18–3) — — 52–3 2–1June 6 vs. No. 22 James MadisonSemifinals No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 6–3 May (15–1) Alexander (18–2) — — 53–3 3–1June 7 vs. No. 22 James MadisonSemifinals No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 7–1 Juarez (21–1) Alexander (18–3) — — 54–3 4–1June 8 vs. No. 8 Florida StateFinal – Game 1 No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 4–8 Watson (12–1) May (15–2) — 12,173 54–4 4–2June 9 vs. No. 8 Florida StateFinal – Game 2 No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 6–2 Juarez (22–1)) Sandercock (27–4) — 12,115 55–4 5–2June 10 vs. No. 8 Florida StateFinal – Game 3 No. 1 Hall of Fame Stadium 5–1 Juarez (23–1)) Watson (12–2) — 10,830 56–4 6–2

Rankings

Awards and honors

Weekly AwardsPlayerAwardDate AwardedRef. Tiare Jennings Big 12 Player of the Week February 16, 2021 Tiare Jennings Big 12 Player of the Week March 9, 2021 Shannon Saile Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Week March 9, 2021 Jocelyn Alo Big 12 Player of the Week March 16, 2021 Jocelyn Alo Big 12 Player of the Week March 30, 2021 Tiare Jennings Big 12 Player of the Week April 7, 2021 Tiare Jennings Co-Big 12 Player of the Week April 20, 2021 Shannon Saile Big 12 Pitcher of the Week April 27, 2021

Individual AwardsPlayerAwardRef. Jocelyn Alo Big 12 Player of the YearUSA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Tiare Jennings Big 12 Freshman of the YearNFCA National Freshman of the Year Grace Lyons Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Patty Gasso Big 12 Coach of the Year

All-Big 12PlayerSelectionRef. Jocelyn Alo First Team Jayda Coleman First Team Tiare Jennings First Team Grace Lyons First Team Shannon Saile First Team Mackenzie Donihoo Second Team Lynnsie Elam Second Team Giselle Juarez Second Team Jayda Coleman Freshman Team Tiare Jennings Freshman Team Nicole May Freshman Team

All-AmericanPlayerSelectionRef. Jocelyn Alo First Team Jayda Coleman First Team Tiare Jennings First Team Kinzie Hansen Second Team Grace Lyons Second Team

References