Oklahoma Sooners
Softball
Senior Savannah Long |
Desert Classic Awaits No. 9 Sooners
Feb. 13, 2008
| No. 9 OU at UNLV Desert Classic | |
| Dates | Friday, Feb. 15 - Sunday, Feb. 17 |
| Friday |
vs. BYU (2 p.m. CT) vs. Cal St. Northridge (7:30 p.m.) |
| Saturday |
vs. South Carolina (11 a.m.) |
| Sunday | vs. Cal Poly (1:15 p.m.) |
| Radio | None |
| Webcast | None |
| Live Stats | SoonerSports.com / GameTracker |
| Game Info | Tournament Central / Game Notes |
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
The No. 9 Oklahoma softball team (4-2) will be on the road again this weekend as it heads to Las Vegas for the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic (Feb. 15-17). The Sooners will open the five-game tournament on Friday with a 2 p.m. (CST) game against BYU followed by a 7:30 p.m. contest against Cal State Northridge. In Saturday's action Oklahoma will play back-to-back games against South Carolina (11 a.m.) and Illinois (1:15 p.m.). The Sooners will round out tournament action on Sunday with a 1:15 meeting against Cal Poly.
SCOUTING BYU
The Cougars of BYU will be the lone team with a perfect record that the Sooners will face this weekend. BYU is receiving votes in the top 25 and owns a 5-0 record after topping Southern Utah, Northern Colorado, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and Loyola Marymount in its tournament last weekend. The Cougar offense is off to an impressive start as the team owns a .370 batting average through five games. Leading the pack is third baseman Angline Quiocho who owns a .600 batting average and brings a lot of power with four homers and six RBI so far this season. Defensively, the pitching staff is holding opponents to a .156 batting average as the three-player staff owns a 1.41 ERA.
SCOUTING CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
The Matadors enter Friday's matchup with a 1-4 record after playing a tough field in the Palm Springs Tournament last weekend. Northridge dropped games to Mississippi State, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 20 Oregon and Winthrop but picked up a 5-2 win against Utah State. Northridge's ace, Mercedes Lovato, owns a 1-3 record but still owns a 1.96 ERA and has struck out 27 batters in 25 innings pitched. After facing tough competition last weekend, the offense owns a .175 batting average but catcher Amanda Peek has opened the season on fire with a .417 batting average.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks are also receiving votes in the top 25 and own a 1-4 record after facing another string of tough competition in the Florida Atlantic Tournament last weekend. USC opened the season with a win over North Florida but dropped games to Florida Atlantic, Massachusetts, No. 12 Michigan and North Florida. However, all were close games as the Gamecocks lost in eight-inning contests to Michigan and North Florida and only lost by two to UMass and one to Florida Atlantic. Through five games the South Carolina offense owns a .205 batting average. The squad owns three extra-base hits, all doubles, and designated player Jill Semento is leading the team with a .333 batting average. Defensively, the staff owns a 1.24 ERA as right-handed pitcher Melissa Hendon has thrown the most with 14 innings played in three appearances. Despite an 0-2 record, Hendon owns a 1.00 ERA and has struck out 15. Fellow right-handers Kate Pouliot (0.78 ERA, 1-1) and Krystle Robinson (1.91 ERA, 0-1) have also seen time in the circle this season.
SCOUTING CAL POLY
Cal Poly will face South Carolina, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin before facing the Sooners in the tournament finale on Sunday. The Mustangs are receiving votes in the top 25 and enter the tournament with a 2-3 record. However, Cal Poly knocked off No. 2 Texas A&M last weekend and topped New Mexico State while losing to No. 20 Oregon, No. 6 Tennessee and dropping a close extra-innings contest to San Diego State. The Cal Poly offense owns a .246 batting average as Jenna Maiden and Stephanie Corriea are leading the way with a .357 clip each. Corriea is the team's RBI leader with five RBI and the only Mustang to hit a home run so far this season. Defensively, the pitching staff owns a 6.47 ERA. Lefty Anna Cahan has thrown the most with 12.1 innings pitched while and a 5.84 ERA while right-hander Robyn Kontra owns the top ERA with a 2.45 ERA and a 1-0 record. Helen Pena (5.40 ERA, 1-1), who go the victory over Texas A&M and Jenna Maiden (0-1, 81.00 ERA) have also seen action in the circle this season.
SOONERS STAY IN TOP 10
Despite dropping two games last weekend, the Oklahoma softball team remained in the top 10 as the Sooners picked up a No. 9 ranking in both polls this week. Oklahoma opened the preseason at No. 5 but remained in the top 10 after closing out last weekend's tournament with a 7-0 victory over current No. 6 UCLA.
OU AND ARIZONA ONLY TWO SCHOOLS TO BE RANKED IN NFCA POLL ITS ENTIRE EXISTENCE
The Sooners have been ranked in the top 25 of every NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 172 weeks long. OU and Arizona are the only programs to be ranked in the NFCA Top-25 every week of its existence.
UP NEXT - PALM SPRINGS CLASSIC
The Sooners will continue their two-week road stand next weekend as they head to Palm Springs, Calif., for the Palm Springs Classic (Feb. 22-24). Oklahoma will face No. 13 Stanford, Pacific, Oregon, San Diego State and No. 21 Georgia in the neutral-site tournament. The Sooners will return home on Feb. 27 for part one of the turnpike series against Tulsa.
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UPDATING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma opened the season in Los Angeles, Calif., with the Freeway Series with games at UCLA and Cal State Fullerton. The Sooners went 3-2 in tournament action. Oklahoma opened the tourney with a 6-1 loss to No. 10 UCLA but bounced back with a 12-1 run rule of UC Santa Barbara on Friday night. The Sooners tallied another win with a 1-0 shutout of Nevada on Saturday, but struggled against No. 21 Cal State Fullerton as the Titans run ruled the Sooners, 10-2. However, OU bounced back on Sunday and shut out UCLA 7-0 to take home a winning record.
Junior D. J. Mathis was the star of the weekend as the lefty earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after throwing two shutouts in the tournament, including holding the 10th-ranked Bruins scoreless on Sunday. Mathis finished the weekend with a 3-0 record and a 0.39 ERA while striking out 21 batters in 18 innings of work.
The Sooners carried their momentum into their home opener on Tuesday against St. Gregory's as OU run ruled the Cavaliers, 10-0. Senior pitcher Lauren Eckermann got back on track as she threw a perfect game and senior Savannah Long hit a walk-off grand slam to end the game in a run-rule.
ECKERMANN THROWS PERFECT GAME
Senior pitcher Lauren Eckermann, last year's Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, got back in the groove against St. Gregory's on Tuesday, Feb. 12. Eckermann threw the first perfect game of her career as she allowed no hits and no walks while striking out four in the five-inning contest. Eckermann picked up her first win of the season in dramatic fashion as became only the sixth OU player since the start of Big 12 play to throw a perfect game and the first pitcher to do it since Jennifer Stewart tossed a perfect game against Texas-Arlington on Feb. 8, 2002. The perfect game also marked the fourth no-hitter of Eckermann's career at OU as she tossed three no-no's during the 2007 season.
SOONERS SWEEP BIG 12 WEEKLY HONORS
Oklahoma swept the first slate of weekly Big 12 softball awards as Amber Flores was named the Player of the Week and D.J. Mathis received the Pitcher of the Week honor for play during the week of Feb. 5-11. It marked the first career weekly accolade for both Sooners. It also marked the sixth time in the history of the conference that Oklahoma collected both honors in the same week.
Mathis compiled a perfect 3-0 tally on the weekend as she recorded two shutouts, including one at No. 10 UCLA. The junior lefty allowed one earned run in 18 innings of work and produced a 0.39 ERA overall. Mathis struck out 21 batters and allowed just eight hits while holding opposing batters to a .129 batting average. The East Alton, Ill., native threw a complete seven-inning game and gave up just three hits and a walk in the Sooners' first-ever win at UCLA's Easton Stadium.
Flores led the Sooners to a 3-2 record over the weekend, including a 7-0 win over No. 10 UCLA. The left fielder led the team offensively with a .500 batting average and tallied seven RBI after hitting two home runs, including a grand slam, and a double at the Cal State Fullerton/UCLA Freeway Series. Flores compiled 13 total bases and owned a 1.083 slugging percentage through five games. Against the Bruins, the junior went 2-for-3 with an RBI while scoring two runs. She was one of three Sooners to record a double against All-America pitcher, Anjelica Selden.
LONG BALL
Senior Savannah Long is off to a hot start for her final season as she owns a .500 batting average through six games this season. In addition, the shortstop has been one of the team's top power hitters as she owns a 1.000 slugging percentage and has five doubles in 16 at-bats and also pounded a grand slam for her first homer of the season.
HOT TROTT
The Sooners will have to rely on a variety of their freshmen this season as five of the rookies saw action last weekend in the UCLA/CSFU Tournament. However, nobody is making a bigger impact than 5-11 lefty Wendy Trott. The designated player was brought in to bring more power to the Sooner lineup this season and she has not disappointed. Trott owns a .438 batting average in 16 at-bats this season. She is third on the team with five RBI and has also recorded two doubles this season for a .563 slugging percentage.
MATHIS OPENS SEASON ON FIRE
Junior lefty pitcher D.J. Mathis was OU's most heavily relied upon pitcher as a freshman in 2006, but struggled at times during the 2007 season with a nagging shoulder injury. Lauren Eckermann took the ace pitching role last season and earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors, but Mathis has returned to form in 2008. The junior earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after recording a perfect 3-0 record and 0.39 ERA with two shutouts in the opening weekend of play. Below is a comparison of Mathis's first three appearances of the season as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| 5.83 ERA | 3.89 ERA | 0.39 ERA |
| 0 Shutouts | 0 Shutouts | 2 Shutouts |
| .480 Opp. Avg. | .306 Opp. Avg. | .129 Opp. Avg. |
"LITTLE MANNY"
Head coach Patty Gasso often refers to sophomore left fielder Amber Flores as "little Manny Ramirez." The 5-4 sophomore put up strong numbers as a freshman and is producing Ramirez-esque numbers at the start of the 2008 season. Through six games this season, Flores is leading the team with a .533 batting average (8-for-15) as well as a 1.067 slugging percentage (two homers, two doubles) while also leading the team with eight RBI this season. Flores also owns a team-high .667 on-base percentage with five walks and one hit by pitch this season.
RICKETTS, ECKERMANN NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR LIST
Senior pitcher Lauren Eckermann and junior first baseman Samantha Ricketts have been named to the initial watch list for the seventh annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Ricketts was named one of three finalists for the award last year.
Ricketts led the nation in RBI (81) last season and became OU's first player to be named one of three finalists for the National Player of the Year award. As a sophomore last season Ricketts earned second team All-America honors and set a Big 12 and OU record for RBI in a single season.
Eckermann returns for her senior season in 2008 after being named the Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year last season. The right-handed pitcher earned third team All-America honors last season after recording a 37-5 record and leading the Sooners to a Big 12 Postseason Championship and Super Regional.
RICKETTS A PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Junior Samantha Ricketts was named to the second-team ESPN.com Preseason All-America team in a list released by the web site prior to the start of the season. Ricketts was one of four Big 12 players selected to the list.
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7/10/09 - - Softball 2009 Regular Season Highlights
- Coach Gasso Reviews '09 Softball Season
- SB All-American Amber Flores | Ricketts
- Sooner Profile: Flores is Having a Blast
- OU Softball Fun for Everyone Involved
- Coach Gasso on Sooner Sports Weekly
- New Facility Has Made All the Difference
- Softball Players on Impact of New Facility
- Sam Ricketts: From Unknown to Superstar
- Flores Sits Down with Samantha Bachman
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