'It’s softball time in Oklahoma': After 30 years in Oklahoma City, the WCWS has forged a bunch of memories

The Women’s College World Series was scheduled to start this week, for its 30th run in Oklahoma City. Alas, the coronavirus pandemic prompted the cancellation of all NCAA championships, and Hall of Fame Stadium will sit empty. The Oklahoman heard from fans who had become WCWS regulars, telling us what they remember most about World Series past and what they will miss about the 2020 void.

MAGGIEANN GREEN, OKC

“What I will most is the yearly date with my daughter to head over to the ballpark to watch some softball. She went to college on a D-I basketball scholarship, but softball was her second love. More than 15 years ago, I remember receiving tickets for her summer club team to attend one game. That was before it became so popular.

“A few years ago, we made attending at least one WCWS game a regular date on our spring schedule. We take a picture each year. Such great memories still being made.

“One year, we were the guest of Washington coach Heather Tarr, whom I had the pleasure to meet earlier that day. I was so thrilled to meet her. When not playing an Oklahoma team, I cheer for Washington.”

HOMER HULL, Chickasha

“I’ve been a ticket holder for 30 years. Way back in the ‘90s, I was delighted with how Lisa Ferguson was playing. I took a softball with me and got her autograph. I was probably 60 and she’s 20, and she wrote, ‘Homer, be all you can be.’”

LESA SHRIVER, Yukon

“My mom, Carolan Bledsoe, sews the patches on the uniforms every year. My sister and me usually help by sorting uniforms and getting her food. She sews nonstop for over 24 hours to get the jerseys ready for the ESPN taping. Our family hasn’t missed the WCWS in decades. I will miss seeing people I’ve met from all over the country who also attend every year — Art and Judy from Arizona, Mike from Indiana, the family from Arkansas, the couple from Tennessee, plus many others.

“My grandsons have attended the games their entire lives (they are 8 and a set of 6-year-old twins). They learned the national anthem from attending every session every year and could sing it by themselves when they were 2. They still say, ‘It’s softball (or whatever sport they are playing) time in Oklahoma!’”

BETTY BELL, Anadarko

“My husband and I had all-session tickets for many, many years. Our aisle seats were directly behind home plate, and we did so enjoy getting to know those around us. The same people from Arizona came every year, often complained about the tornado alerts and the hot weather. But the year we had a cold front come through during the tournament, they almost froze in their shorts.

“Cat Osterman and friends came up and sat close by between games. It was immediately apparent that, if you were designing a body for a softball player, it would be just like Cat’s. Those long arms gave her great leverage, but she had the longest fingers I have ever seen. No wonder she could wrap them around the ball and make it do what she wanted it to do.

“We were delighted to see Pat Summit, Tennessee’s basketball coach, there to support UT’s softball team.

“The nearby LSU fans decided that, since Oklahoma is cattle country, they should have a steak while they were here. We directed them to Cattleman’s. They were so delighted, they insisted on sending us a Louisiana thank-you gift of chicory coffee.

“I could go on and on. When my husband’s illness made it impossible for us to go, we gave up our tickets. Since his passing, I have only been able to get much less-desirable tickets for my niece and I. Although I would gladly pay a premium, they tell me none in the grandstand are available. At 84, I really need to be under the cover. But I will be there anyway.”

PATSY SHEPHERD, OKC

“The marathon game between OU and Florida in 2017. At the time, I was the front-gate supervisor for the ticket takers and bag search personnel and had been at the ballpark since early that morning. That evening game was a record-setter, as it went into 17 innings and took 5½ hours to play! It was amazing to me that over 8,000 fans were still there in the wee hours of the morning.”

CARYL PRATI, OKC

“I relocated to OKC from Michigan to join my husband, who accepted a new job. He started in September ’98; I arrived March ’99, five weeks before the May 3 tornado. The tornado recovery is an entirely other story. But it didn’t take me long to learn about the college sporting events in Oklahoma. I am the family member who reads the sports page.

“I discovered that first spring that the Women’s College World Series is played in OKC at Hall of Fame Stadium. We attended in ’99, and I cheered for UCLA, my home state. By the following year, I had quickly become a strong fan of OU. Softball had always been my favorite team sport when I played in grade and high school in Burbank, California.

“The Hall of Fame Stadium still had grassy berms along the base lines to the outfields. We started buying all-session tickets, brought lawn chairs and a blanket, and packed a picnic lunch to eat at the Firefighters Museum across the street between the morning and afternoon sessions. The museum offered all-session parking. Needless to say, when OU won its first national championship, we were yelling “Boomer! Sooner!” as loud as we could.

“Sadly, after a few years, I developed heat exhaustion one session and have not been able to tolerate the extreme heat that comes at this time of year. I’ve been to the OU softball diamond a few times for games, though, and am proud to display the back-to-back OU national softball championship posters from 2016-2017 on my home wall. I watch on TV whenever ESPN televises.”