Softball Faces Texas Tech in Lubbock

March 31, 2011

No. 15 Oklahoma (28-9) at No. 23 Texas Tech (35-3)
Game Info	Friday, April 1 \| 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday, April 2 \| 11 a.m. CT
Location	Rocky Johnson Field \| Lubbock, Texas
Radio	Internet Only (Friday) \| KREF 1400 AM (Saturday)
Online	Live Stats \| Game Notes \| Twitter

A LOOK AT THIS WEEKEND
The 15th-ranked University of Oklahoma softball team travels to Lubbock, Texas to face 23rd-ranked Texas Tech. The first game of the series is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday evening at Rocky Johnson Field. Saturday's game is at 11 a.m. CT. Both games can be heard online at SoonerSports.com and Saturday's contest also airs locally on KREF 1400 AM. Brian Brinkley has the call both days.

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA AS A TEAM
• Oklahoma is 6-5 against ranked opponents this year and 171-150 (.533) against those teams all-time.
• The Sooners are 2-0 against a ranked Texas Tech team (1998) and 7-2 all-time against the nation's No. 23 team.
• Oklahoma is 200-65 in Big 12 games.
• Oklahoma opened conference play last weekend with a series split with No. 14 Nebraska. OU defeated Central Arkansas 8-3 Tuesday.
• The Huskers took the opener 4-1, while OU rebounded to win the second game 6-3.
• Oklahoma has hit 49 home runs this year; five of those are grand slams.
• OU has played one of the nation's toughest schedules to date. After this weekend, OU will have played 13 games against ranked opponents.

Sooner to Watch
	Dani Dobbs \| Sr. \| INF • Has played in all 37 games this year • Has six home runs, a single season best • Producing a .602 slugging percentage, third best on the team • Has 16 extra-base hits and 26 RBI • Local product out of Moore, Okla.

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA INDIVIDUALLY
• Keilani Ricketts' 579 strikeouts are fifth on the career list and 18 from tying for fourth-place. Ricketts averages 12.05 K's per game.
• In her 19 starts in the circle, she has registered double-digit strikeouts 14 times.
• Ricketts leads the Big 12 in strikeouts (233), innings pitched (135.1), appearances (26), games started (19) and complete games (18).
• Ricketts has 21 career shutouts, eighth on the career all-time list. She struck out a career-high 17 batters against DePaul on March 17.
• OU's 3-5 hitters of Jessica Shults, Brittany Williams and Haley Nix have provided the OU offense a spark this year.
• Shults leads OU with 18 home runs, 53 runs batted in and a .927 slugging percentage.
• Shults' 18 home runs are a new single season best for her. The OU single season record is 20 (Lisa Carey, 2000 and Lynette Velazquez, 1999).
• Shults is second in the nation in total home runs.
• Williams leads the Sooners and Big 12 with 36 walks drawn this season. She is second on the team with a .807 slugging percentage.
• Williams also leads the team in batting average (.373).
• Nix has two grand slams on the year, including a walk-off against Missouri State in the championship game of the Oklahoma Spring Festival.
• Freshman Destinee Martinez leads OU and the Big 12 with 49 hits.
• After playing outfield all of last season and the majority of this year, Brianna Turang made the move to second base this year.
• Head coach Patty Gasso won her 800th Division I game on March 19 against No. 4 Washington. Gasso is 802-258-2 (.754) in 17 years at OU.
• Gasso is the 20th active coach to reach the mark and 30th all-time at the NCAA Division I level.
• Gasso is 964-318-2 (.751) in 21 seasons as a head coach. She needs 36 wins for career win No. 1,000.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES HISTORY
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series with the Red Raiders 34-5. OU is 12-0 against TTU in Lubbock.
• Gasso is 30-5 against Texas Tech. The two teams split last year's series meeting in Norman. OU has won nine out of the last 10.
• Complete series history information is on page 145 of the 2011 Oklahoma softball virtual guide.

A LOOK AT WHAT'S NEXT
• The Sooners travel to Lawrence, Kan. on Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. CT.
• Oklahoma returns home next weekend to face Baylor on Saturday and Sunday.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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