World Series Begins Tonight for OU

May 30, 2013

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NCAA Women's College World Series
Game 4 - OU vs. Michigan	Thursday, May 30 - 8:30 p.m.
TV	ESPN2 \| WatchESPN.com
Radio	KREF 1400 AM
Live Stats	Gametracker
Tickets	Order online
Game Info	NCAA Bracket \| OU Game Notes \| Twitter

For the third year in a row, and eighth time in school history, the Oklahoma softball team has reached the Women's College World Series.

Top-seeded Oklahoma opens against No. 8 Michigan on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. Depending on the outcome, OU will then face either No. 4 Texas or No. 5 Arizona State on Friday or Saturday.

Oklahoma trails in the all-time series against the Wolverines, 12-6, though the teams have met just once since 2006. Last year at the Judi Garman Classic on March 15, Lauren Chamberlain homered and Keilani Ricketts struck out nine in a four-hit shutout as the Sooners prevailed, 2-0. The teams have met once before in the WCWS, with OU winning 2-0 in 2001.

OU enters the WCWS as one of the hottest teams in the field. It's eight-game winning streak is tied with Florida for the longest of the teams in the field, while its 9-1 record in its last 10 games is tied with the Gators and Washington for the best.

Oklahoma is 11-12 all-time in the WCWS, including a national title in 2000. A year ago the Sooners reached the finals, losing in three games to Alabama.

The eight trips tie for eighth in Division I history and ranks fourth among teams in the 2013 field. OU's three straight trips to Oklahoma City matches Arizona State as the longest active streak in the country.

AGAINST THE FIELD
Oklahoma entered the 2013 NCAA Tournament with a 23-3 record against fellow tournament teams, outscoring them 152-33. Against the Super Regional field, the Sooners were 6-2.

Among the eight teams in the WCWS, the Sooners have the most wins and highest winning percentage against the field:

Team	Record	Winning Pct.
Oklahoma	5-2	.714
Florida	2-1	.667
Arizona State	3-2	.600
Michigan	3-2	.600
Nebraska	3-3	.500
Texas	2-3	.400
Tennessee	1-2	.333
Washington	1-6	.167

HOT STREAKS
A quick look at which OU batters have been enjoying recent success:

Player	G	AB	R	H	RBI	2B	HR	BB	K	SB	AVG/OBP/SLG
Casey	21	63	22	26	14	7	1	13	9	4	.413/.519/.571
Chamberlain	13	30	24	19	27	7	6	19	3	4	.633/.780/1.467
Henson	5	5	7	4	2	1	1	1	1	0	.800/.857/1.600
Martinez	20	58	15	27	8	1	0	3	2	4	.466/.484/.483
Pendley	22	65	28	28	43	5	14	14	12	2	.431/.543/1.185
Ricketts	5	14	3	6	12	1	1	4	2	0	.429/.556/.714
Turang	22	53	22	28	10	2	0	6	5	4	.528/.576/.566
Williams	5	10	4	7	3	3	1	4	1	0	.700/.800/1.300

WALKING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
This year, Oklahoma and Florida have both broken the NCAA single-season record of 301 walks drawn. Despite both breaking the record, the Sooners hold a lead over the Gators heading into the Women's College World Series.

Walks	Team	Year
325	Oklahoma	2013
315	Florida	2013
301	California	2002
301	Arizona State	2008

LEADING THE NATION
Below is a list of all OU's top-10 rankings in the latest NCAA Statistics (Games through 5/26).

An Oklahoma player leads the country in four different individual
categories, a figure which is tied for the most in the nation ... Oklahoma is the only team in the country to have two different players lead an individual category ... Lauren Chamberlain leads the country in a nation's-best three offensive categories ... Chamberlain leads the country in RBI/game despite spending the whole season as the team's leadoff hitter ... of the 11 team categories tracked by the NCAA, Oklahoma leads the nation in four of them, no other school ranks No. 1 in multiple categories ... OU ranks in the top 3 of six different categories, Florida (fielding, winning) is the only other team to be top-3 in multiple categories ... OU ranks in the top six in ERA, runs/game and fielding percentage, something no other school can say ... the Sooners lead the country in ERA and scoring, no team in DI history has led both categories at the end of a season

Stat	Team/Player	Total	Rank
Earned Run Average	Team	1.16	1
Runs/Game	Team	7.93	1
Winning Percentage	Team	.929	1
Slugging Percentage	Team	.590	1
Batting Average	Team	.338	3
Home Runs/Game	Team	1.59	3
Fielding Percentage	Team	.977	6
Doubles Per Game	Team	1.59	9
RBI/Game	Chamberlain	1.41	1
Runs/Game	Chamberlain	1.43	1
Slugging Percentage	Chamberlain	1.107	1
Home Runs	Chamberlain	27	2
Home Runs/Game	Chamberlain	0.49	2
On-Base Percentage	Chamberlain	.623	2
Walks Drawn/Game	Chamberlain	1.05	4
Batting Average	Chamberlain	.463	8
Earned Run Average	Gascoigne	0.92	1
Strikeouts/7 Innings	Gascoigne	10.6	4
Hits Allowed/7 Innings	Gascoigne	3.96	9
RBI/Game	Pendley	1.30	3
Slugging Percentage	Pendley	.903	6
Home Runs	Pendley	22	7
Home Runs/Game	Pendley	0.23	9
Shutouts	Ricketts	16	2
Hits Allowed/7 Innings	Ricketts	3.78	5
Strikeouts/7 Innings	Ricketts	10.5	6
Strikeouts	Ricketts	311	7
Walks Drawn/Game	Ricketts	0.88	7
Earned Run Average	Ricketts	1.22	8
Wins	Ricketts	31	8

DOMINANT DUO
Oklahoma's 1-2 punch of Keilani Ricketts and Michelle Gascoigne has been dominant in 2013. Ricketts is 31-1 and Gascoigne is 18-3, while each has an ERA under 1.22 and is holding an opponents' batting average under .160. Ricketts has thrown 16 shutouts, Gascoigne has thrown eight and the pair combined on three more.

Gascoigne is averaging 10.6 strikeouts per seven innings and has a 6.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while Ricketts' marks in those categories stand at 10.5 and 6.3, respectively.

Ricketts has tallied 13 10+ strikeout games this year and now has 76 for her career. Likewise, Gascoigne has 8 this season and 22 in her career.

SUCCESS WITH 2 OUTS
OU has enjoyed tremendous success with 2 outs this season. Of the team's 444 runs, 200 have come with 2 outs (45.0 %). Oklahoma has had 19 games this year where it has scored 5+ runs with 2 outs and 12 games with 7+ runs coming with 2 out.

Outs	Runs Scored	Pct. of Runs
0	95	21.4
1	149	33.6
2	200	45.0
Total	444	100.0

THEN AND NOW
Comparing stats entering the Women's College World Series between the 2013 team and the 2012 squad that reached the WCWS finals:

Stat	2013	2012
Record	50-4	50-8
Batting Average	.338	.321
Runs	444	380
Hits	480	487
Doubles	89	62
Triples	1	5
Home Runs	89	95
Slugging Percentage	.590	.557
On-Base Percentage	.467	.415
Walks Drawn	325	207
Times Struck Out	256	238
Fielding Percentage	.977	.970
Earned Run Average	1.16	1.15
Complete Games	35	38
Shutouts	28	23
Innings Pitched	349.0	379.0
Hits Allowed	200	221
Runs Allowed	66	76
Earned Runs Allowed	58	62
Walks Issued	81	61
Strikeouts Recorded	522	553
Home Runs Allowed	20	20
Opponents' Batting Average	.162	.164

RICKETTS REPEATS AS USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Oklahoma senior pitcher Keilani Ricketts has repeated as the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball announced Tuesday night at the opening banquet for the Women's College World Series.

The defending USA Player of the Year, Ricketts joins Texas' Cat Osterman, a three-time winner, and Washington's Danielle Lawrie, a two-time winner, as the only players to be multi-time winners of the award.

“It's really surreal to be in that category,” Ricketts said. “In my eyes, those girls are legends and players I've looked up to in my career, so to be up there with them is definitely an honor.”

The other two finalists for the award were Ricketts' teammate, sophomore infielder Lauren Chamberlain, and Tennessee's Raven Chavanne.

FOUR SOONERS SELECTED AS ALL-AMERICANS
The No. 1 Oklahoma softball team tied a school record and tied for the nation's lead by placing four student-athletes on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American teams.

Senior Keilani Ricketts and sophomore Lauren Chamberlain were named first team All-Americans, while senior Brianna Turang and sophomore Shelby Pendley were each placed on the second team. With four players recognized, the 2013 squad joins 2007, 2001 and 2000 for the most All-Americans in school history.

With her honor, Ricketts becomes the first four-time All-American in Oklahoma history and is the only player to be placed on three first-teams in school annals.

Chamberlain is a repeat performer on the All-American first-team. She joins Ricketts, Amber Flores and Heather Scaglione as the only two-time first-team selections in school history, though Chamberlain is the only player to do it in her first two seasons.

Turang and Pendley each earned All-American honors for the first time in their respective careers.

SUPER REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
Oklahoma breezed through the Super Regional round, taking down Texas A&M by a combined score of 18-2 in a pair of run-rule victories.

Leading 3-2 in the sixth, OU scored seven runs to win the game, 10-2. In addition to hitting a three-run walk-off home run, Keilani Ricketts struck out 13 batters and allowed just three hits in the six-inning win.

In the final game, Ricketts tossed her 16th shutout of the season and Shelby Pendley hit a pair of home runs in an 8-0, five-inning victory.

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
Outscoring their opponents 41-6, the top-seeded Sooners swept through the Norman Regional with a 3-0 record.

In the opener against Marist, the Sooners scored eight runs in the first inning, and then followed it up two innings later with another eight-spot in the third to cruise to a 17-0, five-inning win. Sophomore infielder Lauren Chamberlain was 3-4 with two runs scored and five runs batted in, including three on a first-inning home run.

Game two saw Arkansas trim a 6-1 lead to a 6-5 lead in the sixth, but Chamberlain hit a bases-clearing double to give OU breathing room as they prevailed 10-5. In the championship game, OU took advantage of four Arkansas errors to post another run-rule victory, 14-1.

Chamberlain was 6-8 (.750) with 7 runs scored, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 13 RBI, 4 walks, a .846 OBP and 1.750 slugging. In addition, junior Brittany Williams was 6-7 (.857) with 3 runs, 3 doubles, a home run, a .889 OBP and 1.714 slugging.

SIX SOONERS NAMED ALL-REGION
Senior pitcher Keilani Ricketts, senior outfielder Brianna Turang and sophomore infielder Lauren Chamberlain were all named to the All-Central Region First Team, while senior pitcher Michelle Gascoigne, junior outfielder Destinee Martinez and sophomore infielder Shelby Pendley were each selected for the second team.

The six honorees tie a school record that was established in 2005 and matched in 2007. Oklahoma has now had at least three members on the All-Region First Team every year since 2005.

SOONERS TAKE HOME TOP BIG 12 AWARDS
Patty Gasso was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row on Tuesday, while senior Keilani Ricketts took home Pitcher of the Year honors and sophomore Shelby Pendley was chosen as Player of the Year. It's just the second time since 2002 that one team has swept all three awards.

In addition, the Sooners put five players on the All-Big 12 First Team, two players on the All-Big 12 Second Team and four on the inaugural All-Big 12 Defensive Team.

PLAYER/COACH	BIG 12 AWARD(S)
Patty Gasso	Coach of the Year
Georgia Casey	Second Team \| Defensive Team
Lauren Chamberlain	First Team
Michelle Gascoigne	Second Team
Destinee Martinez	First Team
Shelby Pendley	Player of the Year \| First Team
Keilani Ricketts	Pitcher of the Year \| First Team \| Defensive Team
Jessica Shults	Defensive Team
Brianna Turang	First Team \| Defensive Team

SOONERS WIN 10TH BIG 12 TITLE
With a three-game sweep of Oklahoma State, Oklahoma earned its 10th Big 12 championship in school history. It's the sixth regular season title in school history, along with four tournament crowns. The 10 total crowns are the most in league history. The Sooners have won back-to-back league titles for the second time in school history, also doing so in 1999 and 2000.

In addition to the Big 12 championship, the win kept the Bedlam title in OU's hands, which it has been every year since the series against the Cowgirls (30-25, 6-11) was officially introduced in 2001.

The game was played in front of an announced attendance of 1,597. It was the largest regular season crowd in stadium history and the second largest overall, trailing the 1,645 that saw the Sooners play against DePaul in the Super Regionals on May 27, 2007.

BEST BIG 12 RECORDS
With a 15-2 Big 12 record, the Sooners finished with the third-best conference winning percentage in school history.

Year	Record	Pct.	Place	Postseason
2000	17-1	.889	1st	NCAA Champions
2008	16-2	.889	2nd	NCAA Super Regional
2001	15-2	.882	1st	N/A
2001	14-2	.875	2nd	WCWS
2002	14-2	.875	2nd	WCWS

UNANIMOUS NO. 1
For the fifth time this season, Oklahoma is the unanimous No. 1 team in the country. The Sooners received all 31 first-place votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll and all 20 votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. Oklahoma has been ranked No. 1 by USA Softball for 14 straight weeks, while the NFCA has put the Sooners on top for 10 weeks in a row.

The Sooners also maintained their spot as the No. 1 team in the latest installment of the NCAA Division I RPI rankings on May 13. They have been No. 1 each week since the rankings first came out.

RICKETTS' NO-HITTERS
With her no-hitter against Oklahoma State, Keilani Ricketts has thrown six in her career and five this year, both of which are school records.

Date	Opponent	Score	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K
5/12/13	Oklahoma State	5-0	7.0	0	0	0	0	7
4/28/13	Iowa State	12-0	5.0	0	0	0	2	10
4/14/13	Texas Tech	9-0	6.0	0	0	0	4	8
2/9/13	Oregon	12-0	5.0	0	0	0	1	10
2/8/13	Stanford	6-0	7.0	0	0	0	3	14
3/30/12	Kansas	8-0	5.0	0	0	0	0	10

TAKING ON THE TOP 25
Through the regular season and conference tournaments, the Sooners lead the nation in winning percentage against top-25 teams (.842; min. 10 games), are second in wins against top-25 teams (16) and are 14th in games played against ranked teams (19).

Team	Wins vs. Top 25
Washington	17
Oklahoma	16
Arizona State	16
Oregon	14
Florida	13

Team	Record vs. Top 25	Winning Pct. vs. Top 25 (Min. 10 games)
Oklahoma	16-3	.842
Florida	13-4	.765
Arizona State	16-6	.727
Texas	10-4	.714
Missouri	11-7	.611

The statistical breakdown between Oklahoma and its ranked opponents illustrates how dominant OU has been.

Stat	Oklahoma	Top-25 Teams
Wins	16	3
Batting Average	.296	.159
On-Base Percentage	.429	.242
Slugging Percentage	.500	.236
Runs	112	25
Hits	139	70
Doubles	21	7
Home Runs	25	7
RBI	105	21
Total Bases	235	104
Walks Drawn	102	31
Times Struck Out	95	171
Stolen Bases	16	3
Earned Run Average	1.23	5.56
Shutouts	9	1

OU won its first eight games of the year against top-25 teams, tying for the school's longest winning streak in such games. The record was initially set March 14-May 12, 2000.

Players Mentioned

Georgia Casey

Lauren Chamberlain

Michelle Gascoigne

Destinee Martinez

Shelby Pendley

Keilani Ricketts

Jessica Shults

Brianna Turang

Brittany Williams

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics