Softball Opens Season at UTA Tournament

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Feb. 4, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Coming off its second straight trip to the Women's College World Series and a second consecutive Big 12 championship, the Oklahoma softball team is prepared to continue its winning ways in 2002 as they look to accomplish the feats for the third year in a row. Up first for the Sooners is the UTA Tournament in Grand Prairie, Texas, which will open the season for OU for the sixth time in the last eight years.

Oklahoma, who is seeded No. 1 in Pool A, will begin tournament play against host Texas-Arlington on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. The Sooners will then face pool competition twice more during the day against Stephen F. Austin and Utah at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. OU will face Baylor at 10 a.m. on Saturday before beginning bracket competition later in the day.

A Fabulous Fall

The Sooners emerged from their fall competition with a sparkling 11-0 record, including seven shutout victories. Offensively, OU batted .411 as a team and had four players hitting above the .400 mark. Senior leftfielder Christy Ring led all hitters with a .628 average, while also posting a team-best 17 runs scored and six stolen bases. Junior third baseman Leah Gulla and freshman catcher Heather Scaglione tied for top honors in the home run department with two homers each.

On the mound, four pitchers accounted for the 11 victories and the staff allowed only one team to collect more than three hits in a game. Of the team's seven shutout wins, two were perfect game performances against Seminole State Junior College. Seniors Jennifer Stewart and Angela Wedlake, sophomore Adrianne Ratliff and freshman Kami Keiter combined for a 0.40 staff ERA and held opponents to a .108 batting average. Wedlake led the staff in several categories including wins (four), innings pitched (24) and strikeouts (36). All four hurlers saw action in both relief and starting roles during the fall.

A Dominating Presence In The Field

OU returns two All-Americans and five All-Big 12 starters off its 2001 squad, including last year's Big 12 Conference Player of the Year Kelli Braitsch. Included in the bunch are three first team All-Big 12 selections (Braitsch, Erin Evans and Jennifer Stewart) and two second team all-league picks (Christy Ring and Jennifer Stump).

Stewart, a third team at-large All-American, dominated opposing hitters last year as she compiled a 37-5 record and a 1.33 ERA. Braitsch earned first team All-American honors after leading the conference in hitting with a .435 average.

The all-league outfield trio of Ring, Evans and Stump are back to patrol the field. Stump posesses the team's top home run threat after hitting 11 last season, while Evans and Ring will both produce consistently offensively and provide much of the team's speed on the basepaths after finishing first and second on the squad in 2001 with 17 and 15 stolen bases, respectively.

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. 74 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

INNINGS PITCHED
1. 806.2Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 752.1Cheryl Jacobs (1978-80)
3. 722.2 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

APPEARANCES
1. 133Jill Most (1994-97)
2. 126Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

GAMES STARTED
1. 109Patti Graham (1981-84)
2. 105Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

SHUTOUTS
1. 38Jill Most (1994-97)
2. 34Patti Graham (1981-84)
3. 33Cheryl Jacobs (1981-84)
4. 29Jennifer 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 93 career victories, Stewart enters this season seven 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 17 victories.

The Big 12's Player of the Year Returns

It didn't take long for many people to notice the impact that Kelli Braitsch had on the Sooners and the Big 12 last year. In a year where the sophomore led the league with a .460 batting average, she also made dazzling defensive plays. She hit .491 in Big 12 games and was even above .500 at one point late in the season. Braitsch also ranked among the league's top 10 in eight different offensive categories.

Hitting The Half Century Mark Again

With a win at the Women's College World Series last May, the Sooners crossed the 50-win plateau for the sixth time in the program's 27-year history. Current Associate Athletic Director Marita Hynes was the first to reach the 50-win plateau, recording 50 during the 1980 campaign. OU didn't reach that mark again until the 1994 season and has done it six times in the last eight years. Current skipper Patty Gasso has five 50-win seasons in her seven-year career.

Home Sweet Home

For the first time since the stadium opened in 1998, the Sooners went a perfect 18-0 at the OU Softball Complex in 2001. In its four years of existence, the home field has been very good to the Sooners where they have posted an .874 winning percentage.

OU accomplished its goal of going undefeated at home in dominating fashion. The Sooners outscored their opponents 132-21 in Norman and hit .387 to the visitor's .185. The pitchers have a combined 0.84 ERA compared to opponents' 7.65 ERA.

Coaching Staff Gains Recognition

The OU coaching staff was named the Speedline/NFCA Division I Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2001. Head Coach Patty Gasso and assistants Melyssa Lombardi and Tim Walton led the Sooners to their second best season in school history. Oklahoma's 2001 record (50-9) and winning percentage (.847) trailed only the 2000 team which went 66-8 (.868) and won the national championship. It marked the third straight season the OU coaching staff won an award for outstanding performance.

SOONERS AT A GLANCE

No. 2 * Adrianne Ratliff * LHP * 5-9 * L/L * So. * Claremore, Okla.
* Expected to see time in starting and relief roles.
* Last season: 12-3, 2.46 ERA, 91.0 IP, 46 SO
* Coming off a freshman year in which she gained valuable experience as a starter and reliever.
* Pitched a perfect game and combined for a no-hitter last year.

No. 3 * Kami Keiter * LHP/1B * 5-8 * L/L * Fr. * Arvada, Colo.
* Will see action on the mound and at first base.
* A four-year letterwinner at Arvada West High School.
* A three-time All-State and four-time all-conference selection.
* Named by the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News as the MVP, Player and Pitcher of the Year in her final two seasons.
* The Gatorade Player of the Year for Colorado as a senior.

No. 5 * Jennifer Stewart * LHP * 5-7 * L/L * Sr. * Yukon, Okla.
* The Sooners' staff ace.
* Last season: 37-5, 1.33 ERA, 279.2 IP, 197 SO
* A 2001 third team at-large All-American and a first team All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 selection.
* Selected to the Women's College World Series All-Tournament team for the second consecutive year.
* Also picked to the Big 12 Tournament team.
* Already owns OU's career wins and victory percentage crowns.

No. 6 * Angela Foster * RHP * 5-8 * R/R * Sr. * Sperry, Okla.
* Will see time in starting and relief roles.
* Last season: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 10.0 IP, 7 SO
* Coming off an injury-riddled season in 2001.
* Gave up her medical redshirt with just one regular season game remaining to help OU in its postseason run.
* Had a great fall season.

No. 7 * Leah Gulla * 3B * 5-7 * R/R * Jr. * Huntington Beach, Calif.
* Starting third baseman.
* Last season: .267, 52 GP, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 13 R
* Named to the 2001 NCAA Region 5 All-Tournament team.
* Will be moved toward the top of the lineup this season.
* Had a great fall offensively.

No. 8 * Kelli Braitsch * SS * 5-5 * S/R * Jr. * Broken Arrow, Okla.
* Starting shortstop.
* Last season: .435, 58 GP, 9 HR, 47 RBI, 63 R, 12 SB
* 2001 Big 12 Player of the Year
* Garnered first team All-American, Midwest Region and Big 12 honors last year.
* Led the team in five offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits and total bases.
* One of 52 players in the nation selected to participate in the Women's National Team Camp last summer.

No. 9 * Jessica Leslie * 2B * 5-5 * R/R * Fr. * Raytown, Mo.
* Could start or split playing time at second base with Tiffany Weight.
* A three-time All-State and four-year all-conference, all-district, all-area and all-metro player at Raytown High School.
* Lettered all four years.
* Led her team to two conference championships.
* Batted above the .456 mark all four years.

No. 10 * Christina Enea * C * 5-7 * R/R * Woodland Hills, Calif.
* Starting catcher.
* A four-year letterwinner at El Camino Real High School.
* A three-time All-State selection.
* A four-year all-league, all-city and all-area selection.
* Had a tremendous fall.
* Expected to hit out of the No. 5 hole in the lineup.

No. 14 * Jennifer Stump * RF * 5-9 * L/L * Jr. * W. Palm Beach, Fla.
* Starting rightfielder.
* Last season: .342, 55 GP, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 38 R, 7 SB
* A second team All-Big 12 selection last year.
* Ranks sixth all-time in slugging percentage at Oklahoma.
* On the verge of breaking into the top 10 in career home runs.

No. 15 * Erin Evans * CF * 5-4 * L/L * Jr. * Lawton, Okla.
* Starting centerfielder.
* Last season: .335, 59 GP, 0 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 17 SB
* An All-Midwest Region second-team selection and first-team All-Big 12 outfielder in 2001.
* Named the NCAA Region 5 Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
* Appears in the top 10 of three OU single-season and career record lists.

No. 16 * Tiffany Weight * 2B * 5-4 * R/R * Jr. * Springville, Utah
* Could start or split time with Jessica Leslie at second base.
* Played two seasons at Utah Valley State College.
* A NFCA third team All-American in 2001 and second team selection in 2000.
* First team NJCAA American in 2001 and second team in 2000.
* Named first team All-Region 18 both years.
* Led team to win 2000 NJCAA National title.

No. 21 * Christy Ring * LF * 5-4 * L/R * Sr. * Westminster, Calif.
* Starting leftfielder.
* Last season: .377, 59 GP, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 55 R, 15 SB
* A 2001 second team All-Big 12 and All-Midwest Region selection.
* Selected to the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team last year.
* Ranks in the top 10 of eight OU single season records and 10 career records.

No. 26 * Katie Overton * 1B * 5-9 * R/R * So. * Oklahoma City
* Could start or see valuable playing time at first base.
* Last season: .250, 14 GP, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 0 SB
* Solid defensively.
* Need her to produce more offensively.
* Coming off a good fall season.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Opens Season at UTA Tournament

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors