More than half of the Lady Razorbacks' roster consists of Oklahoma players, so you can understand their excitement being sent to the Norman Regional.
Arkansas has an astounding 13 players from the Sooner state, the same number of Oklahoma players on the OU and Tulsa rosters combined.
The Lady Razorbacks beat Tulsa 7-5 in Friday night's opening game and will play the Sooners at 1 p.m. today on Marita Hynes Field. OU advanced with a 6-0 victory over Oregon in Friday's nightcap.
Six Oklahoma players started for Arkansas against TU, which started just four in-staters.
Several Oklahoma Lady'Backs played key roles in the victory.
- Sophomore left fielder Brittany Robison of Owasso went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI and two runs scored.
- Junior catcher Whitney Cloer of Bishop McGuinness hit her fifth home run of the season.
- Junior second baseman Kayla Johnson of Bartlesville had a 2-RBI single in a decisive sixth inning that completed an Arkansas comeback.
- Redshirt sophomore third baseman Sandra Smith of Catoosa went 1-for-3.
- Sophomore designated player Miranda Dixon of Edmond North also went 1-for 3.
- Senior pitcher Katy Henry of Poteau went the distance and picked her 20th victory of the season.
Robison said she had no idea the Arkansas roster would be dominated by Oklahoma personnel when she chose her college.
She recognized some of the faces, but not all of them.
"I didn't even know any of them that well," Robison said. "Playing against them our whole lives and then coming together, it's awesome. I like it. It's great."
Even UA head coach Jamie Pinkerton has an Oklahoma tie. He previously coached at Tulsa, the very program he beat Friday night.
Lady Razorbacks assistant coach Tiffany Redding also is an Oklahoma native and a former TU shortstop out of Sand Springs.
Pinkerton said there was no grand plan to have 52 percent of his roster occupied by Oklahomans.
"There are a lot of great players in Oklahoma, and we battled OU and OSU for them," Pinkerton said. "I think a lot of it has to do with the contacts I had when I coached in Tulsa. It was just easy. It was comfortable. I feel this is a hotbed of talent. My attitude is the state schools, and Tulsa, have good enough talent to go around."
Johnson and Robison said they were not recruited by OU, and that still burns inside.
"It's a big motivation for me," Johnson said.
"Definitely," Robison added.
Growing up in Oklahoma, Cloer dreamed of someday playing for the Sooners.
"I did, but dreams change," Cloer said. "Dreams definitely change."
Apparently, Sooners coach Patty Gasso did show some interest in Cloer.
"Kinda-sorta," Cloer said.
Being snubbed by OU no longer gnaws at Cloer.
"I don't think it really matters," Cloer said. "Now that we're from Arkansas, we represent Arkansas. That's now our home."
When the 64-team NCAA Tournament field was announced and Robison saw that her team was headed for the OU Softball Complex, "We were more pumped up than ever. It might have put a little bit more fight in me."
Heading back home was exciting, but didn't exactly calm the nerves.
"It's nerve-wracking," Cloer admitted. "It's a regional, so you're fighting nerves no matter where you're at."
Pinkerton was hoping it wouldn't matter where his team played this weekend.
Arkansas softball is in just its 12th season and hadn't advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 2002.
"They just wanted to go somewhere. They just wanted to hear their name called," Pinkerton said. "To come to Oklahoma was just icing on the cake. They're motivated. They were fired up. I'm hoping in their mind right now they're thinking, 'There's dirt and there's grass and they just want to play ball.' "
After Friday's victory, the Arkansas athletic director addressed the team briefly and extended his sincere congratulations.
That AD is Jeff Long, who previously served as senior associate athletic director at — where else? — OU.
John Rohde: 475-3099, jrohde@oklahoman.com; John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11 a.m. on New JOX 930 (AM).
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