Softball Begins Busy Week With North Texas

The No. 4 Oklahoma softball team (6-0-1) begins a busy week with a home double-header against North Texas (2-10) on Wednesday. The twin-bill gets underway at 3 p.m. at the OU Softball Complex. The second game will begin approximately 20 minutes after the first game.

North Texas, which is in its inaugural softball season, is 2-10 on the young season. The Mean Green are hitting just .181 on the season, while their pitching staff has a combined ERA of 5.41.

The game marks the first softball contest to be broadcast on the O-Zone portion of SoonerSports.com, which will air a total of 28 home and away games this season. Fans can access the live video feed, as well as live stats through SoonerSports.com. Admission to all OU softball games is $5 for adults and $2 for children. A small number of reserved season ticket packages still remain, for more information call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 456-GoOU.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb. 18
North Texas at Oklahoma - 3, 5 PM (DH)
Live Stats | O-Zone Live Video | Weekly Release

OU/Nike Classic
Friday, Feb. 20
Louisville vs. Oklahoma - 2:30 PM
Oklahoma vs. Louisville - 4:45 PM
Live Stats | O-Zone Live Video

Saturday, Feb. 21
North Carolina vs. Oklahoma - 2:30 PM
Oklahoma vs. North Carolina - 4:45 PM
Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 22
Sam Houston State vs. Oklahoma - 2:30 PM
Oklahoma vs. Sam Houston State - 4:45 PM
Live Stats | O-Zone Live Video
Bold indicates home team during tourney play.

A LOOK AHEAD
Oklahoma hosts the seventh annual OU/Nike Classic (formerly OU/adidas Classic) this weekend (Feb. 20-22) with first-timers Louisville, North Carolina and Sam Houston State joining the field. The round-robin tournament will feature a set of double-headers each day.

OU/Nike Classic Tournament Central

OU opens its tournament slate with a double-header against Louisville that is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., on Friday (all of OU's tournament double-headers are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.) The match-up between the undefeated Sooners and the 4-3 Cardinals is the first ever contest between the programs. Louisville's offense is powered by centerfielder Sara Bausher (.300, five RBI) and catcher Lacy Wood (.333, six RBI), who hit No. 3 and No. 4 in the Cardinals lineup, respectively. Freshman Kady Garrick leads the pitching staff with a 1.68 ERA and a 3-1 record.

North Carolina, which squares off with OU on Saturday, is 3-2 on the season after having a number of games rained out last weekend. OU owns a 4-0 lead in the all-time series with North Carolina, which has been shut out by the Soo in the last three meetings. Clean-up hitter Emily Price leads the Tar Heels with a .467 batting average, two home runs and seven RBI. The pitching staff is anchored by reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Crystal Cox who is 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA.

OU closes OU/Nike Classic action with a Sunday twin bill against Sam Houston State. The Sooners and Bearkats have split 12 all-time meetings with SHS taking the most recent meeting, 6-1, in 1996. Sam Houston State is 4-5 on the season with a pair of losses to Big 12 members Baylor and Texas. Leadoff hitter Lauren Boone tops the SHS lineup with a .375 batting average and five RBI. The Bearkats will stop off at North Texas on Thursday to play the Mean Green before arriving in Norman.

NOTE OF THE WEEK
No. 4 Oklahoma (6-0-1) is the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12, which has taken its lumps in non-conference tournaments so far. The best start in OU history is 12-0, which was accomplished in 2001 and 2002.

SOONERS RULE IN HOME OPENER
The No. 4 Okahoma softball team cruised to a 8-0 run-rule (five innings) victory in its home opener against Oklahoma Christian (Feb. 11). Reigning Big 12 Player of the Week Heather Scaglione continued her offensive onslaught with a two-run home run. Scaglione now has three home runs on the season and nine RBI.

Sophomore Nicole Denes improved her season record to 4-0 after recording her second shutout of the season. Junior Christina Enea tallied two RBI, while leadoff hitter Norrelle Dickson went 3-for-3.

NOT LIVING UP TO ITS NAME
The closest OU got to the field in the 2004 Sunshine State Tournament (Feb. 13-15) was a half-hour of warm-ups and a couple spins through the batting cage. The tournament was a complete wash for OU, which was to play five games, but never touched the diamond due to constant weekend rains in Tallahassee, Fla. OU will not reschedule the games.

SCAGLIONE SNAGS BIG 12 HONOR
Junior catcher Heather Scaglione was named Big 12 Player of the Week after earning MVP honors at the LSU Tiger Classic during the opening weekend (Feb. 6-8) of the season. Scaglione had two home runs, seven RBI and 15 total bases during the tourney. Her effort behind the plate was also stellar. Scaglione worked wonders with young hurlers Nicole Denes and Jessica Johnson, who admirably filled in for All-American Kami Keiter. Scaglione also stonewalled four potential scores at home plate and did not have a runner attempt to steal a base.

450 DOWN, NEXT 500?
OU head coach Patty Gasso picked up the 450th win of her career when OU knocked off Illinois 7-0 in the season opener at the LSU Tiger Classic (Feb. 6). Gasso's career Sooner record is 455-140-1 (.763). With a 51 win season Gasso will reach her 500th Sooner victory this season. OU has averaged 53 wins a season since 2000. Gasso will coach her 600th game with OU on the back end of the Sooners twin-bill with Louisville, Feb. 20.

JOHNSON STEALS HEADLINES
Oklahoma freshman pitcher Jessica Johnson didn't expect to see much time in the season-opening Tiger Classic. Turns out she may have been the hero. Johnson's debuted with the Sooners down 4-0 to Southeastern Louisiana and runners in scoring position. She quickly stifled the Lady Lions lineup and impressed the coaches. She was in the circle the following morning and produced a shutout in her first career start against Centenary (2/7). Johnson relieved Nicole Denes, again with runners in scoring position, against LSU and picked up her first career save on Saturday, Feb. 7. The following day (Feb. 8) it was more of the same as Johnson limited Centenary to one run and shut down Illinois in relief work. Johnson picked up two wins, one save and a Tiger Classic tournament best 0.52 ERA.

SETTING THE TABLE
A common theme during the Tiger Classic was speedsters Norrelle Dickson, Kristin Vesely and April Valdez causing havoc on the base paths. The speedy trio bats No. 1, No. 2 and No. 9 respectively and they all slap hit from the left side. Their job is to set the table for the sluggers. So far this season they have been exceptional. Their combined on-base percentage us .542 with Valdez leading the pack at .600. OU sluggers have done a good job of clearing the table as well. The 3-7 spots in the lineup produced 31 RBI, good for 76 percent of OU's runs this season.

KEITER SIDELINED
All-American Kami Keiter has been sidelined all season due to a strain biceps in her pitching (left) arm. Keiter's availability for the OU/Nike Classic will be determined this weekend.

"This is a precautionary measure'", said OU head coach Patty Gasso. "We don't want Kami to pitch until she is 100 percent."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Begins Busy Week With North Texas

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