Kinzie Hansen is Oklahoma’s Heart and Soul, Partly Because ‘She Knows She’s Good’

Sooners are getting major contributions from all over the field, but Hansen delivers leadership and playmaking from behind the plate, along with a clutch bat

Oklahoma already has leadership from captain Lynnsie Elam. The Sooners have pop national player of the year Jocelyn Alo. They have precocious playmaking from probably the two best freshman in the nation, Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings. And of course, OU gets elite pitching from a trio of aces in Giselle Juarez, Shannon Saile and Nicole May.

That’s a recipe for success, as the Sooners head to Oklahoma City with the best record (50-2) in college softball.

But Kinzie Hansen is often the straw that stirs the Sooners’ drink.

Whether it’s clutch hitting or game-changing power, timely throws or game-ending tags behind home plate, or just having an influence on OU pitchers in the circle, Hansen has taken her team to another level during Oklahoma’s postseason run.

“She’s a very confident young lady,” said OU coach Patty Gasso. “She knows she’s good. She doesn’t walk around and tell you that, but she has a style about her