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
SB Heads to Tulsa for 6 PM Contest
March 06, 2007 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. - The No. 5 Oklahoma softball team is set for another busy week as it will play six games in four days beginning Wednesday. The Sooners will open the week on the road as they head up the turnpike to Tulsa as they take on the Golden Hurricane for the second time this year at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Sooners will follow that with a 6 p.m. home contest against Evansville on Thursday night as a prelude to their OU/Worth Tournament set for Friday and Saturday at the OU Softball Complex. The Thursday night game will not count towards the tournament.
In tournament action this weekend, OU will match up again with Evansville at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and follow that with a 4:45 p.m. meeting against Centenary. The Sooners will round out the tournament on Saturday with a 2:30 match up against Centenary and 4:45 meeting vs. UMKC.
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LIVE STATS AND VIDEO COVERAGE
Fans that can't attend the games can follow the game on live stats. In addition, The O-Zone will provide video for all of OU's five games at the OU Softball Complex this week. The O-Zone is a subscription service part of SoonerSports.com that offers inside video coverage exclusive to subscribers.
SCOUTING TULSA
Oklahoma is meeting in-state rival Tulsa for the second time this season as the Sooners handed the Golden Hurricane a 5-3 loss in Norman. OU had the shut out going until the top of the seventh when TU put three runs across the board before the Sooners were able to escape the inning. TU's Sara Dyer and Lauren Lindsay came up huge for Tulsa in the contest and are still doing well at the plate with .466 and .362 averages, respectively. Since dropping that game to Oklahoma, TU has won eight of its last 10 contests including key wins over Iowa State and Kansas last weekend.
SCOUTING EVANSVILLE
Evansville enters the tournament on fire on a nine-game winning streak with a 12-1 record. The Purple Aces only loss came to Georgia Tech, which is currently ranked in both top-25 polls. Evansville has notched key wins over Kentucky, Memphis, and Central Arkansas and is one of the top scoring teams in the country as it averages close to 7.8 runs per game. The squad owns a .325 batting average behind the play of Brittany Herald who is hitting .545 with 15 RBI and three home runs. The staff has put together a 3.15 ERA with right-hander Danny Murphy leading the way with a 2.41 ERA and a 4-1 record.
SCOUTING CENTENARY
Centenary owns an 11-10 record, but will play Louisiana Tech and UT-Arlington before arriving at the tournament on Friday. Additionally, the squad has won 10 of its last 11 contests. Centenary boasts the Mid-Con Pitcher of the Week, Ryan Thacker, who leads the team with a 3.47 ERA as a freshman. Offensively, the squad is putting together a .272 batting a average and the speedy team has stolen 20 of 26 bases this year. Headlining Centenary's offense is Emerald Doria. The shortstop owns a team-best .397 average with 11 RBI and a .507 on-base percentage. Clean-up hitter Micah Rhodes is also strong at the plate as she is leading the team with 13 RBI.
PLAYER TO WATCH: LAUREN ECKERMANN
Lauren Eckermann earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors after recording a 0.00 ERA in all three of her starts this week while also pitching two no-hitters. Her back-to-back no-hitters against Temple and Wichita State this weekend marked the first time a Sooner has ever recorded two no-hit performances in two straight starts.
SOONERS MOVE INTO TOP FIVE
Owning a perfect record, the Sooners moved up to No. 5 this week in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. In the USA Today/NFCA Poll, the Sooners find themselves are at No. 6, but the new poll will not be released until Wednesday, March 7. The Sooners have been ranked in the top 25 of every NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 160 weeks long. OU and Arizona are the only programs to be ranked in the NFCA Top-25 every week of its existence.
SCOUTING UMKC
The Sooners will only play UMKC once in the tournament as they are playing Centenary and Evansville twice. The Kangaroos will play Iowa State in a doubleheader on Tuesday evening before heading to Norman. UMKC owns a 1-7 record under first-year head coach Meredith Smith, the youngest coach in the Mid-Con at the age of 25. Her first win of the year came in UMKC's last outing, a 6-0 win over Southeast Missouri. The squad owns a team average of .188 while the pitching staff has combined for a 4.91 ERA that is allowing opponents to hit .315.
UPDATING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma still remains undefeated with a 23-0 overall record after adding seven wins this week. The Sooners join No. 1 Tennessee (20-0) and No. 3 Alabama (21-0) as the only undefeated teams left in the country.
Oklahoma wrapped up its week by winning the OU Residence Inn Invitational after going 4-0 against Temple (twice) and Wichita State (twice). The Sooner pitching was the story of the week as Lauren Eckermann recorded back-to-back no-hitters this weekend and D. J. Mathis tossed a no-hitter earlier in the week against Arkansas.
The OU pitching staff had a strong weekend as the foursome combined to pitch four shut outs in the OU Residence Inn Invitational.
The Sooner offense, which leads the nation in runs scored, lit it up against Temple in Sunday's game as it set a school record for runs scored with a 21-0 run-rule win over the Owls. The previous record was 19 (twice).
Prior to winning the OU Residence Inn Invitational with two shut outs a piece over Wichita State and Temple, Oklahoma also notched wins over North Texas and Arkansas. The Sooners edged North Texas, 4-1, and beat Arkansas in a doubleheader by scores of 14-0 and 10-2 (both run rules).
UP NEXT
At the end of this weekend, Oklahoma will have played 12 of its last 13 games at home. Next, the Sooners will have to hit the road for two weeks as it closes out the final week of non-conference play. OU will head to the challenging Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., next week as it opens the tournament with Pacific on Thursday and closes out the day in a tough match up against No. 2 Arizona. The Sooners will square off against North Carolina State on Friday before entering tournament play on Saturday and Sunday.
Following the Judi Garman, the Sooners will open Big 12 play on the road as they play a doubleheader against Texas Tech on March 22 and conclude the road trip with the Texas series (March 24-25).
THREE NO-HITTERS IN ONE WEEK
The Oklahoma pitching staff was on a four-year drought of throwing no-hitters until D. J. Mathis and Lauren Eckermann combined for three no-hitters this week. The last no-no prior to that was thrown by Kami Keiter against Tulsa on April 22, 2003.
Junior Lauren Eckermann became the first Sooner to pitch a no-hitter in back-to-back starts as she held Temple hitless on Saturday night and was one error away from throwing a perfect game against Wichita State in the Sunday finale of the tournament.
Additionally, Eckermann and Mathis became the first Sooner pair to throw three no-hitters in one week. Mathis pitched her first collegiate no-hitter this past Wednesday against Arkansas and was one walk away from a perfect game.
NO EARNED RUNS ALLOWED
OU's top two pitchers, Lauren Eckermann and D. J. Mathis, have not allowed an earned run in their last 32 combined innings. Eckermann has not allowed an earned run in her last 17. 2 innings (dating back to the fifth inning against Cal on Feb. 24) while Mathis hasn't given up an earned run in her last 14.1 innings that dates back to Feb. 24 in the sixth inning against Ohio State (Feb. 25).
ANOTHER BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
A week after OU's Mariee Mena earned Big 12 and National Player of the week honors, the Sooners added another award as Lauren Eckermann collected Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors for her perfect 3-0 performance this past week that included a 0.00 ERA and two no-hitters.
NATION'S BEST IN RUNS SCORED
As the pitching continues to improve, so does the offense. The Sooners are an offensive juggernaut and are leading the nation in runs scored with an average of 8.8 runs per game. Below is a look at the top seven teams in the country in runs scored as of March 5.
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BEST START EVER
Oklahoma has made history with its 23-0 start to the 2007 season. No other Sooner squad in OU history has recorded a better mark. The previous best was a 12-0 start by both the 2001 and 2002 squads.
OFFENSE TO DEFENSE RATIO
OU has scored 203 runs in 23 games, compared to 30 for its opponents. OU averages 8.8 runs per game while holding opponents to 1.3. Additionally, nearly half of OU's 23 games have been shortened to five innings by run rule. Had a full seven innings been played in those 11 games, OU's projected scoring average would be 10.2 to 1.5 for opponents (235 total runs to 35).
LEADING THE PACK IN PITCHING AND OFFENSE
A good recipe for an undefeated record is strong pitching and a potent offense. The Sooners, standing at 23-0, are making a strong case as they currently lead all Big 12 teams batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, home runs and RBI. Additionally, the OU pitching staff has combined for a 1.31 ERA which leads all other conference schools. The staff is also holding opponents to a league-best .204 average.
TOP DEFENSE
Despite committing five errors this past weekend, the Oklahoma defense still ranks tops in the Big 12 with a .975 fielding average. The Sooners have only committed 15 errors all season. Additionally, only five bases have been stolen on the Sooners so far this season.
LARGEST WINNING STREAKS
Riding its 23-game winning streak, the Sooners currently share the second-longest winning streak in school history with the 2001 team. The 2005 squad set the record with a 29-game win streak.
SWEET 600 & 800
Gasso won the 600th game of her OU coaching career on Feb. 25, 2007 in a 7-2 win over Ohio State in the Palm Springs Classic this past weekend. The winningest coach in Big 12 history now owns a 607-200-2 (.752) mark at OU since taking over the Sooner program in 1995. She is 31 wins away from her 800th career victory.
PERFECT IN FEBRUARY
Head coach Patty Gasso has recorded her first perfect February. The Sooners went 18-0 in the month of February, marking the first time in school history a squad has done that.
EXTRA BASES
The Sooners had their streak of 18 straight games with an extra-base hit snapped against North Texas. The Sooners had recorded at least one extra-base hit in all 18 games prior to that. The Sooners have recorded more than one multiple-base hit on 19 different occasions this season.
DICKSON BREAKS STOLEN BASE RECORD
Senior Norrelle Dickson stole the 87th base of her career against Ohio State (Feb. 25) in Palm Springs. The theft broke the career stolen base record at OU that was previously held by Christy Ring (1999-2002) with 86. Dickson leads the Sooners with 18-of-20 stolen bases on the season, which ties for first among all Big 12 players.
CHASING NO. 294
Senior All-American Norrelle Dickson is on pace to break the OU career hits record this season. The two-time All-American is the OU career leader in batting average and currently owns 271 career hits, which is fourth on the all-time list. The record, set by Kristin Vesely last season, is 293. The current projection has her claiming the mark in 17 games which would be right around OU's conference-opening weekend at Texas Tech and Texas (March 22-25).
DICKSON ALL OVER THE CHARTS
Two-time All-American and 2007 Player of the Year Watch List candidate Norrelle Dickson has left her mark on the OU program and nowhere is it more noticeable than the career record book at Oklahoma. The senior owns the top career marks in stolen bases, on-base percentage, batting average. She is on pace to set the hits mark (currently fourth) and runs scored (third). She is also sitting right outside the top 10 in at bats and total bases and will likely move closer to the top by the end of the season.
THE RETURN OF MATHIS
D.J. Mathis has come on strong in her last few starts and looks like a different pitcher compared to the beginning of the season. The sophomore lefty threw her first no-hitter of her career against Arkansas this past Thursday. Below is a comparison of her first three starts of the year and her last four.
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HOME RUN CENTRAL
Head coach Patty Gasso added more power to the lineup this season and it has been evident as OU leads the Big 12 with 26 home runs. Samantha Ricketts is leading the way with seven home runs (second in the league). Additionally, OU has also recorded four grand slams this season by Ricketts, Susan Ogden, Stacia Aleman and Traci Dickenson.
VANDEVER SETTLES IN
Freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever has often drawn comparisons to former All-American OU catcher Heather Scaglione. The rookie came on strong in Palm Springs as she started the final three games against No. 16 Cal, No. 6 Oregon State and Ohio State and has been splitting time with last year's starter Susan Ogden in the lineup. Vandever has shown her all-around talent since entering the starting lineup as she is hitting at a .333 clip and has thrown out five base runners in seven attempts.
MENA NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior Mariee Mena was recognized by USA Softball as the National Player of the Week for her play Feb. 19-25. The Escondido, Calif., native produced a .692 batting average over the Palm Springs weekend with eight RBI, including a double and two home runs. It marks the first National Player of the Week honor for Mena and the first for the Sooners since 2005 when Jessica Leslie was selected for the honor.
COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORIES
While the Sooners are undefeated this season, they have had to record some come-from-behind wins to keep the perfect record. The Sooners have trailed after five innings on three different occasions and have come back to win. In OU's season opener against then-No. 20 Louisville, the Sooners scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to win, 9-5. Against Minnesota, OU scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to win 6-5. OU recorded its most recent come-from-behind victory against No. 6 Oregon State as the Sooners produced four runs in the top of the seventh to best the Beavers, 4-1.
DICKSON PICKED SIXTH IN NPF DRAFT
OU senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson, a two-time All-American, was one of 27 senior softball players taken in the 200 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft. Dickson was the sixth overall pick and the Akron Racers' first overall selection. It marks the second straight year a Sooner has been drafted in the first round.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Oklahoma softball senior Norrelle Dickson was named to the second-team ESPN.com Preseason All-America team in a list released by the web site. Dickson was one of two Big 12 Conference players selected to the list as Chelsi Lake of Baylor was selected as a first-team catcher.
BIG 12 COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Nine members of the OU softball team were named to the 2006 Fall Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. Senior Stacia Aleman led the way with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Health and Exercise Science. Also making the list were Traci Dickenson, Norrelle Dickson, Jeannie Douglas, Lauren Eckermann, Jamie Fox, Savannah Long, Jade Prather and Jadyn Smith. Student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for the semester to qualify for the list.
DICKSON PICKED SIXTH IN NPF DRAFT
OU senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson, a two-time All-American, was one of 27 senior softball players taken in the 200 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft. Dickson was the sixth overall pick and the Akron Racers' first overall selection. It marks the second straight year a Sooner has been drafted in the first round.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Oklahoma softball senior Norrelle Dickson was named to the second-team ESPN.com Preseason All-America team in a list released by the web site. Dickson was one of two Big 12 Conference players selected to the list as Chelsi Lake of Baylor was selected as a first-team catcher.
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 two in the top-10 (No. 4 Arizona, No. 6 Oregon State).
BIG 12 COMMISSIONER'S HONOR ROLL
Nine members of the OU softball team were named to the 2006 Fall Big 12 Commissioner&
Sunday, May 24
Saturday, May 23
Saturday, May 23
Friday, May 22
