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OKLAHOMA CITY — Jocelyn Alo’s path from her very first times hitting a softball in a park in Hauula, Hawaii, to softball’s largest phase has been almost nothing brief of a storybook tale.
“If another person was to write this story of hers, no person would consider it would take place really,” Alo’s father, Levi Alo, explained. “That’s how mad it is. It would be like some unbelievable fiction that somebody wrote.”
It’s true, although.
From that community park along the northeast shorelines of Oahu to the close to-day by day 45-moment drives to the nearest batting cages to participating in vacation ball in Southern California to a file-shattering occupation at Oklahoma that will appear to a shut more than the following two months at the Women’s University Entire world Collection, Alo’s journey has had loads of twists and turns.
Alo and the major-seeded Sooners opened the 2022 WCWS Thursday with a get over Northwestern and enjoy Large 12 rival Texas on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in a winner’s bracket video game at United states Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma Town.
“It’s absolutely bittersweet,” Alo reported Wednesday, a day the WCWS began. “I can’t even feel that it’s my very last a person due to the fact … there is no next 12 months.
“I’m just enthusiastic and just ready to leave it all out on the field.”
Jocelyn Alo’s household away from household
For Alo, the NCAA’s all-time profession property operate chief and two-time countrywide collegiate player of the calendar year, Oklahoma has turn out to be a next household.
And United states Softball Corridor of Fame Stadium has become a next household to the Sooners, who are in the function for a plan-file sixth consecutive time.
Alo remembers the butterflies she felt as the 2018 WCWS, her first, commenced.
“I was like, ‘Woah,’” Alo reported. “My eyes have been huge open up.
“I’ve surely acquired around the decades how to take care of those people emotions and how to cope with this ecosystem. I have acquired a good deal from people like (previous Sooners) Shay Knighten, Syd Romero, Caleigh Clifton and that team of seniors on how to stay composed.”
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Anywhere softball took Jocelyn, Levi was heading to be correct there.
“My bestie,” Jocelyn mentioned before this period of her father. “He’s been with me since Working day Just one, and he considered in me right before I even considered in myself.”
Day A single came at that park in Hauula, where by Jocelyn initial started to establish the swing that has built her the most feared hitter in faculty softball.
“When she was youthful, she could just strike the ball really hard,” Levi explained. “Every group that she’s performed on, whether it be baseball or softball, like she could just straight out mash the ball. From when she was 7 many years outdated, she was just mashing balls and I was like, ‘Man, this could be quite excellent.’ I even now didn’t feel as major as I do now but I definitely imagined she was likely to go to college for free of charge.”
Developing up in Hawaii
When Alo was 7 or 8, her family moved down Oahu’s eastern shore to Kaneohe.
Originally, the setup was ideal.
There was a batting cage considerably less than 50 percent a mile from the Alos’ residence.
“We’d be there each evening,” Levi explained, expressing he’d invest in at least $10 worthy of of tokens just about every time they’d go to the cage.
About two several years immediately after the move to Kaneohe, nevertheless, the batting cage closed down.
“I assume I was their only buyer,” Levi said. “So we held them about for a pair a long time.”
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Now, the nearest batting cage was in Ewa Seaside, straight west of Honolulu on the island’s southern shore, about 45 minutes absent.
The drives to the batting cage helped enhance their romance.
The work they put in when they got there aided increase Jocelyn’s softball arc.
“The total of reps that went into it, it’s absurd,” Levi claimed. “Then, her arms are blessed by God. Even if you did that numerous reps, your palms have to be blessed by God also. It’s crazy.”
It was at the home in Kaneohe, exactly where the family members however lives, when Jocelyn began dreaming about remaining the residence operate queen, many thanks to the seed Levi planted.
“I keep in mind distinctly, any time I was like probably 10 or so, I imagine we’re seeing Arizona play and anyone experienced a house run and he was like, ‘You can be the household run champ one particular day,” Alo reported. “That’s my man.”
Passing Lauren Chamberlain
For Levi, the most unbelievable instant of Jocelyn’s journey arrived March 11, when Jocelyn hit job house operate No. 96 — in Hawaii — to break a tie with former Oklahoma star Lauren Chamberlain to set the NCAA occupation household operates history.
“You could not have planned it any greater,” Levi said.
Levi realized vacation would be a little bit of an challenge when Jocelyn fully commited to the Sooners.
“I really don’t dislike traveling,” Levi said. “I just loathe traveling mentor. I’m a large dude, so it is not effortless.”
Wednesday, on the eve of his daughter’s ultimate WCWS, Levi was on the street once once more.
This time, he was generating the travel from Oklahoma to Austin, Texas, to choose up his spouse and other children, who had been flying from Honolulu.
Levi has used most of the final two months subsequent his daughter’s last journey with the Sooners, earning just a quick return to Hawaii.
Andrea Alo, Jocelyn’s mom, came for the Significant 12 sequence with Texas and then flew again property, returned for the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma Point out Bedlam collection as aspect of Jocelyn’s senior weekend, then returned to Hawaii before making the vacation back in time for the WCWS.
“It’s just been crazy, but I’m lucky my wife is aware of what she’s executing when it will come to preparing and stuff,” Levi said.
Just as Jocelyn has produced it a place to soak in each individual moment alongside her final journey with the Sooners, so has Levi.
Immediately after Oklahoma’s earn more than Central Florida very last Saturday to clinch nonetheless a further WCWS berth, Levi sat out in the parking good deal of Marita Hynes Industry for quite a few several hours.
When the Sooners had their final apply at the stadium this 7 days, he was there as properly.
“Just having fun with it,” Levi explained.
Levi’s unique glimpse
With an oversized T-shirt with his daughter’s image on the entrance, Levi Alo figures to be challenging to skip in the course of the Sooners’ WCWS game titles.
Jocelyn, who came into the WCWS hitting .497 with 29 home runs and 72 RBI this season, is really hard to pass up simply because of her perform.
Jocelyn, Levi and the relaxation of the Alo relatives program on creating the most of this ultimate journey with Oklahoma.
“I know it’s a seriously long trip,” Jocelyn reported. “But thankful that they are ready to make it and just to share these encounters with me.”
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