Softball Opens Big 12 Play This Week

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March 20, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Ninth-ranked Oklahoma (28-6) begins Big 12 Conference play this week as it opens up with No. 4 Nebraska (26-5) at home on Thursday and then heads to No. 22 Texas A&M (23-6) for a weekend set. The Sooners and the Cornhuskers face off in a doubleheader in Norman on Thursday in a battle of last year's conference tournament champs and regular season champs, respectively. The action begins at 5 p.m. at the OU Softball Complex and will feature several game promotions including $.50 hot dogs/Cokes, Softball Bingo and the TP&P Fan of the Game.

Following the Nebraska game, OU hits the road for College Station, Texas, and a pair of games against the Aggies. Texas A&M is already 0-1 in conference play after dropping its opener last week against Baylor. Game times for the series are 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Last Time Out
On the end leg of their six-game California swing, No. 6 Oklahoma cruised to a 7-2 victory over Loyola Marymount at the LMU Softball Field Monday afternoon. OU scored five runs in the first three innings to claim the lead for good as the team pounded out 14 hits and got solo home runs from junior shortstop Kelli Braitsch (2-for-3) and junior third baseman Leah Gulla (2-for-4).

After the Lions' tagged OU starting pitcher Angela Foster for two runs in the second frame, senior Jennifer Stewart came on get the final out of the inning and hold Loyola scoreless over the next five innings. Stewart only relinquished two hits, while striking out six en route to her 12th win of the season.

Kia Klassic Recap
At the prestigious Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., last weekend, the Sooners finished with a 2-3 record and salvaged a win in the consolation bracket to end tournament play. For the tournament, the Sooners batted .239 and hit three home runs, while the pitching staff combined for a 2.18 ERA and held opponents to a .220 batting average.

OU defeated Utah, 8-0, on Saturday in the consolation game after the team posted only a 1-3 mark through pool play and one game of bracket competition. Freshman pitcher Kami Keiter suffered two 1-0 losses on the mound after hurling two outstanding performances in which she struck out eight and walked none in the two complete game efforts. Her two losses came to No. 22 Florida State and border rival Texas.

Senior Jennifer Stewart was responsible for both OU wins. Prior to pitching a five-hit shutout against the Utes, Stewart came on in relief on Friday to hold Rutgers hitless over the final 4.1 innings for the victory. Stewart's only defeat of the weekend was a 6-0 loss to No. 9 Cal State Fullerton who tagged her for three home runs on Thursday.

Scouting No. 5 Nebraska
Nebraska, currently ranked fourth in the nation, enters Thursday's contest a winner of six of its last seven games. The Cornhuskers defeated in-state rival Creighton, 3-1, on Tuesday in their most recent contest.

The Huskers' are sporting a team batting average of .294 and have four players hitting .303 or better on the year. Junior outfielder Kim Ogee is leading her teammates with a .414 average, 25 runs scored and is tied for the squad lead in home runs with seven.

An important part of the Huskers' offense is their speed on the basepaths. Nebraska has totaled 75 stolen bases already and have four players that have swiped 10 or more led, once again, by Ogee.

On the mound, the duo of senior Leigh Ann Walker and sophomore Peaches James have accounted to throw for all but two of the Huskers' 206 innings this season. Both righthanded hurlers have 13 wins to their credit and, along with junior righthander Lisa Wangler, have combined for a 1.73 staff ERA. A first team All-Big 12 performer last year, Walker has struck out 104 batters in 97.2 innings of work, while James has posted the staff's best ERA at 1.25.

Scouting Texas A&M
Texas A&M (23-6, 0-1 Big 12) opened Big 12 Conference play early with a series against Baylor last week. The Aggies and Bears had their second game rained out after BU shut out TAMU, 4-0, in the first game of the set.

The Aggies have put together several large winning streaks this season including a 12-game stretch in which they shut out half of their opponents including four straight. Most recently, A&M has gone 3-2 in their last five games suffering losses to San Diego State and Baylor in the conference opener.

At the plate, the Aggies are hitting at a .264 clip and are led by freshman utility player Adrian Gregory. Gregory, who has started all 29 contests, is batting .369 has 14 runs scored, three home runs and 16 RBI. Leading the team in several other categories is junior catcher Selena Collins who, while batting .317, is leading the team in RBI with 21, home runs with seven and extra base hits with 14.

Three Aggie hurlers have shared time on the mound this season, each notching 10 or more appearances. Leading the way with 15 starts on the season is sophomore righthander Jessica Slataper. Slataper has posted a team-best 11 wins (versus four losses) and six shutouts, has a 1.43 ERA and has fanned 118 batters in 98.0 innings pitched. Junior righthander Lindsey Rippee (5-1, 1.23 ERA) and sophomore righthander Lindsey Wilhelmson (7-1, 1.58 ERA) have both made seven starts and three relief outings this season.

Diamond Notes
* In this season alone, junior third baseman Leah Gulla and junior centerfielder Erin Evans have both surpassed their career total in home runs. Entering the 2002 season, Gulla had seven home runs to her name in two seasons, while Evans had only gone deep once. Gulla currently leads the squad in homers with nine and Evans is tied for third on the team with four.

* Freshman Kami Keiter has responded well recently with her bat after receiving increased opportunities at the plate. Since appearing in the batting lineup regularly since the Wichita State game on March 7, Keiter is hitting .391with three runs scored and seven RBI. Keiter collected her first collegiate hit during this time, a three-run homer against Creighton in the second game of that stretch.

* Junior third baseman Leah Gulla recorded a career high four hits against Utah on Sunday.

* Freshman catcher Christina Enea had a team-best 11-game hitting streak going before No. 9 Cal State Fullerton halted it last Thursday. Enea hit .533 (16-for-30) with seven runs scored and 16 RBI over the stretch.

OU Softball Complex Celebrates 100th Game
The first game of the doubleheader against No. 4 Nebraska on Thursday will be the 100th game played by the Sooners at the OU Softball Complex. Since its opening in 1998, Oklahoma has compiled an 87-12 (.879) record. Coming off the 2001 season where OU was a perfect 18-0 at the Complex, the Sooners have extended their home winning streak to 42 straight games over the last three seasons after winning their first 12 games this season.

In the 12 games, OU has recorded a .357 average and hit over half of its home runs at the Complex, while the Sooner pitching staff is only allowing a 1.58 ERA and opponents to hit .151 against them.

The last time Oklahoma lost at home was on April 14, 2000, in the first game of a doubleheader against Nebraska.

OU's All-Time Stolen Base Leader
After topping the career record books in runs scored a week ago, Christy Ring tackled another record became OU's all-time stolen base leader last weekend. The senior leftfielder tied the record with a stolen base in the first inning versus Utah on Saturday to swipe her 74th career base. The feat matched former Sooner LaKisha Washington who stole 74 bases between 1998-2001 and set the mark last year.

Ring is slowly starting to knock down several OU career records this season. She became the school's runs scored leader two weeks ago and currently owns the record at 186. Next on Ring's list is the walks drawn record which she is 14 free passes shy of breaking.

She Did It Again!
Jennifer Stewart broke yet another Oklahoma career pitching record on Monday when she eclipsed the all-time innings pitched mark. The senior lefthander's 5.1 innings of work against Loyola Marymount put her over the top as she currently holds the record at 809.0. Former Sooner Patti Graham (1981-84) held the old mark at 806.2 innings for 18 years. The feat was the third career pitching record that Stewart has established this season, including appearances and starts.

Keiter In Control
Freshman starting pitcher Kami Keiter has been dominating in her last four appearances and has shown nearly flawless control in those performances. In her last 23.2 innings pitched, Keiter has given up only one walk and hit one batter, while not throwing a single wild pitch. For the season, Keiter has not thrown a wild pitch, has only issued 10 walks and hit two batters which are both good enough for second lowest on the staff.

Tough Luck
Kami Keiter's 5-4 record is deceiving. Keiter has put together some of the staff's best outings this season, but has been the victim of low run support. Three of the Arvada, Colo., product's losses have been 1-0 defeats in which the Sooners have only been able to muster seven hits. In Keiter's four losses, OU is averaging 0.75 runs and 2.75 hits per game.

Sooners In The Rankings
Oklahoma was ranked ninth in the most recent NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll adding to an impressive run for the Sooners of 46 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 over the last four years. Included in the streak is a 33 week stint of being ranked in the poll's top 10. Only three times (during the 1999 season) has OU not been ranked as one of the nation's top 10 teams. Oklahoma achieved its highest ranking at the end of the 2000 season when it claimed the top spot after winning the national championship at the end of the year.

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, victory percentage, appearances, games started and innings pitched and is on pace to finish her time at OU No. 1 in two 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. 82 Jennifer Stewart (1999-Present)

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

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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