On Friday July 19, 2016 on Twitter, now former Missouri pitcher, Paige Lowary announced she would continue her college career at Oklahoma, the 2016 national champions. “Well, it’s official! I will be finishing my softball career and education at the University of Oklahoma!! I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get to Norman and start my journey as a Sooner.” Rumors have been everywhere that Lowary would be leaving Missouri so that came as no surprise. Her decision to go to Oklahoma may have been to some.
Last season for the Tigers Lowary (25-8) posted a 3.25 ERA with 151 strikeouts over 198 innings. If looking at last season, there may be some people that say it is a good pick-up but not great considering she was near the bottom of the SEC in ERA. That would be a fair point, but a bit deceiving. Her 44 game appearances was the second most in the conference, she was ninth in strikeouts (151), tied for second in wins (25), third in innings pitched (198) and tied for fifth for compete games (16). She was the workhorse of the staff, something that will not be expected of her at Oklahoma. She was firing on all cylinders by the end of last season setting an NCAA record in the regional by being the only pitcher to win three straight regional games by “run-rule”.
Lowary instantly boosts an already strong team and will take pressure of WCWS standout Paige Parker who had to throw 252.1 innings in 2016. She led them to the NCAA title, but the fatigue was starting to show by the end of the WCWS. If Lowary can be effective she will provide an outstanding one-two punch for the Sooners.
This is an already young team that will be poised to make a run at least for the next two seasons as both Parker and Lowary have two seasons remaining. Oklahoma also returns Jayden Chestnut who showed promise and did have a solid season so with improvement and maturity in the circle there is no reason not to think she will play a key roll. They also bring in one of the best pitchers in the country for the 2016 class in Mariah Lopez out of Saugus, CA. If Lopez develops into the type of pitcher many think she will, the Sooners are sitting in good shape.
So what does it mean? It means the obvious, Oklahoma will be a force in college softball for the foreseeable future.
