Completed Event: Softball at #12/14 Texas A&M on May 1, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 8
Final
Softball
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at #12/14 Texas A&M
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooners Set For First-Ever Women's College World Series Appearance
May 23, 2000 | Softball
May 23, 2000
UP NEXT:
Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Thursday, May 25 through Monday, May 29
First-round games, Thursday, May 25
(1) Washington vs. (8) DePaul at noon
(4) UCLA vs Alabama at 2:30 p.m.
(3) Oklahoma vs. (6) California at 6 p.m.
(2) Arizona vs. Southern Mississippi at 8:30 p.m.
OU Radio: All OU games will be broadcast on KREF 1400 AM (Norman) and KOKC 1490 AM (Guthrie).
Sooners Making First WCWS Appearance
The University of Oklahoma will be making its first-ever apperance in the NCAA Women's College World Series this weekend after winning its own regional in Norman, Okla. OU enters the series as the No. 3 seed with a record of 62-8. In the final regular season NFCA/USA Today poll the Sooners were ranked fourth, behind fellow World Series teams Washington, Arizona and UCLA.
OU picked up four straight victories on its way to the regional title. The Sooners opened play with an 11-0 victory over sixth-seeded Harvard and then eliminated No. 5 seed Cal State Northridge, 2-1, on the second day of play. On the third day, Oklahoma faced No. 2 seed Oregon State, and came away with a 5-3 win to move into the finals. The Beavers battled back by posting a 4-0 shutout against fifth-seeded Northwestern and to earn a rematch with the Sooners.
OSU would have to beat Oklahoma twice to claim the regional title, but one game was all OU needed as the Sooners notched a 3-2 win. The Beavers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Michelle Notaro drove in Jenny Jodoin who had reached on a fielder's choice. Then, Brooke Rutschman, who had doubled to reach base, came home on a Cara Maxey single to left field for run number two.
But the Sooners had an answer. Freshman Leah Gulla doubled to right center field to lead off the inning and then junior second baseman LaKisha Washington became the unlikley hero. OU's nine-hole hitter just cleared the fence down the left field line to tie the game. The long ball was Washington's third of the season and fifth of her career. Christy Ring laid down a perfect bunt and then moved to second base as Erin Evans grounded out. Junior Andrea Davis finished the Sooner rally with a single to center field, scoring Ring for the 3-2 lead.
Senior pitcher Lana Moran shut the Beavers out during the final five innings, improving her record to 26-2.
About California
The Golden Bears (49-23) enter the World Series via a regional title as the No. 3 seed in Fresno,Calif. Cal was ranked No. 10 in the final regular season NFCA/USA Today Top 25 poll and posted a 4-1 record in the regional tournament. The team split games with top-seeded host Fresno State, winning 2-0 in the finals. The Bears are making the trip toOklahoma City for the second consecutive year after advancing to the semi-finals last season. Thursday will not be the first time the two teams have met in world series action. California beat OU, 4-1, in the 1981 AIAW tournament. OU was the victor the last time to the two schools met in 1998 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, 1-0. Cal owns the edge in all-time series, 7-2.
OU vs. The World Series Field
The Sooners are 2-2 in games against World Series teams in 2000. On Feb. 13, OU trounced Southern Mississippi, 10-1, avenging a loss in the 1999 NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge, La. Oklahoma fell, 6-0, to Arizona at Hilldenbrand Stadium on Feb. 20 in the Wildcat Classic. Southern Mississippi edged OU, 5-4, in the OU Worth Invitational on March 12. OU defeated DePaul, 5-4, on March 16 in action at the KIA Klassic in Fullerton, Calif.
Sooners Highlight Big 12 Conference Honors
Oklahoma landed six players on the All-Big 12 first team in 2000, including the coach, player and newcomer of the year. Head Coach Patty Gasso earned her third Big 12 Coach of the Year award. Junior first baseman Lisa Carey was named Big 12 Player of the Year. She was the second consecutive OU player to win the honor, as Lynette Velazquez received the award in 1999. Junior rightfielder Andrea Davis was selected the conference newcomer of the year. Pitchers Jennifer Stewart and Lana Moran joined Carey on the first team. Outfielders Christy Ring and Erin Evans also earned first-team honors, as well as catcher Ashli Barrett. Each school was allowed to nominate a maximum of six players for the team. Coaches could not vote for their own players listed on the ballot.
2000 Team Shatters Season Home Run Record
Way back on April 2, with a shot over the right field fence, junior Andrea Davis recorded OU's 44th home run of the season, breaking the old team season record of 43 set by the 1997 squad. The Sooners have upped their long ball record to a hefty 81 through 70 games, nearly doubling the old team mark.
Six Straight and Counting
Head Coach Patty Gasso has led Oklahoma into NCAA regional competition in each of her six seasons at OU. The Sooners were sent to Stillwater, Okla., in 1995 as a No. 4 seed. In 1996, Oklahoma earned a No. 1 seed in the regional in Iowa City, Iowa. In 1997, the Sooners hosted a regional at Reaves Park in Norman as a No. 2 seed. OU traveled to Amherst, Mass., in 1998 as a No. 1 seed. Last season, the Sooners were a No. 2 seed and played in Baton Rouge, La.
Barrett Breaks Home Run Record
Junior Ashli Barrett broke the OU career home run record on March 17 against UNLV in the KIA Klassic tournament in Fullerton, Calif. The long ball was her 13th of the season and the 28th of her career. Barrett is more than three-fourths of the way to the single-season home run record of 20, which was set last year by first-team All-American Lynette Velazquez. The Sooners' catcher, who ranks second in the Big 12 in home runs with 16 behind teammate Lisa Carey's 18, has more than a season left to extend the OU career mark.
Attendance Record
On April 19, 1,320 fans jammed the OU Softball Complex to watch the Sooners finish a regular season sweep of Oklahoma State, 10-5. The crowd set an OU home attendance record. The old mark of 1,173 was set last season when OSU came to town.
Rounding the Bases
Amazingly, five of the top seven run scorers in the Big 12 Conference are Oklahoma Sooners. Here's a look at the numbers:
| Player (school) | G | R | R/G | |
| 1) Christy Ring (OU) | 70 | 65 | .93 | |
| 2) Lisa Carey (OU) | 70 | 64 | .91 | |
| 3) Kelli Braitsch (OU) | 70 | 47 | .67 | |
| 4) Kim Ogee (NU) | 72 | 46 | .64 | |
| 5) Jennifer Lizama (NU) | 64 | 46 | .72 | |
| 6) LaKisha Washington (OU) | 70 | 42 | .60 | |
| 7) Ashli Barrett (OU) | 68 | 41 | .60 |
Mercy Me!
Twenty of OU's 62 wins this season have been shortened to less than seven innings due to the mercy rule (an eight-run lead after five innings). Three of those run-rule victories have come over teams ranked in the top 25 at the time. On Feb. 13 in the Texas Arlington Invitational, OU beat No. 5 Southern Mississippi, 10-1. On March 4, the Sooners drilled No. 9 Stanford, 8-0, at the NFCA Lead Off Classic and trounced No. 12 Oregon State, 9-0, on March 16 at the KIA Klassic in Fullerton, Calif. OU's most recent lashings were against Texas, 11-0, in the Big 12 Tournament and in the opening round of regional play against Harvard, also 11-0. The Sooners' win over the Crimson was the most lopsided of any game across the country on the first day of the NCAA tournament.
Gasso the Great
In OU's opening game of the season, a 5-0 defeat of Kentucky, Coach Gasso landed her 400th win in 10 seasons as a head coach. Now wrapping up her sixth season at OU, she owns a 299-101 record (.747) as a Sooner. Gasso is listed at No. 9 on the active Division I coaches list for highest winning percentage. She owns a 461-169-1 career record (.744)
OU Making Its First Appearance at WCWS
Oklahoma is making its first-ever trip to the NCAA Women's College World Series. The Sooners have played in three AIAW Tournaments in 1980, 1981 and 1982, but had never advanced to the WCWS in Oklahoma City, which began in 1982.
Making the Switch
Junior Lisa Carey earned third-team All-America honors last season from her shortstop position. Carey underwent shoulder surgery in October and is not throwing quite at 100 percent. For the first half of the season she was in the offensive starting line-up as OU's designated player. Now Carey has made the switch to first base for the Sooners. The Topeka, Kan., native saw her first action at shortstop this season versus Texas Tech on April 16. Carey has continued to play a few innings at shortstop when the Sooners have the game well in hand.
Preseason Picks
The Sooners were the Big 12 coaches' pick to win the league after receiving every possible first-place vote in the preseason conference poll. OU also appeared at No. 8 in the Preseason NFCA/USA Today Poll.
Tournament Champions
Oklahoma has won three tournament championships this season. The Sooners opened the year by seizing the Texas-Arlington Isuzu Motors Invitational on Feb. 13. The team posted a 7-0 record. On Feb. 27, OU won its own adidas Classic by winning six straight games at the OU Softball Complex. The team added its third tourney title, going 4-0 in the NCAA Regional.
Fabulous Freshmen
The freshman portion of the Sooners' 1999 recruiting class has wasted no time making its mark this season. Kelli Braitsch is starting at shortstop and hitting .324 with seven home runs on the year. Leah Gulla began the year at shortstop, before making the move to third base. Gulla owns a .271 batting average and has hit 12 doubles and four homers this season. Jennifer Stump has started 16 games at first base and is hitting .282 on the season with four homers. Freshman centerfielder Erin Evans, who redshirted last year, owns a .379 batting average and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this season.
The Need for Speed
The Sooners have proven to be exceptionally fast in 2000 with several legitimate threats on the base paths. Leftfielder Christy Ring leads the conference with 29 stolen bases in 37 attempts. Centerfielder Erin Evans is second on the team with 23, while second baseman LaKisha Washington has 20. Freshman shortstop Kelli Braistch has swiped 11 bases. All but four of the 15 players on OU's roster have at least two stolen bases on the season. The team has broken the single-season record for stolen bases with 102 this year. The old mark of 98 was set in 1997.
2000 Season Big 12 Pitcher and Player of the Week Honors
An Oklahoma player was recognized as pitcher or player of the week six times this season, more than any other Big 12 school. In week one, sophomore Jennifer Stewart was named pitcher of the week for her 6-0 performance at the Texas-Arlington Invitational. Junior Mandy Fulton garnered the player-of-the-week award in the second week. Fulton hit three homers, knocked in 12 runs and notched a stellar .571 batting average in the Wildcat Softball Classic in Tucson, Ariz. In week number three, junior catcher Ashli Barrett was named the Big 12 Player of the Week. Barrett hit a home run and four doubles on her way to a .444 batting average in seven games for the Sooners. On April 4, Stewart earned her second pitcher-of-the-week honor from the league. She added two shutout wins to her record while holding opponents to a .095 batting average. On April 11, centerfielder Erin Evans became the third Sooner to be honored as Big 12 Player of the Week. The redshirt freshman was 7-for-9 at the plate for a .778 batting average and scored three runs for the Sooners in three games. In the final week of the regular season, junior Lisa Carey tabbed player-of-the-week honors. The first baseman hit .455 in four games and tied school records for homers (2) and RBIs (7) in a game against Kansas on April 30.
Moran On A Roll
Senior pitcher Lana Moran owns the highest winning percentage of any pitcher in the Big 12 Conference at .929 (26-2). After earning All-America honors as a sophomore, Moran suffered a torn
anterior cruciate ligament the following summer. She posted a 10-8 record last season during her recovery, but is having an outstanding senior season. Moran excels on the field as well as in the classroom. The sociology major and former Academic All-American recently received the Athletic Council Achievement Award, which is given to an oustanding senior who has overcome difficult circumstances to achieve success in athletics at the University of Oklahoma.
Strength in the Circle
Although OU has been carried by its offense much of the time this season, the team is getting plenty of help from its pitching staff. Left-handers Jennifer Stewart (30-6) and Lana Moran (26-2) are the top two pitchers in the Big 12 in terms of wins. Moran also boasts he best ERA in the conference (1.27), while Stewart ranks third (1.41). Moran is holding opponents to just a .190 batting average. Stewart is limiting batters to a .213 average and she ranks first in shutouts (12) among Big 12 pitchers.
Washington Sets Career Stolen Base Record
Second baseman LaKisha Washington is now OU's career stolen base leader. The speedy junior has stolen 65 bases in almost three seasons. She swiped 28 as a freshman, 17 as a sophomore and has totaled 20 in 2000. Washington broke Angie Holwell's (1994-97) mark of 62. Holwell still holds single-season record of 46 in 1997.
Carey On Fire
Lisa Carey has been on a hot streak offensively over the last month. The Topeka, Kan. native owned the longest hitting streak on the team at 18 straight games. (The streak ended in the regional final agianst Oregon State, as the only time she reached base was on a fielder's choice). In the Big 12 tournament, Carey totaled four home runs, three in a row and four in five at bats. She leads the Big 12 in virtually every offensive category including hits (86), home runs (18), RBIs (74), slugging percentage (.488) and on-base percentage (.780).
Six Sooners Selected to All-Midwest Region Team
Postseason honors for Oklahoma players just keep piling up. The team had five players named to the All-Midwest Region first team and one to the second team. Lisa Carey, Ashli Barrett, Christy Ring, Jennifer Stewart and Erin Evans tabbed first-team honors, while senior captain Lana Moran was selected to the second squad. Each school was only allowed to nominate six players. Every player, with the exception of redshirt-freshman Erin Evans, is a repeat honoree.
All-Tournament Honors
The Sooners have been well-represented on all-tournament teams this season.
NFCA Leadoff Classic
Ashli Barrett
Big 12 Tournament
Lisa Carey
Lana Moran
Mandy Fulton
Andrea Davis
NCAA Regional
Lisa Carey
Lana Moran
Erin Evans
Jennifer Stewart - Most Outstanding Player
Re-Writing The Record Books
Oklahoma records have been falling one after another this season. The Sooners have already eclipsed 10 team records and are on pace to replace multiple others before the end of the season. Juniors Lisa Carey, Ashli Barrett, LaKisha Washington and sophomore Christy Ring have broken individual records.
TEAM:
Home Runs - 81 (Old Record: 43 in 1997)
Stolen Bases - 105 (Old Record: 98 in 1997)
Total Bases - 1,014 (Old Record: 844 in 1994)
Doubles - 111 (Old Record: 81 in 1994)
Slugging Percentage - .542 (Old Record: .424 in 1994)
Batting Average - .334 (Old Record: .316 in 1994)
Victory Percentage - .886 (Old Record: .795 in 1994)
Double Plays Turned - 21
Runs Batted In - 423
Doubles In A Single Game - 6 (vs. Mississippi State 3/3/00)
INDIVIDUAL
Lisa Carey
Career Runs Scored - 128 (Old Record: 103)
Single-Season RBIs - 74 (Old Record: 61)
LaKisha Washington
Career Stolen Bases - 65 (Old Record: 62)
Ashli Barrett
Career Home Runs - 31 (Old Record: 27)
Christy Ring
Single-Season Runs Scored - 65 (Old Record: 61)
Sooner Scribbles
Sunday, May 24
Saturday, May 23
Saturday, May 23
Friday, May 22
