Tripp MacKay has completed eight seasons as an assistant on the Oklahoma softball staff where he is responsible for working with OU's outfielders and the Sooner offense. The Sooners have reached the postseason in all eight of MacKay’s years on staff, including winning the 2013 National Championship. Along the way, the team has captured five Big 12 regular season titles (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) and two conference tournament championships (2007 and 2010). Following the Sooners’ national title in 2013, MacKay and the OU coaches were named the NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year. He has also been a part of the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. In 2015 the Sooners' offense led the country in on-base percentage (.473), scoring (8.4 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.657) and finished second in the nation in batting average and home runs per game. OU led the Big 12 in nearly every major offensive category. Oklahoma also set Big 12 and OU single-season records in batting average, slugging, OBP, runs scored, and home runs during the year. On April 30, Lauren Chamberlain hit a grand slam at North Texas for the 91st home run of her career to break the all-time mark of 90 held by former UCLA player Stacey Nuveman. Chamberlain went on to hit four more home runs during the season to finish her remarkable career with 95. In addition, she set the NCAA all-time slugging percentage record with a .960 career mark. For the second year in a row the Sooners led the Big 12 in home runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 2014. The team averaged 7.03 runs per game to rank third in the country, while OU's rate of 1.41 homers per game sat fourth in the country, its .432 OBP was good for fifth and the .546 slugging mark put them sixth. Juniors Shelby Pendley (first team) and Lauren Chamberlain (third team) were both named All-Americans in 2014, while MacKay helped coach seven All-Region honorees and five all-conference selections. The 2013 squad boasted one of the best offenses the nation has ever seen. The Sooners led the country in runs scored per game (7.8) and slugging percentage (.582), while also ranking in the top 10 of batting average (.333), home runs per game (1.54), and doubles per game (1.57). The team also set the NCAA single-season record for walks drawn with 348, shattering the old mark of 301. In addition, OU established Big 12 records for runs scored (476), runs batted in (444), slugging percentage (.582) and on-base percentage (.461). Individually, Keilani Ricketts was named the USA Softball Player of the Year for the second year in a row and took home first-team All-America honors with Lauren Chamberlain, while Shelby Pendley and Brianna Turang garnered second-team accolades. Ricketts, Chamberlain and Turang each took home first-team All-Region honors, while Pendley and Destinee Martinez were placed on the second team. Within the Big 12, Pendley was recognized as the Big 12 Player of the Year in her first season as a Sooner, while she was joined by Chamberlain, Martinez, Ricketts and Turang as All-Big 12 first-team honorees. Georgia Casey made the second team. The individual accomplishments earned by the Sooners were many. Chamberlain continued her assault on the record books as she led the country in home runs, home runs per game, runs per game, total bases, and slugging percentage, while finishing second in on-base percentage and RBI/game. With her 30 home runs, she became just the second player in NCAA history to have multiple seasons with at least 30 home runs. Chamberlain set Big 12 records for runs scored in a season (87), RBI (84), total bases (187), slugging percentage (1.113), on-base percentage (.613) and tied her own home run record (30). She also established new OU single-season marks in batting average (.458), extra-base hits (48) and walks drawn (63). The 2013 season also saw Jessica Shults finish her OU career as the Big 12’s all-time home runs leader with 61 and extra-base hits leader with 101. Ricketts set the school record for career walks drawn at 170. His fifth season saw the team return to the Women’s College World Series for the seventh time in program history. As a team, OU established new conference and school bests for slugging percentage and home runs in 2012. Shults and Chamberlain were each named first-team All-Americans and All-Big 12 First Team honorees. Chamberlain was also named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year as she smashed the school and conference record for home runs in a season and broke the school record for season slugging percentage. In addition, Martinez was tabbed to the 2012 All-Big 12 Second Team, while five players were named Big 12 Player of the Week during the year. |
The 2011 squad reached to the Women's College World Series as OU put together 29 runs in its five postseason victories. Jessica Shults ranked eighth nationally in home runs per game en route to a second team All-America honor. The Sooners finished the year ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring, home runs per game and slugging percentage. The 2010 season saw OU finish the year 47-12 overall and 13-3 in Big 12 play. OU won the final Big 12 Championship and finished second in the regular season. Amber Flores, Shults and Ricketts were named NFCA second team All-America. Flores finished her career as the Big 12 career leader in home runs and sat atop OU career categories in home runs, extra-base hits, walks drawn, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The 2009 team wrapped up the year 41-16 overall and 14-4 in Big 12 play. The Sooners won their fourth Big 12 regular season title and hosted an NCAA Regional for the second consecutive year. Flores was named Big 12 Player of the Year and a first team All-American and senior Samantha Ricketts was named to the second team. Flores, Ricketts and junior Lindsey Vandever were named to the first team All-Central Region by the organization. Flores was also a top 10 finalist for USA Softball's Collegiate Player of the Year. The second baseman moved on to the professional ranks after being drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1996 draft. MacKay played for the Vermont Expos and the Cape Fear Crocs in the Montreal Expos organization from 1996-97 and finished his professional play in the Northern League with the Winnipeg Goldeyes (1998-99) and Sioux City Explorers (1999-00). |

By Athletics Communications
University of Oklahoma
MAY 20, 2013