Oklahoma vs Baylor Quotes

Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso

On Lauren Chamberlain's success:
“She knows how I feel about her, but I just want to win. I love what is happening, but Lauren will tell you this, if it was up to her she would turn down all the noise and say this is a team effort. That is what we are trying to do. Right now we are trying to stay about the Big 12 race. So pleased, we are all relieved. I think we all let out a big exhale, but we just keep grinding. I am really excited for Lauren because the chains are free. The chains have been cut free and now she will have the freedom to swing. That is what this team is ready for. That is what she is ready for. It would be a tough thing on anybody, and she has handled it like a champion.”

On beating Baylor:
“This is one of the prideful reasons I love this group. You beat us one time, really hard, we are not going to walk away with our tail in-between our legs; we are going to come back here. These guys asked for video, let's come early and eat our lunch and watch video and get this figured out; and they did. They are the contributors in our game plan. Today it felt like, to me, like two heavyweight fighters in the ring. They threw the first blow, and we got up in the next play. It was starting to be like that. It was like a Rocky situation with the pitchers on the mound. How many times can they stand-up and throw a great pitch? We have a ton of respect for Baylor. They are a very athletic team. They are College World Series savvy. They fight, and they are tough. Playing teams like that make our team better, and they make us have to bow up right back. It was a hard-fought weekend, and I was really pleased with the response and the fight mode we had. I was just really impressed, like everyone, with Paige Parker and her heart. She wanted to take this third game. I asked, 'How do you feel?' 'Great.' 'How is your body?' 'Wonderful!' 'You got this?' 'I got this!' Every answer you want to hear is the right answer and she did it. She was really, really good today.”

On Chamberlain's national attention:
“When you think about Lauren and what has been going on television-wise, and so forth, where they are splitting screens or taking their broadcast over. Every time that happens, because of this young woman, our program is being exposed all over the country. I do not know if we really think about it, it is like 'oh Lauren, Lauren, Lauren!' But Lauren always says 'I am a Sooner and look at this program.' That is big for us in recruiting, in everything that we do. She alone is putting our name out there, which is big for us. As a coach I recognize that big time.”

Senior Lauren Chamberlain

On tying the NCAA all-time homerun record:
“It feels good. It is a little bit of a relief, and I feel a lot of weight off my shoulder. Honestly, the best feeling was meeting my teammates at home plate and seeing how excited they were for me. I believe me beating this record is just as much their record as it is mine, just because of the last four years and the different players I have met and the lineup I am surrounded by that make it possible for me to get those at-bats. Honestly, it is just cool to share it with my teammates.”

On the pitch:
“I knew I had to stay behind the ball a little bit. I thought to myself, 'If you do this the right way you can hit it well.' At that point, I had not had the weekend I was looking for and after getting that single through, I felt good about it and just wanted to get a good piece of bat on the ball.”

On thought process after hitting the home run:
“We needed those couple runs, and it was just a big-time game moment so I was not thinking about it. I was about to run around first base when I saw [Associate Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi] freaking out and I was like 'Oh yay', which is when I started to think about it. I was just pumped to get those couple runs.”

On how the last two days affected her mindset:
“It was just motivation to have a good day today. I really wanted to contribute, I knew this was a big game, so I was trying to be clutch for my teammate. That was the mindset that changed a little bit because I was not thinking too far ahead and standing at each at bat.”

On breaking the record at home:
“It was awesome just to have a home crowd and a familiar place to do that. But I am just glad it is over. I am just trying to keep moving.”

On getting so much national attention:
“It is awesome. It is a testimony, like I said, of my teammates. You talk about a big program with big players and big talent that surrounds me. It is so much a part of the team as it is for me. I cannot say it enough, what comes with a big program is big-time players that make that happen for me. I'm glad to contribute.”

Players Mentioned

Lauren Chamberlain

Paige Parker

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics