How Samantha Ricketts' OU softball career impacted Mississippi State coaching style
Mississippi State softball super regional against Oklahoma holds special meaning for coach Samantha Ricketts, who coached and played for the Sooners.
Although Samantha Ricketts has coached Mississippi State softball against her alma mater Oklahoma in each of the past three seasons, she referred to this year's postseason matchup as a "full-circle moment. " Ricketts' Bulldogs (41-18) will face the No. 3 seed Sooners (51-8) in a best-of-three series in the NCAA Tournament super regionals beginning May 22 (noon CT, ESPN2) at Love's Field in Norman, Oklahoma.
Ricketts played at Oklahoma from 2006-09 and began her coaching career there as a graduate assistant from 2009-11. She has been Mississippi State's coach since 2020. "For me personally, just looking at it from a perspective of starting in this program, that was kind of everything that started my career," Ricketts said on May 21.
"And then to continue on with the growth of Mississippi State and to now be back in this position and to be back in Norman is pretty special. " Ricketts is 0-8 vs Oklahoma and this is the first time they will meet in the NCAA Tournament. Ricketts was a four-time All-Big 12 player and two-time NFCA All-American.
She played under eight-time Women's College World Series champion coach Patty Gasso, who still leads the Sooners program. Ricketts said that certain aspects of her coaching style came from how Gasso treated her and what she experienced in her time as a player at Oklahoma. "When you get to work with different hitters, especially just in this era, this day and age, it's trying to relate to them each differently, and I think that was something I learned as a player here.