Softball Releases 2008 Schedule

Oct. 23, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. --University of Oklahoma Vice President/Athletics Director Joe Castiglione and OU head softball coach Patty Gasso announced the Sooners' 2008 regular season schedule on Monday.

OU will play a minimum of 56 games and face 18 teams (25 games) that advanced to the 2007 NCAA postseason, including Big 12 series against Texas A&M and Baylor, who both advanced to the WCWS last season. The Sooners also highlight their schedule with a contest against the USA Olympic Team, which will be played at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Sooner fans will be able to enjoy 22 home games, including two tournaments, at the OU Softball Complex.

"We are going to throw our team in the fire, immediately," head coach Patty Gasso said. "I think this is one of the toughest schedules we have ever put together since I've been here with so much of our competition having postseason experience. This program embraces tough competition because it prepares us so well for the Big 12 and postseason."

Oklahoma will kick off the season with a showdown of two softball powerhouses as the Sooners face UCLA on Friday, Feb. 8 in Westwood Calif., as part of the Cal State Fullerton/UCLA Freeway Series. OU will also face UCSB, Reno and Cal State Fullerton in the season-opening tournament that runs Feb. 8-10.

OU's stacked non-conference schedule includes a trip to Las Vegas to the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic (Feb. 15-17) where the Sooners will face BYU, Cal State Northridge, South Carolina, Illinois and Cal Poly. The tough slate continues as the Sooners make their annual trip to the Palm Springs Classic (Feb. 22-24) where they will match up against Stanford, Pacific, Oregon, San Diego State and Georgia.

Sooner fans will have great opportunities to catch OU in non-conference action beginning Feb. 27 as it hosts Tulsa in the first contest of a two-game series. Oklahoma will follow that with back-to-back home tournaments as it hosts the Residence Inn Invitational (March 1-2) and the OU Worth Tournament (March 8-9) at the OU Softball Complex. OU will face North Texas, Memphis, McNeese and Drake in the two tournaments.

Oklahoma rounds out non-conference action with a trip to California. The Sooners will take on Fresno State in Fresno, Calif., on March 13 before competing in its final tournament of the regular season, the Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif. (March 14-16). OU will face Cal Poly, Colorado State, Sacramento State, California and Princeton in the three-day tournament.

The 18-game Big 12 schedule is highlighted by home tilts with Texas, Kansas and Missouri. The road portion features trips to Nebraska, Texas A&M, Iowa State and Baylor.

"The Big 12 is extremely tough every week from top to bottom," Gasso said. "As always, it is going to be very competitive and you can't take a day off when facing any of the conference competition. Every other year, our road schedule is very tough and that is what we face this year. We will face challenging teams such as Nebraska, Baylor and Texas A&M on the road. However, I believe our grueling non-conference schedule will prepare us for that and our team will be extremely matured by the time conference play starts."

The annual Bedlam series will begin in Stillwater on April 2 and conclude in Norman on April 23. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

OU will take a break from Big 12 play on March 25 as it takes on the USA Olympic Team at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

"Playing this game at the Hall of Fame gives it a championship atmosphere," Gasso said. "We are going to have the honor of facing the best softball athletes in the world. However, like we do for every game we are going to be prepared for the game and will work extremely hard against this great squad. This will also be another game that can only help us for the postseason competition."

Postseason play begins with the Big 12 Championship (May 9-11), which the Sooners won last season. The three-day tournament will also be played at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

NCAA Tournament action begins May 16-18 with four-team Regionals that will be hosted at 16 sites. NCAA Super Regionals (May 23-25) will feature two teams in a best-of-three format at eight different sites. The Women's College World Series, played in Oklahoma City, will run May 28-June 4 with the final two days featuring a best-of-three format between the final two teams.

The Sooners welcome back 13 members, including seven starters, from a 2007 squad that produced one of the best records in school history (55-8) while claiming a Big 12 Championship and advancing to an NCAA Super Regional.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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