Softball Heads to Lincoln for Series

OU (28-8, 2-0) at Nebraska (13-13, 0-2)
Game 1	Saturday, March 29 -1 p.m.
Game 2	Saturday, March 29 -3 p.m.
Location	Lincoln, Neb. (Bowlin Stadium)
Audio	Free audio available for both games
Webcast	www.huskers.com
Live Stats	SoonerSports.com / GameTracker
Game Info	Game Notes (PDF) \| OU Media Guide

LEADING OFF
The No. 12 Oklahoma softball team (28-8) will return to Big 12 action this weekend as it heads to Lincoln for its first conference road trip of the season. Oklahoma and Nebraska will open the two-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader that will begin at 1 p.m. The second game will start at approximately 3 p.m.

LIVE STATS
Live stats are available for all games this season on SoonerSports.com.

MULTIMEDIA
Free audio of both games will be available for fans and there will also be live video on Sunday that can be ordered by subscription. All information is available at www.huskers.com.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Huskers currently own a 13-13 overall record and a 0-2 mark in Big 12 play after falling to Texas last weekend in Austin. However, Nebraska is a perfect 4-0 at home this season and Oklahoma will be looking for its first win in Lincoln since March 20, 2003. Molly Hill is highlighting the Husker pitching staff that owns a 2.97 ERA as Hill owns a staff-best 1.94 ERA and a 6-4 record. The junior right-hander is averaging more than six strikeouts a game and is holding opponents to a .223 average. Sophomore Alex Tupp is also carrying the load with a 2.67 ERA and 6-6 record in 15 appearances this year. Offensively, the Huskers own a .274 team batting average but bring a lot of speed as they have stolen 43-of-48 bases this year with two-hole hitter Meghan Mullin leading the way with 13-of-15. Cleanup hitter Crystal Carwile leads the team in power as she owns 18 RBI and four home runs this season while leadoff hitter Dracy Rutherford boasts a .388 average and .456 on-base percentage.

SERIES RECORDS
Nebraska leads the all-time series between the schools, 39-32. The Sooners swept the Huskers last season, but Oklahoma has struggled in Lincoln as Nebraska has won eight of the last 10 meetings in Lincoln. Oklahoma's last victory against the Huskers in Lincoln was on March 20, 2003 , when Oklahoma downed the then-No. 5 Huskers, 1-0.

LAST MEETING
The Sooners swept the Huskers in Norman last season in dramatic fashion. In the first game of the series last year, Savannah Long hit a two-out, two-run walk-off home run to lead the Sooners to a 10-9 victory against Nebraska. In the second game of the series, Oklahoma swept Nebraska with a 5-1 victory. Pitcher Lauren Eckermann took the win in the second game as she held Nebraska to three hits and one run while striking out seven. D.J. Mathis earned the win in relief in the first game.

SOONERS MOVE TO NO. 12 AND NO. 13 IN POLLS
The Sooners moved up to No. 12 in the USA Today/NFCA Poll this week and fell to No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Last week, the Sooners were ranked No. 11 in the ESPN.com poll and No. 13 in the USA Today Poll.

OU AND ARIZONA ONLY TWO SCHOOLS TO BE RANKED IN NFCA POLL ITS ENTIRE EXISTENCE
The Sooners have been ranked in the top 25 of every NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 178 weeks long. OU and Arizona are the only programs to be ranked in the NFCA Top-25 every week of its existence.

UP NEXT
Following the Nebraska series, Oklahoma will travel to Stillwater next Wednesday for the first edition of Bedlam. Game time is set for 7 p.m. between the Cowgirls and Sooners. Oklahoma will follow that with a home series against Missouri April 5-6.

SOONERS SET SCHOOL RECORDS IN 23-1 WIN
The Sooner offense was stellar in OU's 23-1 record-setting victory over Central Arkansas Wednesday night. Oklahoma set a school record in runs (23) and hits (24). The previous record was 21 runs set on March 4, 2007 against Temple. The previous record for hits in a single game was 20, set on March 4, 2005 against Illinois-Chicago. Susan Ogden highlighted the offense with her six RBI, including a grand slam. The freshman class played a big part in OU's offensive production Wednesday night as Haley Anderson added five RBI and a home run while Wendy Trott was a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with three RBI and a home run.

TEAM USA EDGES OKLAHOMA, 2-0
Playing the nation's top softball players on Wednesday night, the No. 12 Oklahoma softball team kept it close as the USA National Team edged the Sooners, 2-0, in front of 3,591 fans at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The exhibition game did not count towards OU's overall stats this season, but Oklahoma kept the game entertaining as OU starter D.J. Mathis gave up two earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out one in 5.1 innings of work.

"They're tough," gold medalist Jennie Finch said. "They came in here not afraid. From the first pitch on they were taking their hacks. You have to give them credit for their aggressiveness. And Mathis, to only give up two runs, that's really something to be proud of."

"It's a great part of our preparation (for the Olympics) to get out here and play against quality teams," Team USA coach Mike Candrea said. "Oklahoma's a good ball club and D.J. threw a great ball game. We were slow making adjustments all the way through."

Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll
Rank	Team	Points
1.	Texas A&M (7)	79
2.	Oklahoma (1)	70
3.	Baylor (2)	64
4.	Missouri	61
5.	Texas	45
6.	Nebraska	43
7.	Texas Tech	29
8.	Oklahoma State	25
9.	Kansas	23
10.	Iowa State	11

Player to Watch

Susan Ogden| Sr. | Right Field 2007 All-American Susan Ogden has been on a roll since the start of Big 12 play. The senior
right fielder owns a team-best five-game hitting streak, also her longest of the season. Since the hitting streak began, Ogden is hitting .444 with 10 RBI. The senior was clutch in OU's Big 12 opener against Kansas as she recorded a walk-off RBI single to give OU the 3-2 win. Ogden had a solid performance against Central Arkansas on Wednesday where she hit a grand slam and recorded six RBI.

BIG 12 ROAD OPENERS
The Sooners are 7-5 in conference road openers since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996. The Sooners have opened road conference play in Lincoln four times and are 1-3 in conference road openers at Nebraska.

ROOKIE SENSATION
Freshman Haley Anderson made her second consecutive start Wednesday night against Central Arkansas, but it was only her eighth start of the season. The rookie left fielder has caught fire since the start of Big 12 play as she has hit back-to-back home runs in her last two starts. In her last two starts, she is hitting .714 with with seven RBI and two home runs.

SOLID IN CRUNCH TIME
Junior pitcher D.J. Mathis rarely allows batters to reach base, but when she does she doesn't allow the opponent many opportunities. With runners on base this season, batters have only hit .130 (21-of-161) against Mathis. The lefty is even better when runners are in scoring position as opponents are only hitting . 063 (5-of-79).

CLUTCH HITTERS
Amber Flores (.420), Savannah Long (.382) and Traci Dickenson (.368) have been OU's top three hitters this season, but they have also been clutch at key moments for the Sooners.

* 77 percent of Long's 22 RBI this season have come with two outs.

* Flores is hitting a team-best .455 with runners on base.

* Dickenson owns a .406 avg. with runners in scoring position.

LONG BALL
Senior Savannah Long is off to a hot start for her final season as she owns a .382 batting average through 36 games this season. In addition, the shortstop has been one of the team's top power hitters as she boasts a .686 slugging percentage and leads the Big 12 with 10 doubles and also owns seven home runs.

TWO-OUT RBI
Prior to the start of Big 12 play, head coach Patty Gasso challenged her team to put together two-out rallies. The Sooners have definitely taken the advice as OU has recorded 31 RBI since the start of Big 12 play on March 21. 21 of those 31 RBI have come with two outs (68 percent).

POWER HITTERS
The Sooners are establishing themselves as one of the power teams of the Big 12 Conference. Oklahoma currently leads the league through all games in home runs (51), slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.418), RBI (206) and runs scored (223).

"LITTLE MANNY"
Head coach Patty Gasso often refers to sophomore left fielder Amber Flores as "little Manny Ramirez." The 5-4 sophomore put up strong numbers as a freshman and is producing Ramirez-esque numbers during the 2008 season. Through 36 games this season, Flores owns a team-best 33 RBI and boasts a Big 12-best .420 batting average as well as a .840 slugging percentage (11 homers, five doubles, two triples). Flores' 11 home runs this season ranks second among All Big 12 players.

DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY
The Oklahoma defense has been one of the best in the Big 12 and the country this season as the Sooners rank sixth in the country with a .979 fielding percentage and 20 errors. Texas A&M is the only Big 12 team with a better average as it boasts a .984 fielding percentage with 18 errors. In addition, the Sooners rank second in the league with 13 double plays.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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