Friday, May 23rd 2025, 10:53 am
OU head coach Patty Gasso has faced Alabama’s Patrick Murphy 17 times over the years, with Murphy holding a narrow 10-7 edge in the series. But it’s Gasso who has turned the Sooners into college softball’s modern dynasty — winning eight national championships to Murphy’s one.
Still, Gasso credits Alabama and their rivalry for sharpening Oklahoma’s edge.
“I think of big moments where either you're knocking us out or we're knocking you out,” Gasso said. “We’ve both kind of done that, whether it’s a Super Regional or the World Series.”
Few moments in the rivalry sting like the 2012 Women’s College World Series championship, where OU blew a 3-0 lead in a rain-delayed Game 3 that didn’t start until nearly 10 p.m. Alabama came back to win 5-4 and secure its first and only national title.
“It was like, ‘What are we doing?’” Gasso recalled. “That game, if played the next day, would’ve been the most-watched female softball game ever.”
That loss lit a fire in Norman. The Sooners rebounded with a vengeance, winning the national championship in 2013 and six more since.
Now, the rivalry returns to Love’s Field in Norman for the first time ever, a new, $47.9 million home for a program chasing its ninth straight trip to the WCWS and 18th overall.
“It’s going to be a classic matchup,” Gasso said. “At the end, it’s going to be a hug for Pat Murphy and vice versa. Because we both know how hard this is and how much better we’ve made each other.”
Game 1 | Friday, May 23 at 4 p.m. ESPN2
Game 2 | Saturday, May 24 at 2 p.m. ESPN
Game 3 | TBD (if necessary game)
All-Time Meetings: 17
Alabama Leads: 10-7
Postseason Meetings: 13
OU NCAA Tournament Record: 159-52
OU Postseason vs. Alabama: 6-6
WCWS Matchups in OKC: 10
Super Regionals Hosted by OU: 12 (OU has won 16 straight)
2012 WCWS Championship Series
2015 Tuscaloosa Regional
2016 WCWS (Opening Round)
2024–25 Regular Season
Jeremie Poplin has been a trusted and familiar voice in Tulsa sports media for nearly 25 years. Jeremie serves as a sports producer and digital sports liaison for News On 6 while entering his 12th season as the radio sideline reporter and analyst for Tulsa football on Golden Hurricane Sports Properties.
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