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Feb. 4, 2009

A LOOK AT THE 2009 SOONERS
Oklahoma returns seven starters from last season’s 47-14 squad that finished 16-2 in the Big 12. The team took second in conference play and went on to advance to an NCAA Super Regional. The Sooners return three All-Americans in seniors Samantha Ricketts and D.J. Mathis and junior Amber Flores. The trio, along with junior catcher Lindsey Vandever, also earned first team All-Midwest Region honors and All-Big 12 first team accolades a year ago. Oklahoma welcomes six newcomers.

SOONERS/RAINBOW WAHINE SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Series tied 1-1
In Honolulu: Never Met
In Norman: Never Met
At Neutral Sites: Series tied 1-1
Oklahoma’s Series Streak: Won 1
First Meeting: March 25, 1993 (L 3-4 in San Jose, Calif.)
Last Meeting: March 27, 1994 (W 4-2 in Sacramento, Calif.)

SCOUTING HAWAI’I
The Rainbow Wahine return 15 letterwinners, including four position starters, two pitchers and welcome seven newcomers. Hawai’i was chosen to third in the preseason Western Athletic Conference coaches’ poll. Preseason WAC Player of the Year Clare Warwick is the top returner for the Rainbow Wahine after hitting .320 last season.  Hawai’i placed three players on the preseason all-conference team. In addition to Warwick, Audrey Andrade and Amanda Tauali’i were also selected.

SOONERS/BLAZERS SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Series tied 1-1
In Birmingham: Never Met
In Norman: Series tied 1-1
At Neutral Sites: Never Met
Oklahoma’s Series Streak: Lost 1
First Meeting: February 14, 2003 (W 7-0 in Norman, Okla.)
Last Meeting: February 14, 2003 (L 5-6 in Norman, Okla.)

SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers return six starters and a total of nine letterwinners and introduce eight newcomers.  UAB’s lone returning pitcher Kayla Harris will have her season debut delayed due to offseason shoulder surgery.  The Blazers will rely on a duo of freshmen and a junior college transfer to carry the team until her return.  UAB will have a newcomer behind the plate in freshman Mandy Lowman and the infield could feature a mix of veterans and newcomers.  The outfield could see a variety of players in different positions.

SOONERS/TIGERS SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: LSU leads 6-4
In Baton Rouge: Series tied 1-1
In Norman: LSU leads 3-1
At Neutral Sites: Series tied 2-2
Oklahoma’s Series Streak: Lost 2
First Meeting: March 21, 1980 (W 5-1 in Norman, Okla.)
Last Meeting: March 5, 2006 (L 5-6 (8) in Norman, Okla.)

SCOUTING LSU
The Tigers return eight letterwinners, three position starters and three pitchers. LSU has a total of 10 newcomers on the roster.  In the preseason Southeastern Conference coaches’ poll, the Tigers were selected second in the Western Conference. Outfielder Rachel Mitchell earned a spot on the preseason All-SEC team. Mitchell hit .374 and recorded 51 RBI in 2008. Dani Hofer posted a 1.18 ERA with a 19-8 record in 2008, while Cody Trahan had an 18-6 record with a 2.24 ERA.

OKLAHOMA RANKED TENTH, SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLLS
The Sooners are ranked 10th in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason poll and sixth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason poll. Oklahoma’s schedule features 11 teams ranked in the NFCA poll , 12 ranked in the USA Softball and seven receving votes in both polls.

FIRST TIME OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES
Oklahoma is making its first trip to Hawai’i. The Sooners have never competed outside the continental United States. OU has met the Rainbow Wahine on two occasions - both in California.

MATHIS, RICKETTS NAMED TO POY WATCH LIST
Oklahoma seniors D.J. Mathis and Samantha Ricketts have been named to the 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Both are All-Americans and Ricketts was a top three finalist in 2007.

RICKETTS NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN
Senior Samantha Ricketts was elected team captain for the 2009 season. The team selected the captain based on characteristics such as work ethic, positive attitude and consistency both on and off the field.

SOONERS UNANIMOUS SELECTION TO WIN BIG 12 TITLE
The Sooners received nine of 10 first-place votes and tallied 81 points to receive top billing in the 2009 Big 12 coaches’ preseason poll. The selection the first time the Sooners were chosen a unanimous selection to win the league title since 2000, when OU won its first National Championship.

OKLAHOMA IN SEASON OPENERS
Oklahoma is 26-11 all-time in season openers and 12-2 in the Patty Gasso era.  The Sooners opened the past three seasons against a top 25 opponent.

SOONERS RETURN 10 LETTERWINNERS
Oklahoma returns 10 letterwinners from last season’s 47-14, NCAA Super Regional team. The Sooners have six position players returning and pitcher D.J. Mathis. Three All-Americans in Mathis, Samantha Ricketts and Amber Flores return along with four All-Midwest Region selections in Mathis, Ricketts, Flores and Lindsey Vandever.

MATHIS, VANDEVER LEAD BATTERY
Oklahoma returns a powerful battery combination in Mathis and catcher Vandever. Mathis, a second team All-America selection a year ago, won 31 games as a junior and will be the Sooners’ top hurler during the 2009 campaign. Vandever earned second team All-Region honors in 2008 and set an Oklahoma single season record for fi elding percentage by a catcher (.982). In addition to Vandever’s stellar defensive play, OU will again rely on her power in the lineup. Vandever hit .315 a year ago, bringing in 40 runs and recording 52 hits. Mathis posted a 1.18 earned run average, one of the nation’s lowest in 2008. She held opponent hitters to a .158 average and tallied 263 strikeouts.

FLORES, RICKETTS BRING BIG BATS FOR 2009
Already two of the most prolific hitters in Oklahoma history, Flores and Ricketts return for their junior and senior seasons, respectively. Each has already earned All-America honors with Ricketts getting the nod
Flores in 2008. The two combined for 97 of Oklahoma’s RBI and 123 hits in 2008. Flores led the team with a .381 batting average last season, while Ricketts was third with a .352 clip. With the loss of All-American shortstop Savannah Long, the Sooners face the challenge of fi lling the spot of the 2008 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The person Gasso chose to occupy the slot is a player familiar with filling her role anywhere on the fi eld. For the third consecutive year, Flores begins the season in a new position. Flores spent most of her time as a freshman in left field and ended her sophomore season as at second. Traci Dickenson will replace Flores at second.

YOUNG OUTFIELD NEEDS TO STEP UP BIG IN 2009
One thing that is certain about Oklahoma’s 2009 outfield – they will be young. After losing All-American Susan Ogden, who also spent time behind the plate, the Sooners could have two possible outfi eld combinations when the season starts – a trio of sophomores or a duo of sophomores and freshman catcher-turned-utility player Katie Norris. The 1-2 punch provided by Krystle Huey and Chana’e Jones projects these two to start in center and left, respectively. They will also be key the Oklahoma batting lineup. The position in right fi eld could be filled by one of four players , either Haley Anderson, Jeannie Douglas, Wendy Trott or Norris.

RICKETTS NEARING CAREER MARKS
Samantha Ricketts is seven home runs and eight RBI shy of the career marks in both categories. Ricketts already holds the OU single season record for RBI in a season with 81 in 2007.