The Oklahoma Sooners recently won their third consecutive softball national championship. Still, beyond their on-field skills, the players gained national attention for their messages of faith during their successful run.
Some players were vocal about their strategy before winning the Women’s College World Series title, crediting their faith for continued perseverance and joy through the season. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt praised the team’s will to speak out on their faith during “Fox & Friends,” saying, “I’m just so proud of them. That’s their third straight national championship, and Coach Patty Gasso is just an amazing leader, but that’s what we believe. This is just amazing to me. The joy of the Lord is our strength, and that’s the great thing about our country.”
A clip of the Oklahoma Sooners publicly discussing their faith went viral on Twitter when asked about their strategy and playing style. Utility player Alyssa Britto said, “I think a huge thing that we’ve really just latched on to is eyes up, and you guys see us doing this and pointing out, but we’re really like fixing our eyes on Christ.”
During the press conference, infielder Grace Lyons said, “Thankfully, we’ve had a lot of success this year, but if it was the other way around, Joy from the Lord is the only thing that can keep you embracing those memories, moments, friendships.” Sooners reporter Ross Lovelace shared that clip on the platform, which garnered over half a million views and received an outpour of support in favor of the players.
“They may have beaten my #FSU softball team, but these young women are incredibly inspiring,” “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream tweeted in response. After her team went viral for sharing their message of faith, infielder Grace Lyons joined “America’s Newsroom” to discuss how faith played a central role in the players’ perseverance and victories on and off the field.
Lyons told host, Dana Perino, “At a high level, there’s a lot that is expected of us. There’s so much work that goes in, and the team really has to rally around each other, and the coolest thing is that we’re united in faith.” She continued, “There are some unbelievers on the team, but we all truly believe that God has given us these talents and abilities, and it’s our responsibility to give Him glory and to point others to Him on this big stage that we do have at college softball.”
The Oklahoma team ended their season with the fewest losses of any NCAA champion and set a record for win percentage. The only other program to get three consecutive wins is UCLA. Still, despite their incredible success, Lyons credited God for the team’s ultimate victories.
“Thankfully, we know that God works all things for the good of those who love the Lord, that’s Romans 8:28, but we know that our faithfulness doesn’t lead to results,” Lyons said. “God’s will is God’s will, and we can just trust that if we’re being faithful, He knows what’s best for us, and I think that’s the message that we’re just telling our team.”
“Even if things didn’t go our way, we would still be faithful and know that God has great things in store,” she continued. “And it may not be good in our eyes, but in His eyes, He knows what’s best.”