Happy Monday, friends and fans! The field for the NCAA Softball Tournament has officially been set, and the Oklahoma Sooners will enter as the No. 4 national seed. Further, Patty Gasso’s two-time reigning champs are playing host in the opening regional round, as expected.

The group of teams coming to Norman this weekend is an interesting bunch. First up, there’s Boston, who actually defeated OU earlier this season 4-3. If the Sooners get their revenge, next up would be the winner between Tulsa and Missouri. The Golden Hurricane actually held their own against Oklahoma in last year’s Norman Regional in back-to-back games, but of course, the Crimson & Cream ultimately prevailed. As for Mizzou, the former Big 12 conference foe turned SEC, the Tigers present their own storyline by being the school Paige Lowary transferred to Oklahoma from.

These Sooners surely aren’t looking ahead, but as fans it’s simply part of what we do. If Oklahoma indeed advances to the Super Regional Round, its opponent would be either No. 13 seed Arkansas, DePaul, Wichita State or Oklahoma State. Personally, I think it would be extra compelling to watch Bedlam in the supers, but am I rooting for the Cowgirls to make it past all those other teams? I plead the fifth.

Now let’s move on to this Monday edition of Hot Links! Sooners earn another commitment on the recruiting trail, a former Oklahoma basketball player earns his degree after 57 years, the Supreme Court rules in favor of nationwide sports betting and more!

OU Links

• Lincoln Riley tweeted out another pair of emoji eyes this morning, and it looks like that commit is now in. Towering junior college offensive tackle David Swaby has decided to join the Sooners as part of the 2018 class.

• As for the 2019 recruiting class, check out some of these targets Oklahoma has its eyes on. Looks like there are both safety and offensive line prospects on the radar — two positions that are points of emphasis in this cycle.
• Sooner Baseball has been money in rubber matches. After defeating Central Florida 7-4 on Sunday, Oklahoma has now won 12 straight rubber games. That kind of clutch ball could mean the difference between advancing and going home in the post-season.

• So what kind of depth are the Sooners dealing with when it comes to the offensive line in 2018? There’s plenty of talent, for sure, but there’s also a decent amount of experience among all that talent.
• This is the first year the Oklahoma men’s golf team is hosting an NCAA Regional since 2012, and it’s even more special when you consider the massive renovations to the Jimmie Austin OU Golf Course.
• Donald Schwall, a former Oklahoma Basketball forward, returned to OU after 57 years to earn his bachelor’s degree. Way to go, Donald! Boomer!
• In case you missed it, Jack wrote about an almost unspeakable travesty that occurred this weekend amid all the celebration for graduation frenzy at the University of Oklahoma. It’s embarrassing, it’s shameful, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, so tread this link lightly. You’ve been warned.

Around the Sports World

• The Supreme Court has ruled to allow states to draft their own regulations on local sports betting. Now, the operation of legal sportsbooks can begin throughout the country, and not just in Las Vegas or the handful of other places across the U.S. This is obviously a monumental moment for many states, including New Jersey, which is expected to see a revenue uptick of up to $9 billion.
• So which college football teams have been the most underrated in the preseason for each of the 68 years of the AP poll’s existence? The final tally is actually an interesting angle to keep in mind going forward.
• The Boston Celtics’ Marcus Morris said he could do a good job of guarding LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals, and he pretty much backed it up after the C’s throttled the Cavs 108-83 on Sunday.
• Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano suffered a broken right hand after being hit by a pitch on Sunday. At this point, it’s unclear just how much time Cano will miss.
• There are three clear signs in this picture that tell me this fan believes Dez Bryant caught that pass against the Green Bay Packers. The first sign is the picture of the play itself on the tailgate, showing Bryant with the ball in his possession. Next is the OSU sheriff’s badge on the trailer hitch, which leads me to believe this person is likely in defense of his former Cowboy. The last sign is perhaps the most obvious, and that’s the license plate, stating that 88 (Bryant’s jersey number) cot (caught) it. I should be a detective or something.

Stick to Sports!

• If you’re a gaming junkie, a tech geek, or you just like to be lazy on your days off, you might be interested in this setup. Oh, you’ll also need about $30,000 if you’re seriously interested. Hey, you can’t take that money with you, am I right?! Still, you ought to check this out, because it could be the future of all things entertainment-based. That being said, does anybody get a Wall-E vibe, though? You know, where in the future people just sit in chairs that do everything for us? That’d be scary.

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!