As OU’s Ella Parker rounded the bases after her walk-off home run against Tennessee, a subtle but powerful gesture followed. Players held up four fingers. It’s become a viral image, and many fans are asking: why four?

A Viral Gesture With Deeper Meaning

The answer, says OU softball team chaplain Sarah Roberts, is rooted in Scripture — and in faith over fear.

“This is my 20th season to be with them,” Roberts said. “And so, yeah, we keep on playing on.”

The Story Behind the “Fourth Man”

Roberts said the team’s symbolic “four” originates from the Old Testament story in Daniel, chapter 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol and were thrown into a fiery furnace.

“They said, ‘We believe our God can rescue us from this fire. But even if He

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