Chamberlain in Charge

April 5, 2012

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- So, Lauren Chamberlain says she just wants to improve.

OK, makes sense. That's what people say. Heard it before.

Trouble is, it's hard to find something Chamberlain needs to do better.

She'd basically have to hit a home run every time she comes to the plate for things to go any smoother for the Sooner.

Just a freshman, Chamberlain has been the best hitter for Oklahoma this year, jumping immediately into the lineup and immediately becoming one of the best hitters in the conference, if not the country.

"I'm always looking to improve," she said. "I'm always trying to get better. I'm just enjoying the ride."

The ride led Chamberlain to be named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Tuesday. It's the second time this season she has earned the honor and she did it thanks to some impressive stats.

OU vs. Texas Tech | Thursday, April 5- Saturday, April 7. | Preview | Tickets | Live Coverage

In a three-game sweep of Kansas, Chamberlain hit five home runs, drove in 11 and hit .600 with 21 total bases.

This season, she leads the fifth-ranked and 30-4 Sooners with 49 RBIs and 17 home runs. The 17 home runs is the sixth-highest, single-season total in school history and leads the Big 12.

"We're having a great start to the season," Chamberlain said. "The chemistry on this team is great. It's made it easy for me."

Well, Chamberlain certainly looks comfortable. Coming in from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Chamberlain was a member of the 2010-11 U.S. Junior Women's National team that won qualified for the Junior Women's World Championship in South Africa. While there, she hit .640, drove in 13 with seven seven doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs.

"I'm happy with what I have done so far," Chamberlain said. "But at the same time, I'm looking for that next step. I want to cut down on strikeouts. I want to keep improving. The home runs are great, but I want to be better hitting for average, too."

Chamberlain is hitting .381 with just 10 strikeouts in 121 plate appearances on the season.

Next up: Seeing what Chamberlain could possibly improve on when the Sooners take on Texas Tech today, Friday and Saturday.

"The hardest part for me is the speed of the game," she said. "You have to make that adjustment, and I'm still working on it. I'm still getting surprised every once in awhile."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors