Softball Heads West to Compete in Hillenbrand Invitational

Feb. 28, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - TOURNAMENT INFO....
DATES: Mar. 2-4, 2001
FIELD: Hillenbrand Stadium (Tucson, Ariz.)
TEAMS: Arizona (2), Baylor (23), Creighton, Indiana State, Oklahoma (5), Western Michigan
FORMAT: Round Robin
OU'S SCHEDULE:
Friday, Mar. 2
11 a.m. - Indiana State
1 p.m. - Baylor

Saturday, Mar. 3
1 p.m. - Creighton
7 p.m. - Western Michigan

Sunday, Mar. 4
1 p.m. - Arizona

Oklahoma will try to rebound from a disappointing 3-2 weekend and get back on track at the Hillenbrand Invitational in Tucson, Ariz. The Sooners will join Arizona, Baylor, Creighton, Indiana State and Western Michigan in the three-day affair.

OU will open on Friday with Indiana State at 11 a.m. and Big 12 foe Baylor at 1 p.m. Saturday's action will feature meeting with Creighton (1 p.m.) and Western Michigan (7 p.m.). On Sunday, OU will face the host and second-ranked Arizona in the last game of the tournament. The Wildcats and Bears are the only other ranked team in the field.

Despite being declared the runner-up of the Silver Bracket in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, the Sooner gave up more runs in the five NFCA games than in the first 10 games combined. OU will try to get all the cylinders clicking again before it faces a team that may be looking for a little redemption. OU handed the `Cats their last loss when it defeated them 1-0 in the WCWS to advance to the 2000 national championship game.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
ARIZONA: The Wildcats have already played 20 games and are perfect in all meetings... UA has outscored its opponents 191-10 this year... The `Cats are hitting .399, fielding at the .988 mark and has a team ERA of just 0.31... Freshman Mackenzie Vandergeest is leading the team with a .538 average that includes six homeruns, five doubles and 22 RBIs... Senior 3B Toni Mascarenas leads the team with nine home runs and 27 RBIs while hitting .477... Senior Lauren Bauer is a threat on the bases, stealing 13 bases in 13 attempts... In the circle, RHP Jennie Finch has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 48 in 30 innings of work... Freshman RHP Jenny Gladding (6-0) has allowed one earned run and struck out 61 in 36 innings... UA leads the series 16-7, but OU the two split meeting in the 2000 campaign.

BAYLOR: Since a 1-3 start, Baylor has won 17 of its last 18 games, including 11 straight... They currently have a 19-4 record and are ranked 23rd in the country... Baylor is hitting .289 with 14 home runs and 85 RBIs... Catcher Ryan Stukel leads all hitters with a .433 average, five homers and 23 RBIs... Five other Bears are hitting above the .300 mark... The pitching staff has a 1.97 ERA and has allowed only 43 hits for extra bases... RHP Joni Miller has thrown a majority of the innings, posting a 12-2 record and four saves in 20 appearances. She has thrown 87.2 innings with 53 strikeouts and only 10 walks... OU leads the Baylor series by a 20-3 margin and haven't loss to the Bears since the creation of the Big 12.

CREIGHTON: The Blue Jays head out to Arizona with a 2-3 mark... Both of their wins have come over Tulsa by 1-0 and 8-1 margins... The Sooners and Blue Jays will meet for the second time this year... OU hosted Creighton at the OU/adidas Classic on Feb. 17, a meeting the Sooners won 4-0... Senior Marie Gieron is hitting a team-best .400 with two RBI and a home run... Pitchers Jenny Hunt (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Shelli Mellegaard (1-1, 2.50) and Gieron (0-2, 2.63) combine for a 1.88 team ERA, 35 walks and 11 walks... Creighton leads the series 11-9, but has lost the last eight meetings.

INDIANA STATE: The Sycamores carry a 3-1 record to Tucson... They dropped their season opener to Tennessee State, but have won the last three outings... Junior Melanie Newnum is hitting a team-high .417... Pitchers have allowed only six runs (two earned) for a 0.67 ERA and have struck out 15... Junior Cassie Reeser has picked up wins in two complete games where she has nine strikeouts and only nine hits... This marks the first meeting between the two programs.

WESTERN MICHIGAN: WMU opens the 2001 campaign with a pair of games at Arizona before playing in the Hillenbrand Invitational... The Broncos are coming off a 14-31 campaign and closed out by winning five of their last six games... OU has lost all four meeting against Western Michigan, but the teams haven't met since 1984.

NOT SUCH GOOD HOSTS
When it comes to playing softball, Tucson has been a rough stop for the Sooners. OU has a 1-6 mark against the `Cats in their house--a 4-3 win during the 1998 Hillenbrand Invitational.

OU's record is 12-8 in Tucson, but take those seven meetings out and the record is a respectable 11-2. Only Michigan (1996) and Texas Tech (1998) have beaten Oklahoma at Hillenbrand.

SOONERS GO 3-2 AT NFCA TOURNEY
It wasn't the prettiest of softball, but OU finished the NFCA Leadoff Classic with a 3-2 record and was declared the runner-up in the Silver Bracket. During the five games, the hitting and pitching never seemed to be on the same page as the Sooners scored only 16 runs, while allowing 13.

In pool play, OU defeated No. 16 Oregon State (1-0 ) and San Diego State (8-2) before dropping a game to No. 19 South Carolina (4-0). The Gamecocks won the pool and advanced to the Gold bracket, while the Sooners finished second and earned a spot in the Silver bracket.

Oklahoma, who jumped out to a 5-1 lead, allowed Nebraska to tie the game and force extra innings. OU won 6-5 in eight innings. On Sunday, Southern Miss jumped out to a 2-0 lead on back-to-back solo homers in the first innings. But the Sooners score d a run in the top of the fourth before lightning and rain forced the game to be called. Needing only five innings for a complete game and being the visitors, OU had to take the 2-1 loss.

STREAKIN'
Two Sooners came out of the NFCA Leadoff Classic with hitting streaks in tow. Senior Mandy Fulton collected a hit in each of the five games to put together her longest of the season at five. Sophomore Leah Gulla, who's longest of the year is also five, scored hits against Nebraska and Southern Mississippi for her current two-game hitting streak.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
It was during the second game of the Arkansas doubleheader on Feb. 20 that Christy Ring finally did something she hadn't done in her previous two seasons at OU...hit a homerun.

With the Sooners down 2-1, the junior sailed a ball to left center that rolled to the fence. With one run already in and the score tied, head coach Patty Gasso sent Ring home and she easily beat the throw for an inside-the-park homer. It led to OU's 3-2 win over the Lady'Backs.

The play was originally ruled a triple with an advance on the throw, denying her that first round-tripper. But upon further review with the NCAA rules committee and the NFCA, the call was changed and Ring was given the home run.

12-0 START BEST IN SCHOOL HISTORY
By winning the first 12 games of the 2001 season, the Sooners posted the best start in school history. They bettered the previous record by one game. Both the 1998 and 2000 squads posted 11-0 records to start the seasons.

BAYLOR TIME CHANGED
The April 21st game time against Baylor has been moved up to noon so that fans can also attend the football game's Red/White game. The baseball game will also be moved to later in the day to accomodate Sooner fans.

LATE-INNING WOES
OU's offense hasn't been quick to throw runs on the board in late innings. Of the 85 runs scored in the first 15 games, only two have been scored in the sixth and seven in the seventh. That compares meagerly to the double-digit numbers the Sooners have put up in the other five innings.

With three run-rules, it's easy to see how the first five innings have been so producting. OU has scored 12, 14 and 11 runs in the first three innings, respectively. But the big inning has been the fourth where they've posted 25 runs.

LOOKING INTO THE .475
Sophomore Kelli Braitsch has come out of the gates smokin' in 2001. Not only does she lead OU and the Big 12 with a .475 batting average, she's been key for the Sooners when circumstances call for a hit.

The Broken Arrow, Okla., native is hitting .583 with runners in scoring position, .706 with success in advancing runners, .444 as the leadoff and .500 with two outs in the inning. She is also perfect in four chances of getting a hit when there is a runner on third and less than two outs and got a hit in her only opportunity with the bases loaded.

THREE SOONERS DRAFTED
Three seniors--Lisa Carey, Ashli Barrett and Andrea Davis--were taken in the 2001 Women's Pro Softbal League draft held in December. The Sooners tied UCLA for the second most selections with a total of three each. Carey was the sixth overall selection. Barrett was chosen seventh, while Davis was the 14th selection.

OUT IN LEFT FIELD
The Sooners have been ranked in 87 consecutive polls... OU has had five games rained out this year, including the shortened-affair against No. 23 Southern Miss.... Oklahoma's pinch hitters haven't exactly been getting the job done, getting only three hits in 18 opportunities for a .167 average... Senior Mandy Fulton is hitting .600 (6-of-10) as the leadoff... Junior Christy Ring is hitting .667 when there is a runner on third and less than two outs. She is also hitting .500 when runners are in scoring position.

THE CAPTAINS
It should come as no surprise that the captains of the 2001 Sooners happen to be two of the most visible players on the team. Seniors Ashli Barrett and Lisa Carey will co-captain the Sooners as they begin their flight towards an unprecedented third-consecutive Big 12 title and second NCAA Championship.

GASSO THE GREAT
Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso has amassed a 303-101 record in six seasons at OU. The .758 winning percentage is best among OU softball coaches who have coached more than one year and her 303 victories rank first in Sooner history.

The Sooners finished the 2000 season ranked No. 1 after winning the university's 20th national championship and first in a women's sport. Gasso and her assistants were named the 2000 Speedline/ NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year. Dallas Morning News Big 12 Female Coach of the Year in 2000.

A three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year (1996, 1999, 2000) and Midwest Region Coach of the Year (1996, 1999 and 2000), Gasso's teams have set 15 school records and coached eight all-Americans and five Academic All-Americans.

ON DECK
The Sooners return home to host the OU Worth Invitational on Mar. 9-11 at the OU Softball Complex. The tournament also features North Carolina, Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), Louisiana-Lafayette (ULL), Texas A&M-Corpus Christie (TAMU-CC) and Southwest Missouri State (SMSU). The schedule for the tournament is listed below:

Friday, Mar. 9
11 a.m. - ULL vs. TAMU-CC
1:15 p.m. - ULL vs. ULM
3:30 p.m. - SMSU vs. North Carolina
3:30 p.m. (Reaves Park) - TAMU-CC vs. ULM
5:45 p.m. - OU vs. North Carolina

Saturday, Mar. 10
11 a.m. - SMSU vs. ULM
1:15 p.m. - North Carolina vs. TAMU-CC
3:30 p.m. - OU vs. ULM
3:30 p.m. (Reaves Park) - ULL vs. SMSU
5:45 p.m. - OU vs. ULL

Sunday, Mar. 11
10 a.m. - North Carolina vs. ULM
12:15 p.m. - SMSU vs. TAMU-CC
2:30 p.m. - OU vs. TAMU-CC
2:30 p.m. (Reaves Park) - North Carolina vs. ULL
4:45 p.m. - OU vs. SMSU

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Heads West to Compete in Hillenbrand Invitational

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