OU Hosts North Texas for Bark in the Park

April 13 | Norman | Marita Hynes Field

North Texas

^12/9 Oklahoma

NORMAN - No. 12/9 Oklahoma (30-7, 6-1 Big 12) opens a four-game homestand Wednesday when it faces North Texas (20-19, 3-9 C-USA) for the 13th year in a row as the Mean Green visit Marita Hynes Field.

The game will be shown on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox College Sports Central. It can also be heard on KEBC 1560 in Norman or online via the above link.

Promotions

Wednesday is Oklahoma's second annual Bark in the Park promotion. Fans are invited to bring their dogs to the game with the first 50 dogs getting a free rope toy. Dogs must show proof of vaccinations and sign a waiver, which can be found at SoonerSports.com/BarkinthePark.

In addition, Wednesday is also Dollar Dog Night as hot dogs and sodas are just $1 while supplies last.

It's dollar 🌭 night, so why not bring your 🐶 to join you? For more info, https://t.co/IgWDA8DNm7 pic.twitter.com/xLoTkT8fcG
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) April 12, 2016

Facing North Texas

Oklahoma is a perfect 27-0 against North Texas, including a 18-0 mark in Norman. Not only is the 27-0 record Oklahoma's best undefeated mark against another team, the 27 straight wins are the second longest active streak against one opponent by OU.

Opponent	Record
North Texas	27-0
Stephen F. Austin	12-0
Central Arkansas	9-0
Kent State	7-0
North Carolina	7-0

Opponent	Streak	Series Record
Wichita State	32	25-7 (.865)
North Texas	27	27-0 (1.000)
Iowa State	24	71-28 (.717)
Creighton	16	17-11 (.607)
Stephen F. Austin	12	12-0 (1.000)

Among teams its faced at least 25 times, OU's win percentage of 1.000 over the Mean Green is its best against another team with Texas Tech (.868, 46-7) and Wichita State (45-7; .865) in second and third, respectively.

OU has won 21 of the 27 all-time meetings by at least three runs.

OU and North Texas have played three common opponents so far: Baylor, Creighton and Kansas. OU posted a 6-1 record against those teams with the lone loss coming to Kansas in a three-game series, while the Mean Green went 3-3 with two wins over BU, a split with Creighton and two losses to KU.

Ties to the Teams

Oklahoma has no native Texans on its roster, but North Texas has four Oklahomans.

Sophomore Lauren Miller is from Blanchard and attended East Central University after her time at Blanchard HS. She is the younger sister of former Sooner Leslie Miller, who played at OU from 2013-15.

Freshman Bailey Thompson hails from Edmond (Deer Creek HS), while senior Bryana Wade is a Choctaw native (Mount St. Mary HS) and freshman Casady Webb is from Davis.

Last Time They Met

OU won both matchups last season.

The Sooners defeated the Mean Green in Norman, 6-3, on April 20. Erin Miller hit a two-run homer, while Kelsey Arnold broke a 3-3 tie in the third with a two-run homer of her own.

History was made when the teams met again in Denton on April 30 as Lauren Chamberlain became the NCAA's all-time home run leader with a grand slam in OU's 6-2 win.

Quick Hits

Through 4/10, among all active pitchers with at least 200 career IP Paige Parker is ninth in career ERA (1.65) and is also 15th in shutouts (17) and 45th in wins (45) ... Erin Miller is 21st among active NCAA players with 11 career triples ... Kelsey Stevens is eighth among active pitchers in career victories (69), 11th in games started (103) and shutouts (19), 15th in K/7 (7.65; min. 400 IP), 16th in appearances (133), 19th in strikeouts (588) and 40th in innings pitched (538.3)

Kelsey Arnold's batting average has been above .333 all season and above .400 since Feb. 20 ... Lea Wodach leads the team with a .533 average in home games ... twelve of Caleigh Clifton's 25 hits this year have gone for extra bases (eight doubles, three triples, one homer)... Sydney Romero has struck out just three times in 139 plate appearances this year ... Shay Knighten has reached base in 13 straight games, the longest active streak on the team ... Brittany Finney has not given up an earned run in any of her four starts (11.2 IP) ... In 20.0 innings, Paige Parker has not given up a first inning run

Every one of Oklahoma's main offensive starters has a batting average of at least .337 ... OU is outscoring teams 85-15 over the first two innings this year ... Sooner pitchers have given up just three home runs in the last 15 games ... the Sooners' No. 9 hitters have a team-high .437 average this year ... OU is hitting .342 or better as a team in every inning this year except for the fourth (.290)

OU Continues Remarkable Run in National Polls

After going 4-0 last week, OU moved two spots from No. 14 to No. 12 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll, and three places from No. 12 to No. 9 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.

Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll, 315 straight polls.

In addition, OU moved up five places in the latest RPI poll from No. 12 to No. 7. It's the team's highest RPI ranking since being No. 1 in all eight polls during the 2013 season.

Tough Schedule for 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.

Eight of OU's opponents are ranked in each of the two latest polls and four more are receiving votes. Oklahoma has faced 11 of those 12 opponents so far, going 8-5 (played Baylor three times and Minnesota twice).

Oklahoma's seven losses this year have come to teams that are a combined 161-57-1 (.737). In fact, OU has played the toughest schedule in the country (.644) so far based on opponents' cumulative win percentage (games as of 4/10).

Looking ahead to the remainder of OU's schedule, Sooner opponents have a .551 cumulative winning percentage, which ranks 84th in the country. Combining OU's past opponents with its future foes, OU's opponents have a .619 cumulative win percentage, which ranks eighth in the country.