Troy Cox Classic Up Next for OU Softball

Troy Cox Classic
Feb. 19-20 | Las Cruces, N.M. | NM State Softball Complex

Weekend Schedule
Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Friday	Creighton	2:30 p.m.
Friday	New Mexico State	5:00 p.m.
Saturday	Western Michigan	2:30 p.m.
Saturday	New Mexico State	5:00 p.m.

On the Air
Radio	1560 AM \| Chris Plank

NORMAN - No. 14/10 Oklahoma is back in action this weekend at the Troy Cox Classic on the campus of New Mexico State. The Sooners will face Creighton and New Mexico State on Friday before facing Western Michigan and the host-Aggies again Saturday. All games can be heard on KEBC 1560 in Norman or online via link on SoonerSports.com.

The trip to Las Cruces, N.M., is the seventh in program history and the first since the 2011 season. OU is 28-15 all-time in Las Cruces with wins in 10 of its last 11 games there, including a current seven-game winning streak at the site.

Notes Against the Field

Oklahoma is 16-11 all-time against Creighton with the teams last meeting in 2009. The Bluejays actually won 11 of the first 12 meetings between the schools from 1980-91, but the Sooners have won 15 straight dating back to the 1992 season. In fact, the 15-game win streak is OU's fourth-longest active win streak against another program. During the current win streak, OU has shut out CU seven times.

Opponent	Streak	Series Record	Last Loss
Wichita State	31	44-7 (.863)	3/21/90
North Texas	27	27-0 (1.000)	N/A
Iowa State	24	71-20 (.717)	4/22/06
Creighton	15	16-11 (.593)	3/8/91
Stephen F. Austin	12	12-0 (1.000)	N/A

The Sooners are facing New Mexico State for the first time since the 2011 season. OU has won five in a row and nine of its last 10 against the Aggies, while in Las Cruces the Sooners are a perfect 8-0. Amongst teams Oklahoma has faced at least 20 times in its history, its win percentage vs. NMSU is fifth best.

Opponent	W-L Record	Win Pct.
North Texas	27-0	1.000
Arkansas	20-2	.909
Texas Tech	46-7	.868
Wichita State	44-7	.863
New Mexico State	18-3	.857

Oklahoma also meets Western Michigan for the first time since 2011. The Sooners are 2-0 against the Broncos on neutral sites, while WMU is 4-0 in Norman against OU, though those games were played from 1981-84.

Sooners Start the Season 3-2

Oklahoma opened the 2016 season with a 3-2 record at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas with both losses coming to ranked teams. OU was the only team in either preseason poll to open the season with consecutive games against ranked teams. In fact, it was the first time in history OU had ever opened the season with two straight games vs. top-25 teams.

OU opened the season with a hard-luck, 1-0 loss in a game featuring pitchers there were second-team All-Americans a year ago. Paige Parker struck out nine and allowed four hits for the Sooners, but she gave up a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh vs. No. 14/13 Minnesota. Sara Groenewegen limited OU to two hits as she struck out 14 with just one walk.

Oklahoma then dropped its second straight top-25 matchup with a 10-3 setback against No. 20/19 Washington. OU jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first, but the Huskies hit three home runs and scored 10 of the game's final 11 runs.

The Sooners' first win came on the second day of the season as they beat Lamar, 12-2, in five innings. OU scored five runs in the first and added six more in the third as it took advantage of three Cardinal errors and eight walks.

Senior Kelsey Stevens was the story of OU's 7-0 win over Syracuse. She struck out six and walked none while giving up just three hits in a complete game shutout. The six strikeouts were her most since eight vs. Missouri State on 3/8/15. It was also her first start without giving up a walk since 5/23/14. Fellow seniors Erin Miller and Whitney Montgomery each two-run homers in the win.

Another 7-0 victory, this time over Long Beach State, closed out the weekend for OU. Miller went 2-3 with three runs scored and her second homer of the season, while freshman Sydney Romero had a career-high three hits with two runs driven in. Parker and Stevens combined for the shutout.

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 still 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

After going 3-2 last weekend, OU slipped five spots in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll from No. 9 to No. 14. In the USA ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25, Oklahoma dropped two spots from 8th to a tie for 10th with Arizona.

Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll, 307 straight polls.