Softball Hosts OU/Nike Classic

No. 4 Oklahoma (8-0-1) hosts the seventh annual OU/Nike 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's opener against Louisville, which begins at 2:30 p.m., will be broadcast by The Wire (Channel 4 in Norman area) and live on the O-Zone.

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.

OU/Nike Classic Tournament Central | Live Stats | O-Zone Video

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 Sooners 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.

SOPHOMORES DOOM NORTH TEXAS
No. 4 Oklahoma took both ends of its Wednesday doubleheader against North Texas, although the victories were in stark contrast to each other.

OU cruised to a 7-2 in the opener thanks to a 10-strikeout pitching performance from sophomore Nicole Denes. Juniors Heather Scaglione and Jessica Leslie hit their fourth and second home runs of the season, respectively. OU had to come from behind in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the second game 5-4. A RBI double by Jamie Fox and the game winner by sophomore Mariee Mena upped the Sooners record to 8-0-1 on the season.

NOTE OF THE WEEK
No. 4 Oklahoma (8-0-1) 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.

SETTING THE TABLE
A common theme so far this season is 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 .489 with Valdez leading the pack at .538. OU sluggers have done a good job of clearing the table as well.   The 3-7 spots in the lineup produced 39 RBI, good for 68 percent of OU's runs this season.

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 457-140-1 (.764). 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.

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."

STOPPING CRIME
In nine games this season only one runner has attempted to steal a base against junior catcher Heather Scaglione, and she gunned her down in the second game of the doubleheader against North Texas. Last year 38 runners tried to the steal on the Sooner signal caller and she tossed out 14 (38 percent). Coach Gasso has taken to calling her the best catcher in the country and it's clear that Scaglione's reputation is preceding her.

PROMOTING THEFT
While opponents aren't even attempting to run on OU catcher Heather Scaglione, the exact opposite is true of OU. The Sooners have swiped 16 bases on 19 attempts (84 percent) this season. Nine Sooners have recorded a stolen base with Kristin Vesely and April Valdez leading the squad with three each.

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