2005 Softball Year In Review

It wasn't supposed to end that way. Not with four seniors and eight starters returning. Yet the postseason hand the Oklahoma softball team was dealt proved too daunting.

After claiming the Regional 14 Championship in front of their home fans in Norman, the 14-seed Sooners were unable to survive a Super Regional match up with the three-seed Wildcats of Arizona. The Sooners were swept in the best-of-three series and missed out on the Women's College World Series for the first time since 1999.

OU ended the season with a 50-17 record and No. 13 ranking, which is its lowest final ranking since 1999. The top-15 ranking doesn't do justice to the accomplishments of the 2005 squad.

The Sooners were one of the best hitting teams in program history. They were the fourth in the NCAA with a .320 batting average, ninth in scoring, 21st in winning percentage, 30th in home runs, second in doubles, 18th in stolen bases and 13th in slugging percentage.

Complete Year In Review In PDF Format

Perhaps the most memorable part of the season was the record 29-game winning streak that spanned 36 days and was extended during play in five different states. The Sooners outscored opponents 218-40, run-ruled 10 opponents and claimed five tourney championships during the streak.

The offensive totals were largely due to the efforts of the four player senior class that will be sorely missed. The four-some of Christina Enea, Kami Keiter, Jessica Leslie and Heather Scaglione tallied 11 All-Big 12, seven All-Midwest Region and four All-America honors during their careers. They graduate as one of the most accomplished classes in OU softball history.

The cupboard is far from empty though. All-American rally starters Kristin Vesely (second team) and Norrelle Dickson (third team) return to lead the offensive effort. The one and two hitters in the lineup scored 31 percent of the Sooners runs this season and more importantly, led their team to a 32-2 record when they scored in the first inning.

Vesely will have a tough time topping her 2005 effort when she hit .451, which was sixth in the NCAA and an OU single season record. She also ranked no lower than third in the OU record books in runs (63), hits (97) and stolen bases (32). The senior-to-be was one of 10 finalists, along with Scaglione, for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.

Three other starters (Tayl'r Hollis, Jamie Fox and Savannah Long) will return for the 2006 campaign, giving the Sooners a strong nucleus to build around a stellar incoming class.

All together the Sooners will return 13 players in 2006, including junior-to-be Mariee Mena who redshirted during the 2005 season. Three pitchers (Stacy Braddock, Nicole Denes, Jadyn Smith) return and will be joined in the rotation by five-star recruits Morgan Hudsonpillar (Bartlesville, Okla.) and D.J. Mathis (East Alton, Ill.).

Big 12 Stats

Head coach Patty Gasso is excited about the young team that will hit Marita Hynes Field next season and expects the group to the build on their second place Big 12 finish.

It is also time to start a new WCWS streak and Coach Gasso is confident in the new look team that will take the field next season.

“We lost some great, program building players and there is no way to understate that,” said Gasso. “But I am really excited about our incoming class. We are going to be a young and talented team with the same goals, which begin with reaching the World Series and competing for a national championship.”

Scaglione, Vesely, Dickson Earn All-America Honors
Three Oklahoma softball players were named to the 2005 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America first, second and third teams on Thursday afternoon.

Leading the pack was senior catcher Heather Scaglione, who earned a first team, at large honor. The San Diego, Calif., native is the first player in OU history to receive two first-team honors in her career.

Kristin Vesely landed on the second team as an outfielder. It marks the first such honor for the speedy lefty, who has been an All-Big 12 performer each of her first three seasons in Norman.

It is also the first career honor for Norrelle Dickson, who garnered first team All-Big 12 and first team Midwest All-Region honors earlier this season. She was named as a third baseman to the third team.

Regional 14 Championship Leftovers
The Sooners extended their success in the NCAA Regional format by sweeping through the field in three games and claiming the Regional 14 Championship on their home turf ... OU is 23-1 in regional play since 2000 ... OU hit .275 as a team and Kami Keiter, who threw all 21 innings for OU, posted a 1.33 ERA ... If they had a MVP honor, Keiter would have been a likely candidate as she went 3-0 with 30 strikeouts and a .151 opponent batting average (11-for-73) ... Kristin Vesely and Norrelle Dickson would have also been MVP candidates, as both hit .455 and combined to score five of OU's 10 runs ... Six of OU's 10 runs were scored in the first inning ... OU is 32-2 when it scores in the first inning ... The only OU player with more than one RBI was freshman Alison Horne, who roped a two-run game winning double to defeat UL Lafayette in Game 3 of the tourney.

Regional Offensive Production
Over the last six seasons, OU's offense has scorched its way through regionals. Since 2000, OU has gone 23-1 in regionals and has hit .341 as a team. They have outscored opponents 152-38 (219-643) and opponents have managed more than two runs on just three occasions.

The offense has been even hotter when the Sooners are hosting the tournament. At the OU Softball Complex OU has hit .349 (141-403) during regional play, as opposed to a .325 (78-240) mark on the road.

Five Sooners Earn Midwest All-Region Honors
Five players on the Oklahoma softball team were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Midwest All-Region Team on May 18. Garnering First Team acclaim were pitcher Kami Keiter, third baseman Norrelle Dickson, catcher Heather Scaglione and outfielder Kristin Vesely. Earning Second Team honors for the Sooners was outfielder Jessica Leslie.

It marks the second time that Dickson (2004), Scaglione (2004) and Keiter (2003) have garnered the All-Region honors in their respective careers. It is the first such honors for Leslie and Vesely. All-time OU has collected 58 All-Midwest accolades.

The awards add to an already long list from this season. Five Sooners were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Scaglione also garnered the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, Scaglione and Vesely are semifinalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year award. All five Sooners are now eligible for All-America honors, which will be announced during the week of the Women's College World Series, June 2-8.

Keiter and Scaglione Earn All-Big 12 Tourney Honors
For the fourth time in her career, senior Kami Keiter was named to All-Big 12 Tournament Team, while fellow senior Heather Scaglione earned the first such honor of her career. The pair of Oklahoma stars led the Sooners to a 2-2 mark in the conference tourney.

Scaglione led the OU offense and ranked fourth among tourney participants with a .455 batting average. She collected five hits, one double and one RBI while also posting a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000.

Keiter worked 19.1 innings and allowed just one earned run - via a solo home run - for the Sooners. Her 0.36 ERA was second only to Tournament MVP Cat Osterman, who did not allow an earned run on the weekend.

Five Sooners Garner First Team All-Big 12 Honors
Christina Enea, Norrelle Dickson, Kami Keiter, Heather Scaglione and Kristin Vesely were named to the Coaches All-Big 12 First Team on Wednesday afternoon at the annual pre-Big 12 Tournament Banquet. It marks the fourth time since the inception of the Big 12 (1996) that OU has placed at least five players on the first team. The school record of six was set in 2000 and 2001.

For Keiter and Scaglione it was the fourth All-Big 12 honors of their careers. It marked the second first team honor for both players. It was the third honor of Enea and Vesely's careers, while it marked the first such honor for Dickson. It marked the third first team honor for Enea and the second for Vesely.

Two Sooners Make Player of the Year Semifinal List of 10
Oklahoma softball players Kristin Vesely and Heather Scaglione were named to the semifinal list of 10 players for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award. It marks just the second time that an OU player has reached the final 10 (Leah Gulla in 2003) and the first such distinction for each player. OU and Michigan (Jennie Ritter and Jessica Merchant) are the only teams with two players on the semifinalists.

Jessica Leslie was on the initial list of 25 but did not make the semifinal cut. Norrelle Dickson and Kami Keiter were on the preseason watch list, along with Scaglione, but did not make the first cut of 25. The final cut of three will be announced just before the WCWS on May 31.

Scaglione Named To USA Elite Team
The Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and USA Softball announced today the selection of the 2005 Women's National and Elite Teams. 2005 All-American Heather Scaglione was named to 16-person Elite Team that will compete in two international tournaments this summer.

The 16-member Elite Team will represent the Red, White and Blue beginning July 2 at the Canada Cup in Surrey, B.C. and the Inter-Continental Cup in Madrid, Spain, July 20-28.

Scaglione and Kristin Vesely tried out for the USA squads at the National Team Tryout Camp from June 13-17. Vesely was not named to either USA squad. 2005 graduate Christina Enea was invited to the camp but did not attend because of professional obligations with the Chicago Bandits of the National Pro Fastpitch league.

Scaglione competed with the USA Elite Team last fall and helped guide the squad to the gold medal in the First World University Games for Softball. She was joined on the medal-winning team by junior-to-be Norrelle Dickson and recently graduated Kami Keiter.

Vesely Joins Enea and Scaglione Among Those Invited To USA National Team Camp
When you hit .451, you are bound to turn some heads. That time came for Oklahoma junior center fielder Kristin Vesely, who was invited to the 2005 Women's National Team Selection Camp, June 13-17, at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

An 18-member national team and 16-member elite team will be selected from this camp to represent the United States in the various international events in 2005. The National team will participate in an exhibition versus Australia on July 12 in Irvine, Calif., the World Cup of Softball July 14-18 in Oklahoma City, and the Japan Cup July 16- August 5 in Yokohama, Japan. The Elite team will participate in the Canada Cup June 29-July 11 in Surrey, B.C., and the Inter-Continental Spain Cup July 20-July 28 in Madrid, Spain.

Vesely will joined at the camp by fellow Sooners Heather Scaglione and Christina Enea. OU and Michigan are the only schools to have three collegiate athletes heading to the tryout camp.

Gone For Good
The statistical numbers and percentages that will have to after the graduation of the 2005 senior class:

AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR
744	37	234	63	5	32
42%	37%	41%	53%	55%	57%

RBI	TB	SB	PO	A	IP
192	403	31	876	119	239.1
57%	46%	28%	66%	119%	54%

SO	W	GS	CG	SHO	SV
221	32	37	22	13	2
50%	64%	55%	76%	100%	50%

Looking Ahead To 2006
The Sooners will start the 2006 with four open starting spots, which means the reserves from 2005 and the newcomers will have to step up into major roles next season. Below is look at the credentials of the five recruits, who have signed national letters of intent with OU:

Traci Dickenson
INF, 5-8, R/R
Placentia, Calif. (El Dorado HS)
Four year varsity starter for El Dorado High School and head coach Garrett Yosh ... Currently in the midst of senior season for El Dorado ... Two-time All CIF Div. II selection ... Three-time all-league selection ... Two-time all-league Defensive MVP and three-time El Dorado Defensive MVP ... Named by Orange County Register as one of the “Top-5 Players To Look Out For” ... Voted most athletic female in 2005 senior class ... Plays club ball for the So Cal Athletics, who are coached by Bruce Richardson ... Has played every infield position except first during prep years ... Chose Oklahoma over Cal State Fullerton, Texas, Cal-Berkeley, Florida State, Purdue and Mississippi.

Morgan Hudsonpillar
RHP, 5-11, R/R
Bartlesville, Okla. (Bartlesville HS)
Earned two varsity letters from Bartlesville High School where she was coached by Erica Derryberry ... Three-time Class 6A First Team All-Frontier Conference ... 2004 Oklahoma All Region Selection ... 2004 Oklahoma All-State selection ... Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise 2003 Player of the Year ... Played travel ball for the Tulsa Eagles, who won the 2004 AFA 18U National Championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher ... Tulsa Eagles are coached by Dave Simmons ... Owns Bartlesville HS single season home run record of 10 ... Led 2003 and 2004 teams in home runs, doubles, RBI, wins, ERA and strikeouts ... Had a 17-3 record with 0.38 ERA and 268 strikeouts as a senior ... Played first two years of high school softball at Ponca City HS.

D.J. Mathis
LHP, 5-6, L/L
East Alton, Ill. (Roxanne HS)
Four year varsity starter ... Astounding collection of career high school numbers ... Career record of 60-7 which includes consecutive earned run averages of 0.14, 0.11 and 0.22 ... Career ERA of 0.15 ... 993 strikeouts and only 46 walks in 457 innings pitched ... Thrown 28 no-hitters and 13 perfect games, both of which are state career records ... Struck out Illinois state record 33 straight batters during 2003 season ... Also had a 21-game winning streak in 2003 ... Also hitting .528 during prep career with 11 home runs, 67 RBI and 96 stolen bases ... Only high school player selected to play by Metro St. Louis ASA, which represented St. Louis area in the “Aiming for Athens” tour and played against the 2004 Olympic Team ... Played for St. Louis Lightning last summer and finished fifth at 18-U ASA National Tournament ... Currently playing for Southern Force coached by Gerry Glasco, which won the 2004 18-U Gold National Championship ... Alton Telegraph Player of the Year 2002-04 ... 2004 Belleville News Democrat Player of the Year ... 2004 St. Louis Post Dispatch Player of the Year ... South Central All-Conference Team 2002-04 ... Named to Alton Telegraph, Belleville News Democrat and St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Area teams from 2002-04 ... 2003 NFCA Third Team All-American ... NFCA First Team All North Region 2002-04 ... All State 2002-04 ... Scholar athlete ... National Honor Society Member ... D.A.R. Good Citizenship Award Winner ... 4-year Student Council Member.

Jessica Legendre
INF, 5-7, R/R
Port Jefferson, N.Y. (Earl L. Vandermeulen HS)
Earned three varsity letters at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School where she is coached by Steve Smith ... Will complete high school softball career during spring season ... Natural athlete who projects as a middle infielder at the college level ... All-State player the last two seasons, while being an all-conference, all-league and all-area player the last three years ... Newsday “Player to Watch” ... All Long Island selection as junior ... Lettered multiple times in basketball, soccer and field hockey ... Three year member of honor roll and current National Honor Society member ... Plays club ball for NJ/NY Beach Girls who are coached by Joe Botti ... Will become just the second New York native and the first since 1982 (Nancy Lane) to play softball for OU ... Will also be the only New York native currently in the Big 12.

Janelle Rosa
C, 6-0, R/R
Aptos, Calif. (West Valley Community College)
Transferred to West Valley C.C. for the 2004-05 academic year ... All-Tournament in 2005 State California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association Championship ... Played for head coach Les Hearns ... First team All-Coast Conference ... First Team All-CALJU ... First Team All-State ... Best Offensive Player at San Jose Community College ... Lead Coast Conference in home runs ... Led state in intentional walks ... Third in state in home runs ... Impressive freshman season included nine home runs, 45 base on balls, 43 RBIs and a .427 batting average ... Heavily recruited by Arizona and Hawaii.

Streaks
Notable streaks from the 2005 season:
184 - Consecutive games started by Kristin Vesely.
142 - Consecutive weeks since the inception of the NFCA Poll that OU has been ranked in the top-25.
119 - Consecutive game errorless streak for Jessica Leslie that was snapped against Texas (4/9).
79 - Length of Kami Keiter's career best streak of innings without allowing an earned run.
31- Length of home winning streak that was snapped by Texas A&M on April 16.
29 - School record winning streak set from Feb. 11 to March 19.
23 - Game hitting streak by Kristin Vesely, which set the OU record before being broken against UTEP on March 14.
12 - Consecutive seasons of 40 or more wins, 11 under Gasso, which OU clinched with DH sweep of Texas Tech on April 11.
12 - Consecutive trips to the NCAA postseason.
10 - Consecutive games that OU scored five or more runs. The record streak was snapped vs. FSU (2/26).
12 - Career high hitting streak for Norrelle Dickson, that was snapped against UNLV (3/6). It is just the second of at least 12 games since 2001. Vesely's record streak is the other.
6 - Consecutive wins for OU in the Bedlam Series.
6 - Consecutive Regional Championships.

Class Rank
The 2005 senior class (Christina Enea, Heather Scaglione, Kami Keiter and Jessica Leslie) may go out as the best in school history.

In fact, based on career accomplishments, the 2005 class' only competition is the 2001 six pack (LaKisha Washington, Lisa Carey, Jamie White, Ashli Barrett, Andrea Davis and Mandy Fulton). The 2001 group appeared on the OU career record lists 25 times going into its final season. The 2005 version appeared 21 times. The 2001 crew only improved its mark in its final season and currently appears 32 times on the career lists. The 2005 class appears on the career lists 31 times, which is significant considering its have two less players than 2001.

The 2005 senior class also holds a couple distinctions over 2001. The quartet is the first in OU history to have three different graduating-players with All-America honors. It also is more well rounded than its counterparts. The 2001 version did not have a pitcher on any lists. The 2005 team has Kami Keiter, who ranks in the top six of all nine career pitching categories.

Four Reliable Arms
The 2005 pitching staff may have been the deepest of the Patty Gasso era. As a group they have a combined ERA of 1.85, good for fourth in the Big 12. Senior Kami Keiter (32-7, 1.37) finished her career with 102 victories. Freshman Stacy Braddock (7-8, 2.58) developed into the second option behind Keiter. Junior Nicole Denes (8-1, 2.66) struck out 100 batters in 81.2 innings of work as the No. 3. Preseason No. 4 starter Jadyn Smith (3-1) won the staff ERA title with solid 1.35 mark.

Gasso Joins 500 & 700 Clubs
OU head coach Patty Gasso won the 700th game of her collegiate head coaching career with a 4-0 defeat of Nebraska on May 1. The 700 victories have come during stops at OU and Long Beach City College.

Gasso won the 500th game of her OU coaching career on Feb. 18 in a 11-1 win over Lipscomb. Her OU career mark is 544-179-1 (.751). She distanced herself from the previous Sooner coaches a long time ago. In fact, the next closest in career wins is OU administrator Marita Hynes, who went 256-189 from 1977-84.

Her current career record (OU and LBCC) is 706-238-1 (.748).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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