Completed Event: Softball at #12/14 Texas A&M on May 1, 2026 , Loss , 5, to, 8
Final
Softball
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at #12/14 Texas A&M
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Softball Opens with Top-25 Showdown
February 08, 2007 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 16 Oklahoma softball team will open the 2007 season Friday, Feb. 9, when it enters the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic which is being hosted by Florida International at University Park in Miami, Fla.
The Sooners open tourney action in a top-25 battle against No. 20/21 Louisville at 10 a.m. (EST) Friday and finish opening day with a 12 p.m. meeting against the Illinois State Redbirds. OU will open play on Saturday with a 2 p.m. match up against Illinois, followed by a game against Southern Utah slated for 6 p.m. Championship play will round out the tournament on Sunday.
LIVE STATS
All of Oklahoma's games will be available on live stats. Click on the link below to bring up the live stat window.
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SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The 20th-ranked Cardinals return to the field after their most successful season in school history last year. Louisville, the preseason favorite to win the Big East, recorded a 45-11 overall mark last season before losing to Tennessee in the Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament. Senior pitcher Catherine Bishop highlights the six returnees from last year's squad as the USA Softball Player of the Year Candidate was fourth in the nation last season with a 0.78 ERA.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
Returning sophomore All-American Amber Smith and the Illinois State Redbirds enter 2007 with momentum after playing in their first NCAA Tournament since 2001 last year. Smith, also a candidate for USA Softball Player of the Year, had an impressive rookie campaign as she pounded 17 home runs and 50 RBI last season while leading the Redbirds to a 38-16 overall record. ISU returns seven position starters from last year's squad and opens its season with the Sooners in Miami, Fla.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini are coming off a 24-31 2006 season and will have the tough task of replacing the only All-American in Illinois softball history, Jenna Hall. As a senior last year, Hall was second in the nation in batting average and the nation's leader in walks. However, the Illini are coming off their best fall season in history where they went 8-0.
SCOUTING FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
The host school, Florida International, looks to record another winning season after finishing 30-28 last season. The Golden Panthers were close to advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 before losing to Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt Championship. The Golden Panthers return six position starters and two pitchers from last year's squad. Seniors Tabitha Henry and Deomni Murray, both preseason All-Sun Belt picks, highlight the list of returnees.
OU IN SEASON OPENERS
For the second straight year, the Sooners will be playing a top-25 team in their season opener as they take on No. 20/21 Louisville on Friday at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic. Prior to last season Oklahoma had a 14-year winning streak in season openers before falling to 12th-ranked Washington in the 2006 season opener. Last year marked OU's first-ever top-25 match up in a season opener in the Patty Gasso era.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Two-time All-American Norrelle Dickson returns for her senior campaign after leading the entire Big 12 conference in batting average last season with a .449 clip. The senior is on pace to set OU career marks in hits, stolen bases and batting average.
SOONERS RANKED NO. 16 IN PRESEASON POLLS
In what has become familiar territory for the Oklahoma softball team, the Oklahoma Sooners found themselves ranked in both preseason softball polls. In the USA Today/NFCA Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Preseason Poll, the Sooners debuted at No. 16 in both. The Sooners have been ranked in the top 25 of every NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 156 weeks long. OU and Arizona are the only programs to be ranked in the NFCA Top-25 every week of its existence.
The preseason poll features eight of the opponents Oklahoma will face this season, including five Big 12 foes and three top 10 opponents (Arizona, Oregon State and Cal).Both polls can be found on in the left hand column.
DICKSON NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR LIST
Norrelle Dickson has been named to the initial watch list for the sixth annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. It marks the third straight season that Dickson has been named to the preseason watch list.
The two-time All-American returns for her senior season after claiming the Big 12 batting title with a .449 batting average last year, which also ranked fifth among all NCAA players. The two-time All-Region selection is on pace to break the career hits record at OU this season.
BIG 12 COACHES PICK OKLAHOMA FOURTH
The University of Oklahoma softball team was picked to finish fourth for the second straight year by the Big 12 coaches in the annual preseason poll. The Sooners were one of three teams to receive a first-place vote and picked up 58 total votes while Texas A&M was tabbed the league favorite with 80 total points.
Texas A&M received eight of the 10 first-place votes to edge out second-place Baylor, which earned 69 points, including one first-place tally. Nebraska was ranked third followed by Oklahoma, defending-conference champion Texas, and 2006 postseason winner Kansas. Filling the remaining spots in the preseason poll were Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas Tech and Iowa State, respectively.
BIG 12 COACHES PRESEASON POLL
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STRONG SCHEDULE
Head coach Patty Gasso has never shied away from playing tough opponents and 2007 is no exception. The Sooners will play a minimum of 56 games and face 14 teams from last season's NCAA postseason, including WCWS participants Texas and Oregon State as well as the 2006 national champion Arizona Wildcats. Sooner fans will be able to enjoy 30 home contests, including three tournaments, at the OU Softball Complex.
In addition, Oklahoma will face eight current top-25 opponents as well as three top-10 (No. 1 Arizona, No. 6 Oregon State, and No. 10 Cal).
SOONER UPDATE
The Oklahoma softball team enters the 2007 season with one of the Big 12's biggest advantages - experience. The Sooners only lost one starter from last season's squad and return eight position players, including All-American Norrelle Dickson and All-Midwest Region shortstop Savannah Long.
OU's RBI leader last season, Samantha Ricketts, returns after playing the designated player role as a freshman last season while the Sooners return three members of their pitching staff, including lefty D.J. Mathis who led the squad in ERA and wins as a freshman last season.
The potent Oklahoma offense returns for more in 2007 as the young squad was an offensive juggernaut last season, topping all Big 12 schools in nine different offensive categories while finishing 10th in the country with a team batting average of .311.
UP NEXT - SEVEN GAME HOME STAND
Following its road trip to Florida, the Sooners will return home for a seven-game home stand that starts off with the OU/Nike Classic on Feb. 16-18. The Sooners' home opener will be Friday, Feb. 16 against Minnesota at 2:30 p.m. in the three-day long tournament at the OU Softball Complex. Joining Oklahoma and Minnesota in the field are Birmingham Southern and Northwestern State. Following the OU/Nike Classic, the Sooners will host Tulsa on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
Season tickets for the 2007 OU softball season are now on sale through the OU Athletics Ticket Office and SoonerSports.com. To order your season tickets please call the OU Athletics Ticket Office at (405) 325-2424 or (800) 456-4668 or click here for more information available on SoonerSports.com.
WHAT RETURNS
In addition to returning eight position starters as well as last year's starting pitcher, the Sooners have tons of experience as they also return 15 letterwinners. Offensively, the squad returns 82 percent of its hits and RBI and 83 percent of its runs. In the circle, 71 percent of the innings pitched returns while 73 percent of the strikeouts thrown last year return.
FRESH FACES
While the Sooners return a plethora of players from last year's NCAA Tournament squad, expect to also see new faces on the field and at the plate. All four newcomers could see a starting role at some point in the season. Junior transfer Lauren Eckermann, the NJCAA leader in ERA, will for sure see time in the circle while Iver McDonald (outfield), Lindsey Vandever (catcher) and Amber Flores (DP/INF) will also see collegiate action this year.
SEASON PREVIEW
The following is a brief outlook on the 2007 team.
INFIELD
While every infield starter returns this season, the defense could still have a new look as a few players could shuffle between positions. Highlighting the defense is flame-throwing, all-everything infielder Savannah Long. The junior started at second base last season before returning to her previous position, shortstop, in the latter half of the season. Long led the Sooners to the most double plays in school history with her efforts in the middle of the infield and could see time at both positions this year.
OUTFIELD
Similar to the infield, there could be a variety of new faces in the outfield who have played in the infield prior to this year. Providing stability in the outfield will be senior Amber Spaulding who played in right field last season but could take over for the graduated Vesely in center field this season. While Spaulding's move to center leaves the left and right sides of the outfield open, freshman Iver McDonald will see time as the speedy rookie has the ability to chase down balls all over the field.
PITCHERS
Mathis returns to the circle after taking the reins of the team as freshman last year and leading the entire staff in wins and ERA (15-9, 2.24 ERA). The feisty left-handed sophomore took the fall off to undergo successful shoulder surgery and will be 100 percent by the beginning of the season in February. Adding to the depth is two-time juco All-American Lauren Eckermann. The NJCAA leader in ERA last season brings determination and calmness to the mound and will rotate with Mathis as the top two pitchers on the staff.
CATCHERS
The Sooners also remain deep at catcher with Susan Ogden and Lindsey Vandever competing for the spot. The competition lasted through the fall and will continue as each player has pushed the other for the starting catcher spot. Both players bring benefits to the battery. Ogden, last year's starting catcher, embraced the role last season while Vandever is extremely athletic behind the plate and is very comfortable taking charge despite her youth.
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