Softball Heads to Houston

Feb. 12, 2009

2009 Houston Marriott Classic
Dates	Friday-Sunday, Feb. 13-15
Friday	vs. N.C. State at 11 a.m. CT vs. Texas State at 3 p.m. CT
Saturday	vs. Indiana at 3 p.m. CT at #14/15 Houston at 5 p.m. CT
Sunday	vs. N.C. State at 9 a.m. CT
Game Info	Live Stats \| Oklahoma Game Notes

SOONER REWIND: OKLAHOMA'S OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Oklahoma won the Hawai'i Paradise Classic, out-scoring opponents 58-9 during the event. The Sooners dropped the opening contest to host Hawai'i, 8-5 but rebounded to win the next four by run-rule. On Friday, OU downed UAB (18-0) and then-#19 LSU (8-0). The Sooners defeated Hawai'i 14-0 to advance to the championship game. In the final contest, OU beat UAB 13-1. Junior Amber Flores was named Most Valubale Player and senior D.J. Mathis was named Most Valuable Pitcher. Joining the duo on the all-tournament team was freshman pitcher Kirsten Allen, junior catcher Lindsey Vandever, sophomore 3B Dani Dobbs, sophomore center fielder Krystle Huey and freshman designated player Katie Norris.

SOONERS/WOLFPACK SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: N.C. State leads 1-0
In Raleigh: Never Met
In Norman: Never Met
At Neutral Sites: N.C. State leads 1-0
Oklahoma's Series Streak: Lost 1
First Meeting: March 16, 2007 (L 0-7 in Fullerton, Calif.)
Last Meeting: March 16, 2007 (L 0-7 in Fullerton, Calif.)

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA STATE
NC State will play five games across the three day spread, taking on No. 7 Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas State and No. 14 Houston. State will battle the Sooners twice during their opening weekend. The Pack returns 13 letterwinners and seven starters from last years unit that played for the ACC Championship at the league tournament. Reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Alyssa Allbritten and hurlers Lindsay Campana and Mendy McKenzie, arguably the best one-two pitching duo in the league, all return for the season.

SOONERS/BOBCATS SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 4-1
In San Marcos: Never Met
In Norman: Series tied 1-1
At Neutral Sites: Oklahoma leads 3-0
Oklahoma's Series Streak: Won 4
First Meeting: March 6, 1987 (L 3-4 in Norman, Okla.)
Last Meeting: February 12, 2000 (W 9-0 in Arlington, Texas)

SCOUTING TEXAS STATE
Texas State enters the weekend at 4-3 on the year and is coming off a 9-6 win over Texas on Wednesday evening. The Bobcats scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat the Longhorns in Austin. Kristina Tello leads the team with a .471 average with six runs scored and eight hits. Leah Boatwright carries the team in home runs with three. Pitcher Katie Garnett has a 2-1 record and 1.80 ERA on the year. Garnett has pitched innings, giving up eight runs, six of them earned.

SOONERS/HOOISERS SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 5-2-1
In Bloomington: Oklahoma leads 2-0
In Norman: Indiana leads 2-1-1
At Neutral Sites: Oklahoma leads 2-0
Oklahoma's Series Streak: Tied
First Meeting: February 26, 1979 (L 1-2 in Norman, Okla.)
Last Meeting: February 17, 2006 (T 11-11 in Norman, Okla.)

SCOUTING INDIANA
Indiana travels to Houston seeking its first win this season. The Hooisers went 0-3 last weekend at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial at UCLA and dropped a game to Cal State Fullerton. During the tournament, Indiana fell to Cal Poly, Pacific and No. 4 UCLA. Emily Bergeson and Sara Olson each had home runs for the Hooisers and Bergeson posted a .667 average in nine at-bats. Olson led the team in pitching, recording a 3.23 ERA.

SOONERS/COUGARS SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 3-1
In Houston: Oklahoma leads 3-1
In Norman: Never Met
At Neutral Sites: Never Met
Oklahoma's Series Streak: Won 1
First Meeting: March 5, 2
Last Meeting: February 17, 2006 (T 11-11 in Norman, Okla.)

SCOUTING HOUSTON
A 3-1 on the season, the No. 14/15 Houston Cougars are led by Jennifer Klinkert who batted .700 during play last weekend. Klinkert went 7-for-10 with seven RBI. Jessica Valis totaled seven hits and scored five runs. Of the three wins, one is against a ranked opponent (then-#13 Oregon State). The Cougars' loss is against another ranked opponent, California.

OU Fast Fact

Sophomore Dani Dobbs hit her first career home run against UAB on Saturday, Feb. 7. It was a three-run shot over the right center field wall.

FLORES EARNS BIG 12, NATIONAL AWARDS
For her MVP performance at the Hawai'i Paradise Classic, junior shortstop Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif) was named Big 12 Player of the Week, Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week and Co-Player of the Week by USA Softball on Tuesday, Feb. 10. It is the first time an OU softball athlete has earned both national honors in the same week. Flores hit .643 over a five-game span. Flores was 9-for-14 with nine runs scored and drove in 15 runs. Of her nine hits, two were doubles and three were home runs. Flores posted a slugging percentage of 1.429 and an on-base percentage of .737. She totaled 20 bases on the weekend, along with three walks and two hit-by-pitches. In OU's 18-0 win over UAB, Flores tied the OU school record with eight RBI in a single game. In the first inning, she drove in two runs on a double and later in the inning, cleared the bases with her three-run shot. She added a second three-run home run later in the contest.

OPENING STATEMENT
Freshman DP Katie Norris (Stillwater, Okla.) really set the tone for her 2009 season at the Hawai'i Paradise Classic. Norris hit .462 with six hits and three runs scored. Norris drove in four runs and hit a double and a home run on the weekend.

DOBBS GETS FIRST CAREER HOME RUN
Dani Dobbs' (Moore, Okla.) three-run blast against UAB was the sophomore's first career home run. Dobbs was named to the Hawai'i Paradise Classic all-tournament team after hitting .571 and posting a 1.143 slugging percentage.

FLORES, RICKETTS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
A pair of University of Oklahoma softball athletes have been named Preseason All-Americans by ESPN. Junior Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) earned first team honors, while senior Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) was named to the second team. Writer Graham Hays says of Flores, “Whether at second base, outfield or designated player, Flores makes herself a lineup cornerstone with one of the best bats in the game. Both patient enough in her own approach and feared enough by opponents to draw a program single-season record 45 walks last season, she still did enough with the pitches she saw to hit .381 with 15 home runs. Only a junior, it's scary to think how good Flores could be.”

MATHIS, RICKETTS NAMED TO POY WATCH LIST
Oklahoma seniors D.J. Mathis (East Alton, Ill.) and Samantha Ricketts have been named to the 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Both are All-Americans and Ricketts was a top three finalist in 2007.

RICKETTS NAMED TEAM CAPTAIN
Senior Samantha Ricketts was elected team captain for the 2009 season. The team selected the captain based on characteristics such as work ethic, positive attitude and consistency both on and off the field.

OKLAHOMA, ARIZONA RANKED IN EVERY NFCA POLL
The Sooners have been ranked in the NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 194 weeks. Oklahoma and Arizona are the only programs who have been ranked every week the poll has been released.

SOONERS UNANIMOUS SELECTION TO WIN BIG 12 TITLE
The Sooners received nine of 10 first-place votes and tallied 81 points to receive top billing in the 2009 Big 12 coaches' preseason poll. The selection the first time the Sooners were chosen a unanimous selection to win the league title since 2000, when OU won its first National Championship.

Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll
Rank	Team(first-place votes)	Points
1	OKLAHOMA (9)	81
2	Missouri	68
3	Texas A&M (1)	60
4	Texas	58
5	Nebraska	46
6	Baylor	44
7	Oklahoma State	40
8	Kansas	25
9	Texas Tech	15
10	Iowa State	13

SOONERS RETURN 10 LETTERWINNERS
Oklahoma returns 10 letterwinners from last season's 47-14, NCAA Super Regional team. The Sooners have six position players returning and pitcher D.J. Mathis. Three All-Americans in Mathis, Samantha Ricketts and Amber Flores return along with four All-Midwest Region selections in Mathis, Ricketts, Flores and Lindsey Vandever.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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