OU No. 5 in USA Today/NFCA Poll

Jan. 24, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. — After being selected No. 6 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball pre-season poll earlier in the day, the Oklahoma Softball program was ranked No. 5 in the USA Today/NFCA pre-season poll released Tuesday. The Sooners lead all Big 12 programs with their No. 5 ranking as they jumped two spots from their No. 7 ranking in the final 2011 poll. Arizona State tops the pre-season poll, capturing all 30 first-place votes.

Tuesday's announcement marked the second straight year and the fourth time in five years that the Sooners opened the year in the nation's top 10 in the USA Today/NFCA pre-season poll. In the poll's 17-year existence, Oklahoma has been ranked in the top 10 of the pre-season poll 11 different times.

Just as they will with the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, Oklahoma will play 11 teams ranked in the USA Today/NFCA's top 25 including five in the top 10. Oklahoma opens the season on Feb. 10 against Cal-State Bakersfield in the Sportco Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas. The first home game at the OU Softball Complex is slated for March 2 against No. 22 LSU.

Last year's Oklahoma team finished the year 43-19 and ranked No. 7 in the final USA Today/NFCA Top 25 after its sixth trip to the WCWS. The Sooners return the majority of that 2011 squad this year along with a group of six talented newcomers. Five members of the Oklahoma squad saw international action this offseason as Keilani Ricketts, Jessica Shults, Destinee Martinez and Lauren Chamberlain all suited up for the United States while Georgia Casey competed for the Australian Junior National Team.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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