Softball Travels to Austin

March 26, 2009

#8 Oklahoma (27-8, 4-0 Big 12) at Texas (24-11, 2-1 Big 12)
Dates	Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29, 2009 \| 1 p.m. & Noon CT
Location	Austin, Texas \| McCombs Field
Game Info	Live Stats \| Oklahoma Game Notes

RED RIVER RIVALRY SERIES HISTORY
Overall Record: Oklahoma leads 19-18
In Norman: Oklahoma leads 9-6
In Austin: Series tied 5-5
At Neutral Sites: Texas leads 7-5
Oklahoma's Series Streak: Won 2
Oklahoma's Series Streak in Austin: Lost 1
Last Win in Austin: March 24, 2007 (7-0)
2008 Meetings: W, 8-0 [6] (4/26) and W, 8-0 [5] (4/27) in Norman, Okla.

SOONER REWIND: OKLAHOMA DOMINATES UNT, 8-1
Juniors Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) and Lindsey Vandever (Davenport, Okla.) each had a home run and Oklahoma's pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts as the eighth-ranked Sooners downed North Texas, 8-1 Wednesday afternoon. OU scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to defeat the Mean Green. After issuing a leadoff walk, OU starter D.J. Mathis (East Alton, Ill.) settled down to allow a solo home run. It was the only hit put up on the board by UNT. Mathis walked three and struck out nine before turning the reigns over to freshman Kirsten Allen (Union, Ky). K. Allen saw 1.2 innings of work, striking out three batters. Freshman Allee Allen (Buena Park, Calif.) pitched the final inning, striking out two of the three batters she faced. The 14 strikeouts recorded by the trio were the most this season.

FLORES REIGNING BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For a second time this season, Oklahoma junior shortstop Amber Flores was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week on March 23. The Calexico, Calif.-native previously earned the honor during the first week of the 2009 campaign. On Saturday against Iowa State, Flores went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, drove in five runs and scored two as the Sooners defeated Iowa State, 10-7, on Flores' walk-off home run in the seventh inning. In the second game, Flores went 1-for-2 with a run scored and drew a walk. She hit .857 on the weekend, going 6-for-7 with a slugging percentage of 1.857. Flores also scored three runs total on the weekend. Overall on the week, Flores hit. 600 as Oklahoma went 3-0 with a pair of wins over ISU and a five-inning 8-0 blanking of Northern Iowa. In those three games, Flores produced a slugging percentage of 1.300 and an on-base percentage of .889.

RICKETTS A LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS TOP 30 FINALIST
University of Oklahoma senior Samantha Ricketts of San Jose, Calif., has been named a top 30 finalist for the 2009 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for softball. A national media committee will select 10 finalists for the award at the end of March. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote beginning March 30 and concluding May 7. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. Winners will be announced during the 2009 NCAA Division I Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, scheduled for May 28-June 3.

GASSO GETS 700TH WIN AT OKLAHOMA
Already Oklahoma's all-time winningest softball coach, Patty Gasso won her 700th game as the Sooners' head coach against Northwestern (3/7). Gasso's mark at the school is 710-232-2; while her career record stands at 872-291 -2.

FLORES MAKING THE MOST OF PLATE APPEARANCES
Junior shortstop Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) leads Oklahoma with a .461 batting average (41-of-89). Flores has had 134 total plate appearances - meaning she has drawn 32 walks and been hit by a pitch 13 times. She's only registered seven strikeouts on the year. Needless to say, Flores makes it a priority to get on base, and she does so 64.2 percent of the time. Her slugging percentage is a ridiculous .921. She is five home runs shy of tying her single season record of 15 set in 2008 and on pace to incinerate her single season walks drawn record of 45 set in 2008.

OU Fast Fact

Amber Flores leads the nation in on-base percentage (.642).

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER
Oklahoma has won five straight games for the third time this season. OU's season-best streak is seven games (Feb. 14-Feb. 21). The Sooners previously won five straight from Feb. 22-March 4.

RICKETTS NEARING HOME RUN CAREER MARK
Senior Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) is one home run shy of tying the career mark of 46 set by Ashli Barrett (1998-2001). Ricketts already owns the career runs batted in record (216).

LONG BALLS GALORE
As a team, Oklahoma has 33 home runs on the year. Of those, seven have come from the bottom half of the order. Sophomore Dani Dobbs (Moore, Okla.) has two on the year and sophomore Wendy Trott (Fountain Valley, Calif.) has three. Sophomore Haley Anderson (Edmond, Okla.) and freshman Karolyne Long (Midwest City, Okla.) each have one.

JACK OF ALL TRADES
Junior Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) is playing her third position in as many seasons in 2009. Flores began her OU career in the outfield and moved to second base as a sophomore. This season, with the departure of 2008 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Savannah Long, head coach Patty Gasso has called upon Flores to fill the hole at shortstop. But, Flores isn't the only other Sooner moving around. Against North Texas, sophomore Chana'e Jones (San Jose, Calif.) started at second base - far away from her usual spot in left field. Freshman Katie Norris (Stillwater, Okla.) has also seen time in right field after coming out of high school as a catcher.

BRING 'EM HOME
As a team, Oklahoma is hitting .297 with runners in scoring position. Leading the way for the Sooners is junior shortstop Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif). Flores is hitting .552 with RISP and has a 69 percent success rate at advancing runners. Sophomore Krystle Huey (Garland, Texas) is hitting .429 with the bases loaded. Freshman Katie Norris (Stillwater, Okla.) has 11 RBI when there are two outs.

RICKETTS: 172 STRAIGHT AND COUNTING
Senior Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) currently holds the longest active starting streak by an Oklahoma player. Ricketts has started 172 straight games, dating back to April 26, 2006 (vs. Oklahoma State). She has started all but 14 of those games at first base. Ricketts started the final 14 games of the 2006 season as the designated player.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Two-base hits are becoming the norm for the Sooners. As a team, OU has 49 doubles on the year and leading the way are junior shortstop Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) and senior first baseman Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) with 11 each. Sophomore Chana'e Jones (San Jose, Calif.) has five, while junior Lindsey Vandever (Davenport, Okla.) and sophomore Haley Anderson (Edmond, Okla.) each have four.

JONES ON EIGHT-GAME HITTING STREAK
Sophomore Chana'e Jones (San Jose, Calif.) is currently sporting an eight-game hitting streak, dating back to March 13 versus DePaul. Jones is 11-of-25 with six runs scored during the span.

AND THAT'S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES
Of Oklahoma's eight losses, six are by one run. In those losses, the Sooners hit just. 209 (45-of-215) and only one player hit above .350. In contrast, in the 27 wins, Oklahoma hit .337 (14-of-59) and four players above the .350 mark.

GO SPEED RACER
Freshman Evan Sallis (Muskogee, Okla.) leads the Sooners with 12 stolen bases on the year. Sallis is 12-for-14, while junior Amber Flores (Calexico, Calif.) is 8-of-9. Sophomore Krystle Huey (Garland, Texas) is a perfect 7-of-7 on the year.

A TRUE TEAM PLAYER
Sophomore Dani Dobbs (Moore, Okla.) and freshman Evan Sallis (Muskogee, Okla.) lead the team with four sacrifice hits on the year.

GAMES SELECTED FOR ESPN BROADCASTS
A pair of late season Oklahoma Big 12 softball games have been selected for broadcast by the ESPN family of networks, the company announced Thursday. The home finale against Texas A&M scheduled for April 19 has been moved from a 1 p.m. CT start to noon CT to accommodate a national broadcast on ESPN. The final game of the Bedlam Series presented by Ford, slated for April 29 in Stillwater, will air on ESPNU at 7 p.m. CT.

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 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.

MATHIS, RICKETTS TAKEN IN NPF DRAFT
Pitcher D.J. Mathis (East Alton, Ill.) and infielder Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) were selected by the Akron Racers in the 2009 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft. Mathis went second overall, while Ricketts was the second pick in the third round, going 12th overall. Oklahoma was one of four schools with two players taken. Oklahoma has now had 13 players drafted to the NPF league since its inaugural draft prior to the 2004 season.

FLORES, RICKETTS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
A pair of University of Oklahoma softball athletes were 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.

MATHIS, RICKETTS NAMED TO POY WATCH LIST
Oklahoma seniors D.J. Mathis (East Alton, Ill.) and Samantha Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) 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. The list will be cut down to 25 on April 1.

OU, ARIZONA RANKED IN EVERY NFCA POLL
The Sooners have been ranked in the NFCA poll since its inception, which spans 201 weeks. Oklahoma and Arizona are the only programs who have been ranked every week the poll has been released.

OU UNANIMOUS SELECTION TO WIN BIG 12
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.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors