OU softball: Gasso, Sooners break ground on Love's Field

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Sep. 23—Patty Gasso remembers Oklahoma softball's early days at Reaves Park when she took over as head coach nearly 30 years ago.

Attendance and enthusiasm were low. Facilities were essentially non-existent.

It's been a long time since that was the Sooners' home. But while she stood at the site of the Sooners' future stadium, Gasso couldn't help but reflect on how far her program has come.

"This is a monumental day for us," Gasso said.

Friday was a day she has been waiting on for a long time.

Just a few feet south of Marita Hynes Stadium, the current home for OU softball, the university held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of Love's Field, the Sooners' future softball stadium. The $42 million stadium project was announced last October and the university is hopeful it will open in time for the 2024 season.

The groundbreaking represented another step forward in the process for the Sooners.

"Patty Gasso and her staff and her teams have created this culture of excellence, culture of greatness not only on the diamond but in the classroom and in the community, but they have a culture of connectivity," OU athletic director Joe Castligione said. "... We wanted to make sure we kept that in this stadium."

"It's bigger, obviously it has countless more amenities and more seats, but we still wanted to create that closeness... Certain venues get people going in a certain way, and I think this one will do the very same thing."

The stadium, funded by more than 800 donors and named after a $12 million lead gift from Love's Travel Shops, will be a significant step up from Marita Hynes Field.

Love's field is expected to accommodate 3,000 fans, more than double the current seating, and will span nearly 44,000 square feet on the northwest corner of South Jenkins Avenue and Imhoff Road. Marita Hynes Field spans 15,150 square feet.

The stadium will also be built to allow room for further expansion.

In addition, the new stadium will also double the size of the team areas and indoor practice facility while adding several team spaces, including a training room, locker room and classroom.

It was a project that Jenny Love Meyer, chief cultural officer for Love's, became interested in helping after meeting with the team during the 2021 season.

"To be able to make this donation to a team that's really a championship team, on and off the field, but also be able to contribute to women's sports at a higher level and really show what other organizations can do nationwide, we couldn't be more thrilled," Love Meyer said.

The new stadium also helps further the progress of one of the nation's most successful athletic programs in any sport.

The Sooners capped off last season with a 59-3 record and their sixth national championship. The Sooners have won four Women's College World Series championships since 2016 and have the third most all time. Jocelyn Alo set the all-time record for home runs last season (122), breaking the previous record set by Sooner alum Lauren Chamberlain (95).

But most importantly for Gasso, the Sooners have played a leading role in the advancement of women's sports.

"I just remember when I was a young coach what it felt like when [former Tennessee basketball coach] Pat Summitt filled her stadium and what she did with her team," Gasso said. "The goal for us is to create that some momentum, whether it's for other softball programs or just women's sports in general. The Love's gift is off the charts for female sports teams, so we're going to take it and run with it."

Among the hundreds in attendance at the ceremony were the Sooners' softball team and several former players. Her current and former players played the biggest role in building the program, Gasso said, and Love's Field will help continue to build the program for future players.

"First and foremost, I'm most proud of the athletes and what they do when they leave this program. That's really important to me, and them coming back and being a part of what we do.

"We can raise trophies, and that is all great... But this is something that will last forever."

Jesse Crittenden is the sports editor of The Transcript and covers OU athletics. Reach him at jesse@normantranscript.com or at 405-366-3580