Senior Reflections: Brianna Turang

May 7, 2013

With Senior Day scheduled for this Saturday, SoonerSports.com is sitting down with each member of the 2013 Oklahoma softball senior class to reflect back on their respective career. Our second installment features outfielder Brianna Turang.

With a month left in the season, is the end really hitting you yet?
"Yes, a little bit. The closer we come to the end I think "Man, I'm going to miss my teammates." It's getting real. Like with soccer ending, it still hasn't really hit me, but now that I'm actually thinking about it, I'm like `No!' I'm freaking out a little bit, so yeah it's definitely hitting me."

How do you want this season to end?
"Hopefully when I leave here I want to be able to have people say that I was a good leader on and off the field. I want to win a national championship, obviously, and a Big 12 championship. I just want to end it on a good season, or the best season we can have."

What area do you think you have grown the most in your time here?
"Definitely the mental part of the game. I used to get really frustrated when things wouldn't go my way, and over time I think I've grown and matured through the mental aspect of the game. Physically, my approach to everything has gotten better, and how I look at things on and off the field has changed."

If you could go back and give advice to your freshman self, what would you tell her?
"Just keep sticking with it, honestly. So many times I got so wound up in what I was doing instead of taking it step by step and realizing that everyone is good here and it's going to take a fight. It's going to take a big chunk of the mental part of your game to keep going, so I think I'd probably just tell myself to stay focused and to relax and just do what I know how to do."

Senior Reflections: Gascoigne

How do you feel about graduating with this group of seniors?
"I feel super lucky, just with the type of girls they are off the field and being able to gain really good friendships and support from them. Especially with me playing two sports, they have been crazy supportive for me. Michelle [Gascoigne] was my roommate my freshman year, and she's been with me through a lot of stuff, so it's going to be so tough leaving them, but it's going to be awesome being able to play them afterwards [in the National Pro Fastpitch league]. It's crazy that I was so fortunate to be able to play with girls like them."

What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
"I just want to be a leader on and off the field. I think my character has a lot to do with what I want people to focus on and remember, especially with just the transformation I've made from my freshman year to my senior year. I think I would want people to realize and know who I am as a person and know that I'm here for anyone on my team."

What has been your best experience?
"Just being in that national championship game was one of the biggest accomplishments that we had, and it was so much fun just playing together and as a team. We got so much closer through that whole experience."

What is your favorite team memory?
"I feel like every road trip is so different because there is new stuff that comes up every time. I don't remember where we were going, but when we were dressing up for one of our road trips; that was awesome. I think just being able to experience different things at different times with our team has been absolutely unbelievable and an awesome experience. I'm so thankful just being a part of girls like that."

What is your favorite personal accomplishment?
"I really don't like personal attention. I'm competitive though, so I think just even in my senior season the Big 12 Player of the Week or last year making the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team. I always tell myself to finish strong and throughout every season I've always finished strong at the end and I think that's been my mentality. It's not about how you start, it's how you finish. I'm most proud of just my finish because I've been trying to focus most on that, and now that it's my senior season I want to finish strong."

Players Mentioned

Brianna Turang

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics