OU Opens 2016 Season in Las Vegas

Sportco Kick Off Classic
Feb. 12-14 | Las Vegas | Eller Media Stadium

Live Stats

Notes

Twitter

Weekend Schedule
Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Friday	#14/13 Minnesota	3:30 p.m.
Friday	#20/19 Washington	8:00 p.m.
Saturday	Lamar (played at SLC Park)	1:15 p.m.
Saturday	Syracuse	5:45 p.m.
Sunday	Long Beach State	11:00 a.m.

On the Air
Radio	1560 AM \| Chris Plank

NORMAN - Beginning its 45th year and ranked ninth and eighth in the NFCA and USA Softball preseason polls, respectively, the four-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma softball team opens up the 2016 season this weekend at the Sportco Kickoff Classic hosted by UNLV. Oklahoma is 32-13 all-time in season openers and has won five of its past six such games.

The trip to Las Vegas is the seventh in program history and the first since the 2012 season season opener. OU is 24-4 all-time in Las Vegas with wins in 23 of its last 24 games there.

The Sooners will play five games beginning with matchups against #14/13 Minnesota and #20/19 Washington Friday. This marks the fourth straight season OU has opened against a top-25 team, going 2-1 previously. Since the NFCA poll began in 1995, Oklahoma has never opened a season with back-to-back games against ranked teams.

The Sooners then take on Lamar for the first time ever on Saturday before facing Syracuse. The tournament concludes Sunday as the Sooners face Long Beach State.

Notes Against the Field

Oklahoma is 3-6 all-time against Minnesota, which is coming off its fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance. However, OU is 2-1 against the Golden Gophers under head coach Patty Gasso as the teams have only met three times since 1995.

The Sooners are facing Washington for the fifth time in the last four seasons, going 3-1 in those previous games. The teams met twice in 2013, including in the Women's College World Series. Last year in Tempe, Ariz., OU held a 6-0 lead after 5 innings before the Huskies tied the game at 6-6. Erin Miller then drove in a run and scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh in an 8-7 victory.

OU will be facing Lamar for the first time ever, though OU is 58-10 all-time against teams from the Southland Conference. Oklahoma has won 22 straight games against those teams including wins over McNeeese State and Central Arkansas (twice) last season.

Oklahoma last faced Syracuse in 2014 in a 6-2 win in Palm Springs, Calif. Kelsey Stevens got the win by allowing three hits and two runs in 6.1 innings against the Orange.

Gasso will be facing her alma mater when Oklahoma meets Long Beach State in the tournament finale. A softball standout in the team's early years during the 1983 and 1984 seasons, she was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in November 2013. She then coached at Long Beach City College for four years before becoming the head coach at Oklahoma. Gasso is 7-1 all-time against her alma mater.

Sooners Placed Atop Big 12 Preseason Poll Again

For the fourth year in a row and the seventh time in the last eight years, the Oklahoma softball team has topped the Big 12 Preseason Poll. The Sooners got five of the seven first-place votes. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Sooners led Big 12 teams with 35 points, while Baylor received the other two first-place votes and ranked second with 32 points. Texas was slotted third by the coaches with 26 points, followed by Kansas (20), Oklahoma State (14), Texas Tech (13) and Iowa State (7).

Tough Schedule Awaits Sooners in 2016

Fifteen opponents that reached the 2015 NCAA Softball Tournament, including half of the field from the Women's College World Series, highlight Oklahoma's 2016 schedule.

Oklahoma's 2016 schedule features six teams ranked in the preseason polls, including four in the top 10.

After opening the season against No. 14/13 (NFCA/USA) Minnesota and No. 20/19 Washington on Feb. 12, the Sooners are also scheduled to face No. 2/2 Michigan, No. 5/5 Alabama, No. 7/7 UCLA, No. 8/9 Tennessee and RV/23 Utah throughout the year, as well as a second matchup with the Golden Gophers on March 16.

In addition, future opponents Nebraska and Fresno State were also receiving votes in each poll.

Within the Big 12, Baylor opened at No. 16/16, while Texas and Kansas received votes in both polls.

OU Continues Run in National Polls

Oklahoma softball starts the 2016 season ranked eighth in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25 and ninth in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll.

Oklahoma's No. 9 spot in the NFCA Poll signifies the sixth straight season that the Sooners have started ranked in the NFCA's Top 10. That's the second longest active streak in the country behind Alabama (11). The Sooners, who ended the 2015 season ranked ninth, received 514 points.

The 2016 season marks the 22nd season of the NFCA poll, which began in 1995. In that time, OU has been ranked in the preseason Top 10 on 16 occasions; only Arizona (18) and UCLA (17) have appeared more times. OU's average NFCA preseason ranking is 8.3.

Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll, 306 straight polls.

OU moved up one spot from its ranking in the final 2015 USA Softball Poll to come in at No. 8 with 352 points to start 2016. It's the ninth straight season, and 12th time in the 14-year history of the poll, that it has begun in the Top 10. The Sooners' average USA Softball preseason ranking is 6.6.

OU to Rely on Largest Freshman Class in 28 Years

With the graduation of one of the best senior classes in program history, OU will look to one of its largest freshman classes ever to make up that lost production.

Made up of eight freshman, it's the largest class ever under head coach Patty Gasso and the largest the program has seen since nine freshmen were on the 1988 squad. For reference, the oldest member of this year's freshmen was born in 1996.

Fale Aviu is the favorite to be the starting right fielder, while Sydney Romero is penciled in at third base. Caleigh Clifton and Shay Knighten are also dueling for the starting spot at second base. In addition, pitchers Jayden Chestnut and Brittany Finney figure to see time in the circle, while outfielders Kylie Lundberg and Raegan Rogers will provide depth in their debut seasons.