Softball Jumps To No. 6 In Final Polls

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma softball team's remarkable postseason run catapulted the Sooners to a No. 6 ranking in both of the final national polls.

OU entered regionals with a No. 21 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top-25 Poll and raced up 15 spots by the time the final votes were tallied. The Sooners leapfrogged 14 spots in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top-25 Poll after beginning regionals at No. 20.

OU was ranked No. 4 in both outlet's preseason polls and fell as far as No. 21 in each poll after finishing fifth in the Big 12. That was before the Sooners stormed through the Region 1 Championships with momentous wins over then-No. 1 Arizona and then-No. 9 Louisiana-Lafayette. OU won its first game of the WCWS and finished fifth among the eight national championship contenders.

“All season I told the team to stick with the plan,” said OU head coach Patty Gasso. “We peaked at the right time of the season and the nation's coaches recognized our accomplishments. It is a testament to the hardwork of this team and something we can build on for next season.”

It is familiar territory for the Sooners (8.42), who have the third best final ranking average over the last seven years. The only teams ahead of them are Arizona (3.57), who didn't reach the 2004 WCWS field, and Cal (6.28), who was national runner up. It marks the fifth consecutive year that OU has finished no lower than eighth in the national polls.

NFCA Poll | USA Softball Poll

Ahead of OU in the final polls (in order) were two-time National Champion UCLA, Cal, LSU, Stanford and Florida State. Arizona dropped to No. 7 in the USA Softball poll after being ranked No. 1 for 10 consecutive weeks during the regular season and failing to reach the WCWS for the first time in 16 years.

Perhaps the best news for OU is that they return eight starters as they attempt to reach a fifth consecutive WCWS. On offense, OU returns 93 percent of its RBI and 90 percent of its runs. In the circle, Kami Keiter will go after a fourth All-Big 12 honor, along with the expected healthy return of Nicole Denes (irregular heart beat) and sophomore-to-be Jessica Johnson.

Included among the 2005 returnees is senior-to-be Christina Enea. Enea was named to the 2004 WCWS All-Tournament Team on Monday evening after hitting .545 during the Sooners three games. Enea is the seventh Sooner to make the a WCWS All-Tournament Team. In 2003 Jennifer Stump was the lone OU player to garner the honor.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Softball Jumps To No. 6 In Final Polls

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