Big 12 Softball Tournament Preview

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The No. 21 Oklahoma softball team (38-7-1) will open the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4-seed Baylor at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Play begins in the conference tourney on Wednesday with the survivor's of the elimination games facing the top two seeds, Nebraska (1) and Texas A&M (2).

The seeding is based solely on regular season conference finish. No. 21 OU went 11-7 and was swept at No. 19 Baylor in a doubleheader on March 29. OU had won 21 straight games against the Bears before the twin bill losses. OU still leads the all-time series 28-5.

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

OU has an all-time Big 12 Tournament record of 24-11, which is the best mark in the conference. The Sooners are 2-0 against Baylor in the tournament. OU will face either Texas (No. 8), Iowa State (No. 9) or Nebraska (No. 1) in its second tourney game.

Big 12 Tournament
Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Thursday, May 13
Oklahoma (# 5) vs. Baylor (# 4) 10 AM

Live Stats

VITAL STATS
Record - 38-17-1
Streaks - Won One
USA Today/NFCA Ranking - No. 21
ESPN.com/USA Softball Ranking - No. 20
Big 12 Record - 11-7
Home Record - 22-3
Road Record - 6-9
Non-Conference Record - 27-10-1
Midwest Region Record - 18-10
Out of Region Record - 20-7-1

OU Tourney Guide | Big 12 Tourney Notes

FIVE SOONERS WIN BIG 12 AWARDS
The Big 12 Conference announced the softball postseason awards on Wednesday afternoon and five Sooners were recognized by the league's coaches. Topping the list of Sooners is Heather Scaglione, who was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and also earned All-Big 12 First Team recognition as a catcher. Joining the junior on the All-Big 12 First Team was Christina Enea at first base and Kristin Vesely as an at-large selection. Junior pitcher Kami Keiter and sophomore outfielder Mariee Mena were named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Complete List Of All-Big 12 Teams

“When I look at her stats compared to others in the Big 12, she was so far ahead of everyone across the board that it was really a no brainer,” said OU head coach Patty Gasso about Scaglione. “She is extremely deserving of this award. When you think about building a program and what you generally center that around, usually you start in the (pitcher's) circle. This year Heather has become our leader and some one that we have built our team around.”

Scaglione won seven conference offensive titles. She topped all conference players in batting average (.455), home runs (6), RBI (15), total bases (40), on-base percentage (.597), slugging percentage (.909) and walks (16). Scaglione has also been dominant behind the plate. She has thrown out a 12 of 19 attempted base stealers while only allowing three passed balls this season.

Christina Enea earned first team honors for the second time in her career after earning the recognition as a freshman in 2002. Enea had the fifth best batting average in conference at .349 while slugging at a .419 clip and reaching base at a .451 rate. The junior from California was also stellar at first base where she had a .992 fielding percentage and committed just one error.

Vesely, who garnered second team honors in 2003, was named to the first team for her work in center field and as the Sooners' leadoff hitter. She hit .316 during conference action and really picked up the pace during the second half of the Big 12 season, when she hit .342.

Junior Kami Keiter has now made the second team twice (2002 as well) and the first team (2003) once. She led the Big 12 in innings pitched (111), appearances (18), games started (17) while tying with Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Peaches James for the lead in complete games (15).

Sophomore Mariee Mena is the Sooner's only first time honoree. After serving as a role player in 2003, Mena flourished during the 2004 Big 12 season. She hit .333 during league play, which was the third on the Sooner squad.

Big 12 Tourney Ticket Information
Tickets can be ordered by contacting the All Sports Association (405) 236-5000. The costs are listed below:
All Session - General Admission ($50.00 )
Games 1-10 - General Admission ($8 Adult; $5 Senior Citizens & Children 12 and under)
Games 11-Championship - General Admission ($10 Adult; $7 Senior Citizens & Children)

REVELANT RECAPS

BAYLOR 3, OU 1 (10 INNINGS)
GAME 1 - MARCH 29, 2004
Baylor late inning heroics did in the Sooners in a 3-1, 10-inning loss to the Bears on Monday, March 29. Over a span of 11 days, Keiter took the loss in four games that were decided in the opponents final at bat. Three of those were due to defensive lapses on OU's part. April Valdez, who had just four errors at the time, booted a grounder in the 3-4 hole that allowed Baylor to tie the game at 1-1 in the seventh inning of the first game of the doubleheader. A walk-off two-run home run by Kelly Osburn clinched it for Baylor in the 10th inning. Offensively, the lone Sooner bright spots were Scaglione (3-for-3), who hit her 11th home run, and Kristin Vesely (2-for-4). Box Score

BAYLOR 4, OU 1
GAME 2 - MARCH 29, 2004
The Sooners couldn't salvage a win in the night cap of the twin bill against Baylor. OU's offense could only muster one run as the Bears took the sweep with a 4-1 win. The lone Sooner run was courtesy of April Valdez (1-for-3, 1 RBI). Valdez (2-1) took the loss after allowing all four Baylor runs in her first career Big 12 start. Box Score

OU 1, BAYLOR 0
2003 BIG 12 TOURNAMENT - MAY 3, 2003
A first inning RBI single by Kelli Braistch scored Erin Evans and gave OU the decisive 1-0 lead. Kami Keiter tossed a two-hit shutout and continued her dominance of the Big 12 field in the conference tourney. Through three games Keiter had allowed one run in 22.0 innings of work. Baylor became the first No. 10 seed in the history of the Big 12 to win two games in the conference tourney.

A CUT ABOVE
Heather Scaglione received more all-conference votes than any player and garnered two league honors. She quickly established herself as the Big 12's top slugger by distancing herself from the rest of the conference statistically. In the conference ranks for the entire season, she leads the Big 12 in hits (67), batting average (.424), home runs (16), RBI (46), total bases (125), on-base percentage (.538), slugging percentage (.791), and walks (39), while ranking third in runs scored (39) and fifth in doubles (10). She is the only player in conference hitting above .400, while also being the only player to eclipse .500 in on-base percentage and .700 in slugging percentage.

She claimed seven conference offensive titles after leading the all hitters during Big 12 play in batting average (.455), home runs (6), RBI (15), total bases (40), on-base percentage (.597), slugging percentage (.909) and walks (16).

Her most impressive stat may be on defense where she has thrown out 12 of 19 attempted base stealers (.632). She also has just three passed balls this season and has picked off four runners.

Her remarkable season will go down in Big 12 history as one of the best ever. Scaglione's current on-base percentage of .538 is the best mark in Big 12 history. Her current batting average is the fifth best in Big 12 history, while her home run total is tied for sixth, her walk total is fifth and her total bases mark ranks 11th. She is also within reach of the top-12 in hits and RBI.

450, 600 & 650 DOWN, 500 Next?
OU head coach Patty Gasso claimed the 650th victory of her head coaching career (Long Beach City College and OU) with a defeat of No. 25 Tulsa on May 11. Her current career record is 650-215-1 (.751). Gasso picked up the 450th win of her Sooner career when OU knocked off Illinois 7-0 in the season opener at the LSU Tiger Classic (Feb. 6). Gasso's OU career record is 487-157-1 (.755). With a 51 win season Gasso will reach her 500th Sooner victory this season. OU has averaged 53 wins a season since 2000. Gasso coached the 600th game of her Sooner career in OU's 10-0 defeat of North Carolina on Feb. 21.

OU CLAIMS BEDLAM BELL
With sweeps in softball, track & field, women's basketball and a 52-9 victory in football last November, the University of Oklahoma claimed the Bedlam Series over Oklahoma State for 2003-04. The Sooners finished two points ahead of OSU, 10.5-8.5, in the Bedlam Series presented by the Bank of Oklahoma and your Oklahoma Ford Dealers.

NO. 5 AND NO. 6 FOR SCAGLIONE
The Big 12 Conference announced on May 4 that junior catcher Heather Scaglione of the Oklahoma softball had garnered the Big 12 Player of the Week honor for the fifth time this season. The recognition extends her conference records for single-season (5) and career awards (6). In six official at bats from April 27-May 2, Scaglione had two home runs and three RBI while hitting .500. The San Diego, Calif., native's two-run home run against Oklahoma State was the game winner and ignited the Sooners to a 5-1 win. During the weekend set with Iowa State, Scaglione went 2-for-3 with another home run and four base on balls - including two intentional passes. On the week Scaglione had staggering numbers in slugging percentage (1.500) and on-base percentage (.700).

FLOURISHING AT THE TOP
Versatile center fielder Kristin Vesely bounced around OU's lineup for the first two months of the season. It appears she may have found a home as the Sooners leadoff hitter. Since moving up to the top spot 12 games ago she is hitting .342 with six runs scored and a .419 on-base percentage. She has improved her batting average nine points (.303 to .312) since the change. Coach Gasso has acknowledged on several occasions the improved approach she is taking at the plate. Gasso has also been impressed by the way Vesely has become a student of the game.

SWITCHING THINGS UP
After defensive struggles in Nebraska (4/7-8), OU coach Patty Gasso felt it was time to shake up the infield. The result against Texas Tech was moving Norrelle Dickson to her natural position, third base, and inserting senior Katie Overton at short stop. Dickson had started the previous 48 games at short, while freshman Jamie Fox has started the same number at third. Fox has since found herself penciled in at designated player and right field. The new defensive look has been a resounding success over the last eight games.

READY FOR PRIMETIME
There is no waiting in the shadows for freshmen on the Oklahoma softball team. Coach Gasso expects contributions immediately. This season the Sooners have had to rely on freshman more than any season since 2000. Freshman have accounted for about three starting spots (32%) in every game. Jamie Fox and Norrelle Dickson are two of five Sooners that have started in every game this season. Amber Spaulding, Stacia Aleman and Jessica Johnson have accounted for 58 percent of the starting nods at designated player, while Spaulding has also started in right field 24 times (43 percent). Fox, Dickson, Aleman and Spaulding, who have received the most playing time of the rookie group, have a combined batting average of .277.

MENA TIME
Sophomore Mariee Mena has picked the right time to find her swing and that stroke has solidified her as the starting right fielder lately. Mena is hitting .333 in conference. The Escondido, Calif., native has improved her season batting average 19 points since the start of the Big 12 season. She was hitting .260 following the Kia Klassic and is currently swinging at a .279 clip. Her .279 average is the fifth best on the squad, while her conference number ranks third behind Scaglione and Enea.

STOPPING CRIME
In 56 games this season only 19 runners have attempted to steal a base against junior catcher Heather Scaglione and she's gunned down 12 of them (63 percent). Last year 38 runners tried to steal on the Sooner signal caller and she tossed out 14 (38 percent). Scaglione had a streak of 34 straight games without allowing a stolen base snapped against Arizona (3/19). Coach Gasso has taken to calling her the best catcher in the country and it's clear that Scaglione's reputation is preceding her. No one has attempted to steal on Scags over the last six games and no one has been successful over the last nine games. Only about one out of every three opponents even attempts to steal.

PROMOTING THEFT
Baseball statisticians say individuals need to successfully steal 80 percent of the time to help their team. How about if your team completes the theft at an 82 percent rate? The Sooners have swiped 85 bases on 104 attempts (82 percent) this season. Twelve Sooners have recorded a stolen base with Norrelle Dickson at the top of the pack with 25.

The Sooners work on the base paths is an added dimension from last season. In 2003, OU stole 56 bases on 88 attempts (64 percent). A safe estimate is that OU will play 6 more games, including the Big 12 Tournament, for a regular season total of 61. At their current rate OU is projected to steal 93 bases, which is 18 shy of the school record of 112 set in 2000.

RARE DISPLAY OF POWER
Remarkably Norrelle Dickson's first 33 hits of the season were all singles. Dickson broke out of her single routine with an extremely rare sight, an inside the park home run to lead off the back end of a doubleheader against New Mexico (3/12). Of her 66 hits this season, Dickson has just two extra base hits, the other being a double.

OF NOTE....
Oklahoma (No. 21) was not the highest ranked Big 12 team in either of the major national polls April 21, which marked the first time all season that OU did not lead the conference ... Nebraska took the Big 12's top spot at No. 15 on April 21 ... OU's current ranking is its lowest since the final poll of the 1999 season ... With 17 losses this season, OU has already surpassed its loss total from 2003 when they went 47-14 ... The most losses by an OU team under Patty Gasso is 23, which came during Gasso's first year (43-23 in 1995) at OU ... OU's current loss total ranks as the highest since 2002 when the Sooners went 49-16 ... Jessica Leslie (left field) is the only remaining regular who has not committed an error this season ... Norrelle Dickson has 20 multi-hit games this year, while Heather Scaglione has 17 ... OU's batting average has dropped 39 points since the start of the Kia Klassic on March 18 (.326 to .287) ... OU is 4-8 against ranked team's this season (with a recent win over No. 25 Tulsa) and 2-3 against teams currently in the NFCA top-10 ... Dickson, second in the Big 12 lead in hits (66) and No. 5 in batting average (.359), leads all freshman in batting average, hits, and ranks second in stolen bases (24) ... OU is hitting just .217 (15-for-69) with the bases loaded this season, although they are hitting .292 with runners on base ... Leadoff hitters are getting on at a .354 clip with Christina Enea (.438), April Valdez (.407) and Norrelle Dickson (.427) and Heather Scaglione (.457) all hitting well above .400 when they start innings.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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