Gasso’s Core 5: Jayda Coleman’s Influence Will Echo Through Future Generations of Oklahoma Softball
However, Jayda Coleman’s impact as a leadoff hitter was uniquely profound for Oklahoma.
Throughout all four years in Norman, OU’s standout outfielder consistently delivered excitement, whether she was preventing home runs in the field or launching them at the plate.
Yet, it was her walks that made the biggest impact on games. Before taking her base, she would turn to her dugout and unleash a roar, igniting her teammates and sparking potential rallies.
Coleman, like her teammates, played with a fierce passion and intensity at every opportunity, something that even the esteemed coach Patty Gasso had to adapt to.
“When I first saw them toss the bat down after a walk, I thought, ‘What are you doing? Don’t do that,’” Gasso remarked after the Sooners clinched their eighth national championship last week. “You’re either showing up the umpire or threatening someone. But they do it. They do it in practice. I’ve learned to let them be themselves. The old coach in me wouldn’t have allowed any of this.”
Coleman played a pivotal role in teaching Gasso to embrace her team’s unapologetic style, as the veteran coach has frequently acknowledged in recent years.
