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
OU Hosts Conference-Leading Baylor
April 18, 2007 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. - The tough Big 12 slate continues for the No. 4 Oklahoma softball team as it prepares for a doubleheader against Big-12 leading seventh-ranked Baylor this Wednesday at the OU Softball Complex. First pitch between the Sooners and Bears is slated for 5 p.m. with game two of the twin bill set to begin at approximately 7 p.m.
Currently, the Sooners sit third in the Big 12 standings after splitting with Missouri this past weekend and owning an 8-3 record in conference play. Oklahoma will be aiming to put a blemish in Baylor's perfect 9-0 Big 12 record with the twin bill being crucial for each team's goal of a conference championship.
MEDIA COVERAGE
The second game of the doubleheader, set to begin at approximately 7 p.m., will be broadcast on KOKC (1520 AM) with Brian Brinkley calling the game.
Additionally, O-Zone viewers can watch the Baylor series via the web site. Live stats of Wednesday's games will also be available.
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TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS
Seats to Wednesday's games are still available for $10 (reserved), $7 (adult general admission), $5 (youth general admission) at the OU Athletics Ticket Office (800-456-4668) and at SoonerSports.com. The gates will open an hour and a half before game time.
Wednesday night will also mark $.50 Hot Dog Night at the OU Softball Complex.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
The Big 12-leading Bears have been rolling since the start of conference play and enter Wednesday's series on a 13-game winning streak, their longest of the season. Baylor's last loss was over a month ago to then-No. 23 Hawaii on March 17.
Wednesday's matchup will feature two very similar teams with strong offensive power. Oklahoma and Baylor rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in total offense in the Big 12. The Sooners own a .326 batting average and nine home runs in Big 12 games while Baylor is hitting at a .302 clip with 12 homers in league play.
Headlining the Baylor offense are Brette Reagan and Ashley Monceaux. Reagan owns a conference-best 14 RBI and three homers in Big 12 action with a .500 clip while Monceaux has nine homers with three home runs and a .448 clip. The top four hitters in Big 12 play will be on display on Wednesday as OU's Dickson (.564) and Ricketts (.452) are first and third in the league while Reagan and Monceaux are second and fourth.
Ironically, the two squads' pitching stats are similar as well. The Bears own a 2.03 ERA in Big 12 play while Oklahoma follows with a 2.27 ERA. BU's Lisa Ferguson is the leader in the circle with a 1.91 ERA in Big 12 play. Ferguson owns a perfect 6-0 record in conference play with 32 strikeouts in 44 innings. She has held opponent batters to a .208 average.
SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a commanding 31-7 lead in the all-time series. The Sooners have split the series with the Bears each of the last two years. The Sooners recorded a 21-game winning streak against the Bears from 1997-2003.
LAST TIME THEY MET
The two squads met in Waco last season in a doubleheader with the Sooners claiming game one, 9-7, and Baylor earning the split as OU lost, 5-1. Oklahoma recorded 15 hits in the first game , but could only register four in game two.
SOONERS FALL TO NO. 4
The Sooners remained in the top five this week, but fell to No. 4 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll after splitting with Missouri this past weekend. The Sooners remain at No. 3 in the NFCA poll as the new poll does not come out until Wednesday. The No. 2 ranking ties OU's highest since the 2001 team opened the season at No. 2. The Sooners have been ranked in the top 25 of every NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 166 weeks long. OU and Arizona are the only programs to be ranked in the NFCA Top-25 every week of its existence.
BIG 12 STRENGTH
The Big 12 is making a strong case for one of the top softball leagues in the country as OU (No. 4) , Texas A&M (No. 5) and Baylor (No.7) headline the top 10. Texas (No. 19) rounds out the top 20 while Kansas and Missouri are receiving votes in the top-25.
UPDATING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma is closing in on the end of the Big 12 regular season and every game remains crucial for the next two weeks if the Sooners want to have any shot of winning the conference championship. Owning an 8-3 Big 12 record, the Sooners are currently tied with Texas A&M (7-3) for third in the Big 12 standings with seven conference games remaining. OU trails Baylor (9-0) and Missouri (6-1) in the Big 12 standings.
Oklahoma is coming off a split of Missouri this past weekend. The Sooners handed the Tigers their first loss in Big 12 play as OU won game two of the doubleheader, 8-3. However, the Sooners were unable to pull off a sweep as Mizzou won game one, 5-1. Missouri scored all of its runs off of three home runs in the first game, the most given up by OU all season. Lauren Eckermann recorded her second loss of the season in game one, but came in for the final 5.1 innings in game two to get her 27th win of the year.
The Sooner offense struggled in the first game against Missouri, but still remains one of the best in the country. Oklahoma's team clip leads the Big 12 with a .342 average while the Sooners are still leading the country with 7.44 runs scored per game. Oklahoma also has two of the top hitters in the country in Norrelle Dickson and Samantha Ricketts. Dickson is third in the country with a .500 batting average while Ricketts ranks second among all NCAA players with 69
RBI this season.
The Sooners will continue to rely on the arm of ace Lauren Eckermann who owns a 27-2 mark and a 1.48 overall ERA this season. The junior has made an appearance in all 11 Big 12 games and has started seven of them.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma will continue its home stand this weekend as it hosts Nebraska (5-4 Big 12) in a two-game series at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners and Huskers will open the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday and play the finale at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Oklahoma will close out the Big 12 regular season on the road as it heads to Stillwater on April 25 for a 7 p.m. game and ends the regular season with a trip to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks (April 28-29).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Samantha Ricketts and Norrelle Dickson were honored by USA Softball as one of 25 finalists around the country selected for the USA Softball National Player of the Year Award. Ricketts and Dickson were two of the seven Big 12 athletes selected by the committee. Dickson appeared on the preseason watch list for the third time in her career but is making her first appearance on the list of 25 while it marks Ricketts' first honor by USA Softball.
On May 9, just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named. On May 23 the list will be cut to three and those final three players will travel to Oklahoma City for the announcement of the winner at the 2007 NCAA Women's College World Series.
ANOTHER 40-WIN SEASON
For the 14th straight year, including the last 13 under head coach Patty Gasso, the Sooners have recorded a 40-win season. OU's win against Iowa State (4/6) marked the 40th win of the season and OU now owns more wins than the 2006 squad did all of last season.
CAREER HITS LEADER
Senior Norrelle Dickson made history against No. 10 Texas as she became the all-time hits leader at the University of Oklahoma. The third baseman did it in strong fashion as she went 5-for-5 against Texas (March 25) to pass Kristin Vesely's (2003-06) previous mark of 293. To the left is a look at the updated career chart.
MAKING HISTORY ... AGAIN
The opening of Big 12 was very historical for Norrelle Dickson. In addition to becoming the all-time hits leader, the senior also took the title of runs scored leader at Oklahoma. Dickson became the all-time leader in runs scored against Texas Tech (March 22) as she passed Christy Ring's (1999-2002) previous mark of 206.
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 30-of-34 stolen bases on the season, which ranks second among all Big 12 players.
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, hits, and runs. She has also moved to No. 5 in at bats and sixth in total bases.
RICKETTS SHOWING UP ON CAREER CHARTS
Despite only being a sophomore, first baseman Samantha Ricketts is beginning to climb up career charts. Ricketts is 10th on the all-time list with 24 home runs and ninth with 120 career RBI. Her career averages are also on pace to set records as she is second in career batting avg. (.395) and on-base percentage (.490) and leading the pack with a .702 slugging percentage.
300/200/100
Recording her 100th stolen base of her career against Iowa State (April 4), Norrelle Dickson became the first player in OU and Big 12 history to record at least 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases in her career. Additionally, Dickson became only the 11th player in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. Below is a look at the players Dickson joined in the record books after recording her 100th steal:
Members of the 3-2-1 Club
(Compiled with help from the 2007 NCAA Softball Records Book)
Nicole Barber, Georgia (2001-04) 379 hits, 266 runs, 257 SB
Natasha Watley, UCLA (2000-03) 395 hits, 252 runs, 158 SB
Kelly Krestchman, Alabama (1998-01) 368 hits, 288 runs, 133 SB
Alison McCutcheon, Arizona (1995-98) 405 hits, 289 runs, 148 SB
Amy Chellevold, Arizona (1992-95) 371 hits, 252 runs, 113 SB
Lauren Bauer, Arizona (1998-01) 349 hits, 238 runs, 133 SB
Shamalene Wilson, Florida St. (1993-96) 310 hits, 223 runs, 161 SB
Tiff Tootle, South Carolina (1990-93) 351 hits, 207 runs, 114 SB
Lindsay Schutzler, Tennessee (2004-Present)* 341 hits, 227 runs, 112 SB
Caitlin Lowe, Arizona (2004-Present)* 319 hits, 226 runs, 143 SB
Norrelle Dickson, Oklahoma (2004-P) * 312 hits, 226 runs, 103 SB
Amber Jackson, Maryland (2004-P)*^ 326 hits, 244 runs, 97 SB
* Stats as of April 16
^ Close to joining list
OFFENSE TO DEFENSE RATIO
OU has scored 357 runs in 48 games, compared to 86 for its opponents. OU averages 7.44 runs per game while holding opponents to 1.79. Additionally, 17 of OU's 48 games have been shortened to five or six innings by run rule.
PROLIFIC OFFENSE
The Sooners own one of the top offenses in the country and it became evident as the first set of NCAA stats were released on April 10. Oklahoma is leading the country in runs scored per game and batting average while Norrelle Dickson ranks in third in batting average and runs scored and Samantha Ricketts is second in the country in RBI. A complete list of where the Sooners rank as a team and individually in every category is located on page seven.
8 AWAY
Sophomore Samantha Ricketts continues her torrid pace in the cleanup spot for the Sooners as she is now only eight RBI shy of tying the OU and Big 12 single season record held by former Sooner Lisa Carey in 2000. Averaging 1.44 RBI per game, Ricketts is second in the country.
SOME OF BIG 12'S BESTS ARE SOONERS
The Big 12 released its conference stats this past Monday for all games and OU claimed three of the top four hitters in the Big 12 in Norrelle Dickson, Samantha Ricketts and Susan Ogden. Dickson, last year's Big 12 batting leader, is leading the league again with a .500 batting average in all contests while Ricketts currently leads with 69 RBI. Below is a look at all of the individual categories that the Sooners are leading the Big 12 as of April 16.
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CLOSING IN ON BIG 12 RECORDS
The team as well as OU individuals are closing in on Big 12 single season records. Below is a look at the single season marks OU is chasing:
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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 52 home runs, which is five more than its entire total last season. Samantha Ricketts is leading the way with a league-best 15 home runs. Additionally, OU has also recorded six grand slams this season by Ricketts (three), Susan Ogden, Stacia Aleman and Traci Dickenson.
CLUTCH HITTING
OU's top two hitters, Norrelle Dickson and Samantha Ricketts, are also doing their best hitting in crucial times. Below is a look at the hitters' averages in clutch situations:
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EXTRA BASES
The Sooners had their streak of 18 straight games with an extra-base hit snapped against North Texas (March 1). The Sooners had recorded at least one extra-base hit in all 18 games prior to that. Oklahoma has notched an extra-base hit in 44 of its 48 games and has recorded more than one multiple-base hit on 35 different occasions this season.
LEADING THE PACK IN OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
A good recipe for a 43-5 record is strong defense and a potent offense. The Sooners are making a strong case as they currently lead all Big 12 teams in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging
percentage, hits, runs, home runs and RBI while also ranking last in strikeouts in overall games this season.
The pitching staff is also in the top half of the Big 12 with a 1.69 ERA (fourth in the league). However, the girls in the circle have depended heavily on the Sooner defense as the staff is only seventh in the conference in strikeouts. The defense ranks tops in the league with a .973 fielding percentage and a Big 12-low 35 errors.
FIVE OR MORE = WIN
Oklahoma is the nation's leading team in runs scored as it averages 7.44 runs per game, but scoring five runs or more has been the answer for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 33- 0 this season when scoring five or more runs. On the flip side of that, the Sooners are 41-1 when the pitching staff holds the opponent under five runs.
SECOND INNING MAGIC
Oklahoma's prolific offense is known for scoring runs early and often. OU has managed to spread out run production throughout all of the innings this season, but the second frame has been key for the offense and the defense. The Sooners have scored close to 17 percent (60-of-357) of its season total in the second inning while only giving up four runs of the opponents' 86 in the second frame.
RECORD PACE
OU's offense is off to a record pace. The Sooners are averaging 7.44 runs per game, which over an entire season would set the OU school record. The 2000 National Championship squad averaged 6.2 runs per game. The Sooners already have 357 runs in 48 games, while they scored 347 in 62 games in 2006. Below are the averages for the last six seasons:
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Sunday, May 24
Saturday, May 23
Saturday, May 23
Friday, May 22
