Amherst Regional Press Conference

AMHERST, Mass. The No. 1 Oklahoma softball team arrived in Amherst, Mass., Wednesday night for its NCAA Regional. The Sooners, a No. 3 national seed, had their first practice at the UMass Softball Complex Thursday afternoon.

The Sooners will open tournament action on Friday at 1 p.m. (CST) against Colgate.

Head coach Patty Gasso as well as Norrelle Dickson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, and Lauren Eckermann, the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year, represented Oklahoma at the press conference following OU's practice.

Below is a transcript of the press conference as well as a link to the video of the press conference on the eve of OU's opening game.

Bracket | Amherst Regional | Regional Book

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Coach Patty Gasso's general comments
"We are excited to be here. We have worked very hard to be in this position. I am very proud of this team. We are excited to be here and are playing extremely good softball right now, so we're ready to get this thing started."

Lauren Eckermann on playing on the road
"I think the road does not play into it at all. We have played on the road before. We'll just stick with our game plan and I don't think the road will be a factor."

Gasso on play coming into the season
"I think we are playing our best softball right now. What I saw this team do at the Big 12 tournament was championship softball. I felt at that time that they could beat anyone in the country. That is exactly what you want going into any regional. This team is confident and they are carrying themselves that way. Quite honestly, when we found out we were not hosting, we were disappointed. But we got over that quickly. Right now, it is about taking our game on the road and being the best we can. We have a lot of goals and ambitions that we have been working for and most all have been achieved. So this is just another journey and we are ready to attack."

Gasso on National Championship
"I think, with the tradition that we have at our university and its softball program that is what we play for. If we are not talking about it, and if it's not something we are striving for, then we are not who we say we are. At the University of Oklahoma, we play for championships. That has really been our motto throughout this season. Every tournament we go to, we want to win this championship. It is always on our mind and has always been a goal, especially for these seniors. Noelle has been talking about this for over a year. It is something that is achievable, but there are still many steps along the way. And this is one of them. It is all about really staying focused and not looking ahead at what is there. Just taking this one game at a time."

Norrelle Dickson on chemistry of team
"This is the most fun team I have ever played on. There is great camaraderie and we have a bunch of great girls, so it is easier to play. It is easier to deal with the bumps in the road that may come along because these girls are so much fun to play with."

Gasso on Colgate
"We honestly don't know too much. It has mostly been getting some help from others who have played them. We have really been digging deep in their media guides and going over statistics. That is what is tough about it, is that we are so far from them that we don't hear too much about them. So it's just some scouting reports and reading things is really how we are going after this. One thing this team is very good at is making adjustments when they need to. But our goal, in any game, is to come out strong and set a smothering tone. And that is what this team is prepared to do. “

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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