Four Sooners Earn All-America Honors

May 24, 2000

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma softball team had four players named All-Americans tonight at the annual Women's College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City, Okla. Juniors Lisa Carey and Ashli Barrett were selected to the first team while sophomore Jennifer Stewart and redshirt-freshman Erin Evans earned third team honors. Four All-Americans in one season is the most ever for the Sooner softball program.

Carey and Barrett became the second and third OU players to be named first-team All-Americans. In 1999, Lynette Velazquez became the program's first ever, first-team All-American. In 25 years, OU has had produced 11 (including this season) All-Americans. Carey is the second two-time honoree as Jill Most was a second-team selection in both 1996 and 1997.

"These players are very deserving of these honors. Ashli (Barrett) and Lisa (Carey) put up enough power numbers to get this recognition, and very rightly so," said OU Head coach Patty Gasso. "Erin (Evans) has such good all round numbers with her batting average and stolen bases. Jennifer (Stewart) has a great record with some big wins. This is another boost for our program. It's a credit to all of these athletes and what they are trying to do."

Carey, the 2000 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, is hitting .411 with 18 home runs on the season. The Sooner first baseman earned third-team All-America honors as a sophomore while playing shortstop. She leads the Big 12 Conference in hits (86), home runs, runs batted in (74), total bases (163) and slugging percentage (.780).

Barrett is a three-time All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region pick. She is batting .358 with 20 doubles and 16 homers on the season at catcher for the Sooners. The Oklahoma City product owns the OU career record for long balls with 31.

Stewart, a pitcher, is a two-time first-team All Big 12 and All-Midwest Region honoree. She owns a 30-6 record, including 12 shutout victories, and a 1.41 ERA. The Yukon, Okla., native has struck out 163 batters while walking only 43 in 209.1 innings of work.

Evans has had an outstanding season after sitting out last year to recover from two torn anterior cruciate ligaments in her knees. The OU centerfielder is batting .379 and owns a 1.000 fielding percentage. She was also a first-team All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region selection.

The Sooners open play in the Women's College World Series tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. OU is the No. 3 seed and will face sixth-seeded California.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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