Why OU Softball’s Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering Provide Optimism for the Sooners’ Future
NORMAN — Shortly after OU softball secured its fourth consecutive Women’s College World Series title, Sooners coach Patty Gasso shifted her focus to the future.
“I love what has happened with our freshmen,” Gasso said. “Oh, my goodness. I did not anticipate that. So the future is very, very bright.”
It was hard not to share her optimism after witnessing the stellar performances of OU’s freshman duo, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering, who were pivotal to the Sooners’ offense all season.
Parker and Pickering combined to hit .378 in the WCWS, contributing eight RBIs, seven runs, and three home runs.
In the championship series against Texas, they went 6-for-14 (.429) with five RBIs and four runs scored.
Both of Pickering’s home runs came during the championship series.
The Sooners are set to lose 10 seniors from this year’s team, including key players like Rylie Boone, Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, and Alynah Torres, who became an important part of the lineup.
However, with Parker and Pickering, they have two proven hitters to build around.
“I’m really excited,” Gasso said. “They are, too. This group of seniors really left their mark. That’s one thing you want them to do, is leave the program better than you found it. They did a great job of training and teaching these young athletes what it’s going to look like in the future.”
Parker was a significant factor in the Sooners’ late-season surge that began with their final regular-season game.
During the 15-game stretch, where the Sooners rebounded from losing their first two Bedlam games to finish 14-1 and win another WCWS title, Parker was at the forefront of OU’s offense.
She hit .510 (26-for-51) with 18 RBIs, 14 runs, four home runs, and five doubles, raising her season batting average from .376 to a team-leading .415.
She ended the season leading OU with 17 stolen bases, was second on the team with 62 RBIs, and third with a 1.238 on-base plus slugging percentage.
During that same 15-game stretch to end the season, Pickering went 16-for-38 (.421) with 15 RBIs and 10 runs scored, hitting six of her 12 home runs during that period.
Their impressive performances in the WCWS began even before the championship series against Texas.
Facing elimination against Florida, they played crucial roles in keeping the game alive for Coleman’s eventual eighth-inning walk-off homer.
Parker hit a two-run homer in the first inning.
Pickering led off the fourth with a single, which eventually led to a run two batters later when Cydney Sanders hit a two-run homer.
In the sixth inning, after having to leave for a pinch-runner following a collision at second base on her double, Parker re-entered and delivered an RBI single to tie the game.
The duo combined to go 5-for-6 in that game.
“We need them,” Gasso said after the win. “They’re doing some great things offensively. … The future is going to continue to be bright even without these 10 seniors.”
