NORMAN — Keilani Ricketts is just six years removed from being one of the most dominant pitchers college softball has ever seen, but even she paused when contemplating what her career might have looked like had it come a half-decade later.
“It’s hard to really compare,” Ricketts said. “The game’s changed so much.”
Scouting reports have expanded thanks to an analytical breakthrough in the sport. Video is more readily available, as are hitting spray charts, righty-lefty splits and pitcher and hitter tendencies. Ricketts said lineups are better equipped now.
To combat the offensive breakthrough, coach Patty Gasso has strayed from a strategy that’s won her multiple national championships at Oklahoma.