Softball Set to Defend Title Saturday

NORMAN, Okla. -- The seventh-ranked and No. 2 seeded OU softball team (43-11, 16-2 Big 12) will open Big 12 Championship action Saturday at 11 a.m. against the winner of No. 7 seed Kansas and No. 10 seed Nebraska who play at 5 p.m. Friday. The defending champion Sooners will play on the main field at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

An OU win would advance the Sooners to the 4:30 p.m. semifinal game on Saturday against the winner of No. 3 Missouri and No. 6 Texas Tech. The title game will be held at 12 p.m. on Sunday. For the second straight year, the championship will be a three-day, single elimination event.

Championship Schedule
Friday, May 10
Game 1 - Kansas (7) vs. Nebraska (10) 5 p.m.
Game 2 - Baylor (8) vs. Iowa State (9) 5 p.m.

Saturday May 11
Game 3 - Oklahoma (2) vs. Game 1 Winner 11 a.m.
Game 4 - Missouri (3) vs. Texas Tech (6) 11:30 a.m.
Game 5 - Texas A&M (1) vs. Game 2 Winner 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 - Texas (4) vs. Oklahoma State (5) 2 p.m.
Game 7 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 10
Championship Game
Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner 12 p.m.

OU IN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
The Sooners are seeking their fourth Big 12 Championship title and second in a row after claiming the title last season. OU won the inaugural Big 12 Championship in 1996 and claimed its second title in 2001 with four straight wins in the tournament. Last year, the Sooners defeated Kansas, Missouri and Texas Tech on their way to the postseason title.

Watch as Sooners Accept 2007 Big 12 Championship Trophy

OU owns an all-time Big 12 Championship record of 34-16 and 10-2 in openers. Oklahoma is making its seventh appearance as a No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Sooners have been a No. 1 or 2 seed in 10 of the 13 years of the tournament. Last season, the Sooners were a No. 2 seed and topped Texas Tech, 6-3, in the title game to claim the trophy. It marked Oklahoma's sixth appearance in a Big 12 title game.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Fox Sports Southwest (Cox Channel 37 in OKC) will be televising the 4:30 p.m. semifinal game Saturday and the Sunday title game at 12 p.m. Bill Land and Tracy Warren will be calling the game for Fox.

Additionally, OU radio play-by-play voice Brian Brinkley will be calling all of OU's games in the tournament. The broadcast can be heard live on KOKC 1520 AM for the 11 a.m. on Saturday as well as the 4:30 p.m. contest, if the Sooners advance. Brinkley would call the championship game if the Sooners advanced and it would be broadcast live on KOKC 1520 AM as well.

TICKETS
All session tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the Oklahoma City All Sports Association (405-236-5000). Single-session tickets will be available game days only at the stadium.

All-Session Ticket - $40.00 (4 tickets)
Flex Book - $64.00 (8 tickets good for any one session)
Individual Session Ticket - $11.00 (Adult)
Individual Session Ticket - $7.00 (Children 12 & under and Sr. Citizens 65 & older)

THE NO. 2 SEED
The Sooners are familiar with the No. 2 seed as they are making their seventh appearance as the No. 2 seed ... The No. 2 seed has won the Big 12 Championship on four different occasions ... The Sooners have appeared in the title game as the second seed three times winning it in 2001 and 2007 ... OU was last a two seed in 2007.

2007 BIG 12 TOURNAMENT RECAP
The Sooners claimed their third Big 12 Championship last year as they defeated Texas Tech, 6-3, in the title game. Oklahoma, a No. 2 seed, knocked off Kansas (5-0) and No. 18 Missouri (7-1) on its way to the finals. The Sooners also played all three of their tournament games within a 24-hour span due to weather adjustments.

It marked OU's third Big 12 Tournament trophy after winning the title in the inaugural year of the Big 12 (1996) and then again in 2001.

Lauren Eckermann took home MVP honors after throwing all three games for the Sooners, except for 1/3 of an inning. Eckermann recorded a 0.68 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a .162 average with 18 strikeouts. Eckermann improved her record to 34-3 on the year after adding three wins in a day's span with a gutty performance.

BACK-TO-BACK WINNERS
The Sooners will be aiming to become only the second team in Big 12 history to win back-to-back Big 12 Championship titles. Texas is the only team to accomplish the feat as the Longhorns won the postseason title in 2002 and 2003. Oklahoma will also be aiming for its third consecutive trip to the title game as it fell to Kansas in 2006 before claiming the title in 2007. Nebraska is the only other team to make three consecutive trips to the title game as the Huskers did it in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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