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 Series Moved to Friday Twin Bill
April 06, 2007 | Softball
NORMAN, Okla. The No. 2 Oklahoma softball team announced a schedule change for this weekend's series against Iowa State. The series has been moved to a Friday doubleheader due to weather forecasted for late Friday and Saturday in the Norman area. The Sooners and Cyclones will begin game one of the twin bill at 3 p.m. on Friday with game two set to begin at approximately 5 p.m.
The games were originally schedule for Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
The second-ranked Sooners own a 39-4 overall mark and 5-2 record after run ruling in-state rival Oklahoma State, 8-0, Wednesday night at the OU Softball Complex. Oklahoma currently sits in third place in the Big 12 standings behind Baylor (5-0) and Missouri (3-0).
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Iowa State will be playing back-to-back doubleheaders as ISU hosts North Dakota State on Thursday for two games. The Cyclones currently own a 19-27 record with an 0-4 mark in league play.
Friday's doubleheader will close out Oklahoma's two-week home stand. The Sooners will step out of conference play next Wednesday as they head to Denton to take on North Texas at 6 p.m. OU will round out the week with a weekend series at Missouri on Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
LIVE STATS/O-ZONE
Both games of the Friday doubleheader will be available on the O-Zone. Live stats of Friday's games will also be available.
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.
The first 250 fans through the gate will receive free OU fan banners for the game .
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
Iowa State is ending its extremely busy week with the series in Norman. The Cyclones, owning a 20-28 overall mark and 0-4 record in Big 12 play, will be playing their second doubleheader in as many days and also playing its sixth and seventh games of the week since Sunday.
ISU opened the week with a tough conference series on Sunday. The Cyclones dropped both games of the doubleheader, 10-1 and 14-0 in run-rule losses. ISU followed that with a heartbreaker 2-1 loss to Iowa and will be coming off a split of North Dakota State. The Cyclones won game one of the doubleheader on Thursday, 3-1, but dropped the finale, 8-2.
Iowa State has opened league play with an 0-4 mark after dropping series to OSU and No. 4 Texas A&M. In Big 12 action, the Cyclones are last in team batting with an overall clip of .186 in Big 12 play while the Cyclone staff also owns a 9.67 ERA against conference foes.
Individually, designated player Alex Johnson has been the offensive spark for the Cyclones as the freshman is leading the team with a .336 batting average and is doing even better in conference play with a .364 clip. Johnson shares a team-best five home runs on the year and has recorded 21 RBI.
Defensively, ISU has a staff of four different pitchers with senior Alyssa Ransom leading the way with a 2.84 ERA and an 8-10 record.
SERIES HISTORY
The Sooners own a 50-25 lead against the Cyclones in the all-time series that dates back to 1978. Oklahoma has won 17 of the last 20, but split with Iowa State last season in Ames. ISU won the first game of the series, 5-2, but Oklahoma picked up the split after winning 8-6 in the Sunday finale. OU's last loss to the Cyclones at the OU Softball Complex was on March 31, 1996 when the Sooners dropped a 1-0 contest to the Cyclones.
SOONERS MOVE TO NO. 2
Following a split series with then-No. 2 Texas A&M, the Sooners moved up to No. 2 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. The Sooners also moved up to No. 3 in the NFCA poll as they were previously No. 4. 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 163 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. 2) and A&M (No. 4) headline the top five while Baylor (No.11) and Texas (No. 13) round out the top 15. Additionally, Kansas is receiving votes in the top-25.
UPDATING THE SOONERS
The Sooners responded to their loss against then-No. 2 Texas A&M with an 8-0 run rule of Oklahoma State Wednesday night in part one of the Bedlam series. Oklahoma blew it open in the bottom of the first as it scored six runs to take the commanding lead. Savannah Long and Jamie Fox each pounded solo home runs in later innings to secure the run-rule victory. Fox's solo shot was a walk-off blast in the bottom of the fifth with one out that ended the game in a run rule.
Owning a 39-4 overall mark Oklahoma is second in the country and has a 5-2 record in conference play. The Sooners sit behind Baylor (5-0) and Missouri (3-0) in the Big 12 standings. The Sooners will be aiming for their 40th win of the season on Friday.
The Sooner offense continues to be steady in Big 12 play as it is hitting at a .325 clip in Big 12 action while the staff owns a 2.14 ERA in conference play which ranks fourth in the conference. Norrelle Dickson and Jamie Fox are highlighting the conference stats as the top two hitters in conference play with a .654 and .500 average, respectively.
BIG 12 STANDINGS
School
Overall, Big 12
Baylor
35-9, 5-0
Missouri
27-17, 3-0
OKLAHOMA
39-4, 5-2
Nebraska
27-11, 3-2
Texas A&M
29-6, 3-3
Texas
27-9, 2-3
Kansas
24-15-1, 2-3
Oklahoma State
24-20, 2-3
Iowa State
20-28, 0-4
Texas Tech
17-19, 0-5
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 25-of-29 stolen bases on the season, which ranks third 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 23 home runs. Her career averages are also on pace to set records as she is second in career batting avg. (.375) and on-base percentage (.474) and leading the pack with a .677 slugging percentage.
300/200/100
Now that Dickson has claimed the top OU career mark in hits, runs and stolen bases, the leadoff hitter is aiming to become the first Sooner to ever record 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases in her career. Dickson will also be the first Big 12 player to accomplish the feat as well as only the 11th player in softball history to reach the milestone. Below is a look at the players Dickson would join on the list if she records two more steals:
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) 327 hits, 217 runs, 105 SB
Caitlin Lowe, Arizona (2004-Present) 311 hits, 222 runs, 137 SB
Norrelle Dickson, Oklahoma (2004-P) 305 hits, 217 runs, 98 SB
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
As the Sooners take the field on Friday, Oklahoma will be aiming for its 14th straight 40-win season. The Sooners, who own a 39-4 mark, will try and match their entire number of wins last season as the 2006 squad finished with a 40-21-1 overall record. Head coach Patty Gasso has recorded a 40-win season all previous 12 years of her career at Oklahoma.
25-GAME HOME WIN STREAK SNAPPED
The Sooners had their 25-game home winning streak snapped against No. 2 Texas A&M on April 1. The streak dated back to April 19, 2006 when OU beat Tulsa. It also marked the longest home winning stretch for the Sooners since the 28-game home win streak that ended on April 17, 2005. That win streak was also ended by then-No. 7 Texas A&M.
OFFENSE TO DEFENSE RATIO
OU has scored 328 runs in 43 games, compared to 74 for its opponents. OU averages 7.63 runs per game while holding opponents to 1.72. Additionally, 16 of OU's 43 games have been shortened to five or six innings by run rule.
NATION'S BEST IN RUNS SCORED
As the pitching continues to improve, so does the offense. The Sooners are an offensive juggernaut averaging 7.63 runs per game. Below is a look at the top five teams in the country in runs scored as of April 4.
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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 five hitters in the Big 12 in Norrelle Dickson, Susan Ogden and Samantha Ricketts. Dickson, last year's Big 12 batting leader, is leading the league again with a .508 batting average in all contests while Ricketts currently leads with 61 RBI. Below is a look at all of the individual categories that the Sooners are leading the Big 12 as of April 4.
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DICKSON NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson picked up her first USA Softball National Player of the Week honor in her career after hitting .750 (12-for-16) this past week (March 18-25) against Texas Tech and No. 10 Texas. The two-time All-American went 7-for-7 in the two games against Texas and also became the career hits and runs scored leader at OU. Dickson became the third OU player this season to earn a National Player of the week honor, marking a school record. The senior was also named Big 12 Player of the Week for her efforts.
LEADING THE PACK IN OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
A good recipe for a 39-4 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, RBI and walks while also ranking last in strikeouts in overall games this season.
The pitching staff is also one of the best in the Big 12 with a 1.60 ERA (third in the league). However, the girls in the circle have depended heavily on the Sooner defense as the staff is only eighth in the conference in strikeouts. The defense ranks tops in the league with a .972 fielding percentage and a Big 12-low 33 errors.
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 479 home runs, which is two more than its entire total last season. Samantha Ricketts is leading the way with a league-best 14 home runs. Additionally, OU has also recorded six grand slams this season by Ricketts (three), Susan Ogden, Stacia Aleman and Traci Dickenson.
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. Oklahoma has notched an extra-base hit in 40 of its 43 games and has recorded more than one multiple-base hit on 32 different occasions this season.
FIVE OR MORE = WIN
Oklahoma is the nation's leading team in runs scored as it averages 7.63 runs per game, but scoring five runs or more has been the answer for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 30- 0 this season when scoring five or more runs. On the flip side of that, the Sooners are 37-1 when the pitching staff holds the opponent to 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 has been key for the offense and the defense. The Sooners have scored close to 18 percent (57-of-328) of its season total in the second inning while only giving up two runs of the opponents' 74 in the second frame.
RECORD PACE
OU's offense is off to a record pace. The Sooners are averaging 7.63 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 320 runs in 42 games, while they scored 347 in 62 games in 2006. Below are the averages for the last six seasons:
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NINE-HOLE STRENGTH
Second baseman Traci Dickenson is making a case for the best
nine-hole hitter in the country. The sophomore is second on the team with nine home runs and 35 RBI behind clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts. Dickenson is also recording a .639 slugging percentage this season with a .289 batting average.
OGDEN TAKING OVER DP ROLE
Last year's starting catcher, Susan Ogden, still remains an integral part of the Sooner lineup. The former catcher has taken over the designated player duties in the lineup and has done an impressive job. Ogden is second on the squad and third among all Big 12 players with a .420 average that includes 26
RBI and a .580 slugging percentage.
VANDEVER SETTLES IN
Freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever has often drawn comparisons to former All-American OU catcher Heather Scaglione. The rookie has taken over the starting role in the lineup. Vandever has shown her all-around talent since entering the starting lineup as she is hitting at a .324 clip and has thrown out 11 base runners in 19 attempts.
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 618-203-2 (.752) mark at OU since taking over the Sooner program in 1995. She is 15 wins away from her 800th career victory.
RICKETTS NEARING SINGLE SEASON BESTS
Clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts is off to a record start in 2007 and is on pace to break a few single season records. Below is a look at where Ricketts stands currently and what the OU single season record is:
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LAST ONE LEFT
OU hurler Lauren Eckermann and Alabama hurler Chrissy Owens were the last pitchers left in Division I with 10 or more wins and a perfect record. However, both dropped their first loss of the season on Sunday, March 25. Eckermann (21-1) suffered her first loss of the season to No. 10 Texas and Owens (16-1) dropped her first loss to No. 9 LSU. Despite the loss, Eckermann remains the leader in wins in the Big 12 with a 23-1 mark. The next closest in wins in the Big 12 is UT pitcher Meagan Denny with a 17-8 record.
FOX ZONES IN DURING BIG 12 ACTION
Senior center fielder Jamie Fox looks like a different player since the start of Big 12 action. Prior to conference play, Fox was averaging a .286 batting average with 22 strikeouts over 34 of OU's 36 non-conference games. Fox has been clutch in all seven of OU's conference games with a .500 clip (
Sunday, May 24
Saturday, May 23
Saturday, May 23
Friday, May 22
