Sooners Collect Big 12 Honors

May 8, 2009

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OKLAHOMA CITY - University of Oklahoma junior Amber Flores was named the 2009 Big 12 Player of the Year Friday evening, while head coach Patty Gasso earned Coach of the Year honors. Flores follows former Sooner greats Jill Most (1996), Lynette Velazquez (1999), Lisa Carey (2000), Kelli Braitsch (2001) and Norrelle Dickson (2007) in earning the honor. The Calexico, Calif.-native led the conference in a majority of statistical categories throughout the year and carried the Sooners to the Big 12 regular season title.

Flores finished the regular season with a league-leading .417 batting average, hitting 55-for-132. Flores drew 44 walks on the year and was hit by a pitch 17 times. She drove in 53 runs while scoring 55. Hitting in the second spot, Flores hit a season-high 15 home runs, 12 doubles and produced a slugging percentage of .864. Flores recorded an on-base percentage of .595. In conference play, she hit .438 with a .979 slugging percentage and 19 runs scored and driven in. Flores hit seven home runs and drew 15 walks.

Flores was named to the first team All-Big 12 team along with seniors Samantha Ricketts and D.J. Mathis, sophomore Krystle Huey and freshman Katie Norris. Junior Lindsey Vandever and sophomores Haley Anderson and Chana'e Jones were named to the second team. It marks the first time since 2001 the Sooners have placed eight on the All-Big 12 teams and third consecutive season with at least five first team selections. It is the 13th straight year Oklahoma has had at least five all-conference honorees.

Ricketts finished second on the team with a .327 average. Hitting just behind Flores in the lineup, Ricketts set career records in runs batted in and home runs this season. She drove in 52 runs on 52 hits and scored 30. She was issued 18 walks and hit a league-high 15 doubles. Defensively, Ricketts was errorless in conference play at first base. In Big 12 games, Ricketts recorded a team-high 24 RBI and posted a .725 slugging percentage.

Mathis carried the Sooners in the circle, finishing with a 9-2 conference record and 16-4 showing overall. Mathis totaled a staff-best 2.49 earned run average in 120.2 innings pitched. Despite going an entire month between starts due to injury, Mathis held batters to a .199 average on the season.

Freshman Katie Norris hit .304 on the year with seven home runs, including one grand slam. Norris drove in 31 runs on the year while scoring 16. In conference play, she hit .354 with 15 RBI and seven walks drawn. Huey had a breakout season in centerfield. In conference play, Huey was second on the team with a .389 average, hitting 14-for-36 in the leadoff spot. Overall, Huey tied for the league best with three triples. She was 8-of-10 in stolen base attempts.

Vandever earned second team honors after hitting .303 overall. Vandever drove in 42 runs on the year and scored 31. In conference play, she drove in 10 and scored seven, while drawing 12 walks. Behind the plate, Vandever had a .994 fielding percentage on the year. Anderson finished third on the team with a .313 batting average, delievering 19 RBI and scoring 17 runs. Anderson hit .341 in conference play, totaling 15 hits. Jones also hit .341 in conference play, .301 overall. She drove in 13 runs on the year and scored 19 runs.

Gasso was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. Each of her previous three honors have come when the Sooners have won the regular season title.

Five Sooners were named to the first team All-Big 12 academic team. Those honored included Ricketts, Vandever, senior Jeannie Douglas and sophomores Dani Dobbs and Wendy Trott.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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