Softball Hosts OU/Nike Classic This Weekend

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Feb. 13, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma returns to Norman this weekend to host the OU/Nike Classic (Feb. 15-17) at the OU Softball Complex and Reaves Park. The tournament field includes Creighton, Drake, No. 21 Louisiana-Lafayette, Northwestern State and Southwest Missouri State. Four games will be played each day at the Complex with a single contest each day at Reaves Park (located across the street from the OU Softball Complex). Competition begins at 11 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

The Sooners hit the field at 5:45 p.m. on Friday against Creighton. Oklahoma will then face Drake at 3:30 p.m. and Louisiana-Lafayette at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday's action will include back-to-back match-ups versus Northwestern State and Southwest Missouri State, respectively, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

UTA Tournament Wrap-Up
Oklahoma completed a five-game sweep of competition in the UTA Tournament last weekend in Grand Prairie, Texas. Freezing temperatures on Sunday yielded inadequate playing conditions for the team to complete the remaining tournament schedule. With the cancellation of games, Oklahoma shared championship honors for the second straight year with Oklahoma State, Baylor and host Texas-Arlington, whose games were also called.

The Sooners swept through the first two days of the classic with wins over UTA, Stephen F. Austin, Utah, Texas-San Antonio and Louisiana-Monroe. OU displayed tremendous power throughout the tournament hitting eight home runs, including junior third baseman Leah Gulla who led all players with three home runs and a .500 batting average.

Co-Big 12 Pitcher Of The Week
After throwing a perfect game in the season opener and picking up two wins over the weekend, Oklahoma senior lefthander Jennifer Stewart picked up Co-Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Stewart (2-0) shared the recognition, the fifth of her career, with Nebraska senior pitcher Leigh Ann Walker. Kansas leftfielder Christi Musser was awarded the Big 12 Player of the Week honor.

The Yukon, Okla., native began her senior campaign by tossing a perfect game in OU's season opener against Texas-Arlington in the UTA Tournament on Friday. Stewart struck out 10 Mavericks while leading the Sooners to the 4-0 victory. The perfect game effort was the second of Stewart's career - the most recorded by a Sooner hurler. In her second start last weekend, the returning All-American surrendered only one run on three hits in five innings of work as Oklahoma defeat Utah, 6-1.

Gone . . . Gone . . . Gulla
After hitting three home runs last year, junior third baseman Leah Gulla surpassed her 2001 total in the first weekend of 2002 by blasting three homers at the UTA Tournament last weekend. Even more impressive was the fact that Gulla hit all three in one day, including two in a single game to tie a school single-game record.

Gulla's barrage began in the second game of the day on Saturday against Texas-San Antonio when, combined with a single and double in her other at bats, Gulla's roundtripper left her a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Gulla continued her power-hitting in the next game versus Louisiana-Monroe when she connected to send two pitches over the fence in a 2-for-3 effort with three RBIs.

An Impressive Return
Following a 2001 season limited by a back injury, pitcher Angela Foster returned to competition this season at full strength and made three appearances in the first weekend. During the UTA Tournament, Foster picked up a win, a save and struck out 14 batters in eight innings pitched without surrendering a run.

Foster picked up her first win by holding Stephen F. Austin to two hits and no runs over four innings in her first start of the season on the opening day of the tournament. On Saturday, Foster struck out four while keeping Utah hitless over two frames and then struck out six in two innings of work against Texas-San Antonio.

Living Up To The Hype
Freshman catcher Christina Enea showed at the UTA Tournament why she was deserving of the starting catching duties coming out of the fall season. Through her first five games, Enea batted .333 (5-for-15) with five runs scored, two doubles and a home run. Enea also accounted for five RBI this weekend, including at least one RBI in four of the five contests.

This past fall, Enea jumped on the scene with a good fall practice. Enea finished third on the team with a .455 average during fall competition and performed well behind the plate.

Miss Versatility
Newcomer Kami Keiter made several debuts last weekend at the UTA Tournament. The do-it-all freshman from Arvada, Colo., made her first appearance in a pinch hitting role in OU's season opener against Texas-Arlington. She then came on in relief of Angela Foster in the Sooners' next game against Stephen F. Austin and shut out the Lady 'Jacks over an inning of work.

Keiter made her first start on Saturday at first base versus Texas-San Antonio and then started on the mound against Louisiana-Monroe in the final game of the day. Keiter carried a no-hitter over 5.1 innings against ULM and then continued to hold the Lady Indians to only two hits and one earned run, while striking out five, to pick up her first win.

In A League Of Her Own
Senior lefthanded pitcher Jennifer Stewart is on the verge of solidly establishing herself as the Sooners' all-time ace after completing a record setting first three years of her collegiate career. A two-time All-American and three-time All-Big 12 and Midwest Region selection, Stewart already tops the school career lists in victories and victory percentage and is on pace to finish her time at OU No. 1 in five other categories. Here's a look at where the Yukon, Okla., native stands on several other all-time charts:

COMPLETE GAMES
1. 101Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 87Cheryl Jacobs (1978-80)
3. 75 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

INNINGS PITCHED
1. 806.2Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 752.1Cheryl Jacobs (1978-80)
3. 734.2 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

APPEARANCES
1. 133Jill Most (1994-97)
2. 128Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

GAMES STARTED
1. 109Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 107Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

SHUTOUTS
1. 38Jill Most (1994-97)
2. 34Patti Graham (1981-84)
3. 33Cheryl Jacobs (1981-84)
4. 30Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

On The Brink
Not only is staff ace Jennifer Stewart about to break numerous school career records this season, but the senior lefty is also set to establish a personal milestone of 100 career wins. At 95 career victories, Stewart enters stands just five wins shy of the century mark. Stewart, who owns the all-time wins crown at OU, already outdistances her next closest Sooner on the list by 19 victories.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Hosts OU/Nike Classic This Weekend

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