OU Softball Releases 2001 Schedule

Oct. 12, 2000

2001 Schedule!

NORMAN, Okla. - The 2001 Oklahoma softball team's NCAA national championship defense will feature five tournaments, a three-game series against 2000 Women's College World Series participant Arizona and 21 games at the OU Softball Complex.

The Sooners' home slate features Big 12 games against Texas A&M, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas and Baylor. They will also host non-conference meetings with Oklahoma City (Feb. 27) and Tulsa (May 3).

OU will open 2001 on the road at the Texas-Arlington tournament, before hosting its first of two tournaments. The OU adidas Classic will run Feb. 16-18, while the OU Worth Invitational will be held Mar. 9-11. The Sooners will also host 11 regular-season home games.

After playing a doubleheader at Arkansas on Feb. 20, the Sooners will head for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Lead-Off Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Sooners' pool competition includes top 25 teams Oregon State and South Carolina, as well as San Diego State.

The Kia Klassic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton on Mar. 15-18, will be the final regular-season tournament. The Sooners will face Fresno State and Notre Dame, who ended 2000 ranked 10th and 24th, respectively. Utah State is also in their pool.

Ten of OU's opponents were ranked or received votes in the final 2000 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, including No. 3 Arizona, No. 10 Fresno State, No. 12 Oregon State, No. 14 Nebraska, No. 19 Cal State Fullerton, Louisiana-Lafayette and South Carolina, who tied for No. 22. Texas A&M, North Carolina and Texas all received votes.

Thirteen opponents advanced to the NCAA tournament and they could potentially face another 15 NCAA teams in tournament action.

"This schedule is going to give us an opportunity to play elite programs and how we are going to handle it," said OU head coach Patty Gasso. "We've never been in a position at this level of having everyone in the country after us. We're going to have to deal with the pressures of playing exceptional just about every time we go on the field, especially when you're playing somebody that can beat you if you're having a mediocre day."

Oklahoma will go for an unprecedented third-consecutive Big 12 title and fourth in six years. All eight position players and one pitcher returns from a squad that went 66-8, won the Big 12 regular-season and NCAA national championship. The Sooners also return first-team All-Americans Lisa Carey and Ashli Barrett and third teamers Erin Evans and Jennifer Stewart.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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