Softball Closes Out Conference Play

May 6, 2011

Iowa State (21-22, 3-9 Big 12) at No. 15 Oklahoma (36-16, 8-8 Big 12)
Game Info	Saturday, May 7, 2011 \| 2 p.m. CT Sunday, May 8, 2011 \| Noon CT
Location	OU Softball Complex \| Norman, Okla.
Tickets	Available: $10 reserved \| $8 general admission
Radio	Internet Only (Saturday) \| KREF 1400 AM (Sunday)
Promotions	Year of the Fan (Saturday) \| Senior Day (Sunday)
Online	Webcast \| Game Notes \| Twitter

A LOOK AT THIS WEEKEND
The 15th-ranked University of Oklahoma softball closes out conference play this weekend against Iowa State. Saturday's game is set for 2 p.m. CT and audio is available through Oklahoma All-Access on SoonerSports.com. Sunday's finale is set for noon CT and airs locally on KREF 1400 AM. A webcast of both games is available via Oklahoma All-Access on SoonerSports.com. Live stats are also available at SoonerSports.com.
game airs locally on KREF 1400 AM with Brian Brinkley on the call. Live stats are also available at SoonerSports.com.

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA AS A TEAM
• Ten of Oklahoma's last 11 games have been against ranked opponents. OU has played 23 games (11-12) against ranked opponents this season.
• OU hasn't faced this many ranked opponents since facing 25 in the 2003 season (16-9).
• Oklahoma has hit 63 home runs this year; seven of those are grand slams.
• Oklahoma is 4-4 against teams ranked in the NFCA top 10 at the time of the contest.
• The Sooners are 18-15 against the May 1 RPI top 50. OU is 3-5 against the top 10 and 9-11 against the top 25.
• OU has played 17 games against non-conference teams ranked in the May 1 RPI top 50, including four against teams in the top 10 (2-2 against those teams).
• Oklahoma went 28-8 in non-conference games this year.

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA INDIVIDUALLY
• Keilani Ricketts (370) became the Oklahoma single season strikeout leader on April 30. The previous record was 356 by Jill Most in 1996.
• Ricketts' 716 career strikeouts is third all-time at OU and 17 from second place. Ricketts averages 11.43 K's per game.
• In her 33 starts in the circle, she has registered double-digit strikeouts 22 times.
• Ricketts leads the Big 12 in strikeouts (370), innings pitched (226.2), appearances (41) games started (33) and complete games (27).
• Ricketts has 22 career shutouts, eighth on the career all-time list. She struck out a career-high 17 batters against DePaul on March 17.
• Senior Dani Dobbs set a single game best in the second game against Kansas on April 6. Dobbs went 5-for-5 at the plate.
• She's the first Sooner to have five or more hits in a game since Amber Flores had five against Iowa State in 2009. It's also an OU single game record.
• Freshman Destinee Martinez leads OU and the Big 12 with 68 hits. She leads OU with a .360 batting average.
• After playing outfield all of last season and the majority of this year, Brianna Turang made the move to second base this year.
• Senior Chana'e Jones continues to have a breakthrough season. Jones has set single season highs in the majority of offensive categories.
• Jones is hitting .583 in the last four games (7-for-12). She's scored five runs and has a .667 slugging and .643 on-base percentage.
• She's also playing a new defensive position - first base. Jones is errorless in conference games and been responsible for several highlight-reel plays.
• Jessica Shults and Brittany Williams have provided the OU offense power this year.
• Shults leads OU with 19 home runs, 58 runs batted in and a .764 slugging percentage.
• Shults' 19 home runs are a single-season best for the sophomore. The OU single season record is 20 (Lisa Carey, 2000 and Lynette Velazquez, 1999).
• Shults has two grand slams this year. Nix has the other two. Ricketts, Williams and Dobbs have the others.
• Williams leads the Sooners and Big 12 with 44 walks drawn this season. She also leads the team with a .515 on-base percentage.
• The only other Sooner to have more walks in a single season was Flores (2008-10).
• Head coach Patty Gasso won her 800th Division I game on March 19 against No. 4 Washington. Gasso is 810-266-2 (.751) 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 972-325-2 (.748) in 21 seasons as a head coach. She needs 28 wins for career win No. 1,000.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES HISTORY
• Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Iowa State 57-28. OU holds a 17-12 lead in games played in Norman
• OU has won 10 straight in the series and seven straight at home. OU's last loss to ISU was in 2006 in Ames (5-2). The last home loss was in 2003 (2-1).
• Oklahoma's 10 consecutive wins against Iowa State is the Sooners' longest such streak against a conference opponent.
• Gasso is 33-4 all-time against Iowa State and 12-2 against the Cyclones in Norman.
• Complete series history information begins on page 137 of the 2011 Oklahoma softball virtual guide.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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