Non-Conference Play Ends with Tulsa Visit

May 4 | 6 p.m. CT | Collins Family Softball Complex

Tulsa

^7/7 Oklahoma

Live Stats

KEBC 1560

TulsaHurricane.com ($)

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NORMAN - Winners of 16 straight and 23 of its past 24, No. 7/7 Oklahoma concludes its eight-game trip away from Norman by traveling to Tulsa for its final non-conference game of the year.

This is the third attempt to play the game. The first two meetings on March 9 and April 19 were both rained out.

Oklahoma is 10-1 (.909) in road games this season, ranking fifth nationally in win percentage in such games behind Florida Atlantic (1.000), Cal State Fullerton (1.000), Michigan (.929) and Grand Canyon (.917).

The game can be seen on TulsaHurricane.com with a paid subscription via link above. Fans can also listen to the game on KEBC 1560 in Norman or online via the above link.

Facing Tulsa

Oklahoma is 38-10 all-time against the Golden Hurricane, including a 12-6 record at Tulsa. OU has won four straight in the series after the teams altered wins and losses over a stretch of seven games from 2009-11. During OU's four-game win streak, it has outscored TU 16-2.

The teams did not face each other last season. Since the series began in 1994, the only other year they did not meet came during the 1999 season.

Against non-conference opponents, Oklahoma's 38 wins over Tulsa rank fifth-best in program history after its win totals over Missouri (51), Texas A&M (49), Wichita State (44) and Nebraska (41).

The Sooners and Golden Hurricane have played eight common opponents this year: Texas, Lamar, Minnesota, UMKC, Saint Louis, Wichita State, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. OU is 10-2 against those teams with both losses coming to Minnesota, while Tulsa has gone 9-3 with two losses coming to Wichita State and one to Arkansas.

The Sooners' roster features three Tulsa natives in Erin Miller, who attended Jenks HS, and Holland Holl graduates Kelsey Arnold and Paris Townsend. Miller was high school teammates with Tulsa's Kaitlin Allen at Jenks.

The last meeting between the schools came in 2014 when OU defeated Tulsa, 1-0. Then-sophomore Kelsey Stevens gave up just two hits and struck out 11 to outduel two-time All-American Aimee Creger. Lauren Chamberlain had the only offense with a solo homer in the sixth.

Sooners Riding 16-Game Win Streak

Oklahoma has not lost a game since a 5-2 setback to Kansas on April 2, a streak of 16 games. It's tied for the eighth longest in program history, matching the mark set April 19 to May 23 in 2014. During the streak, which has seen four top-25 wins and six shutouts, OU has dominated the competition.

The 16-game win streak is tied for the second-longest active streak in the country with Florida Atlantic. Only Fresno State (19) is on a longer winning streak.

In fact, Oklahoma has won 23 of its past 24 contests dating back to March 19. Over that span, only Jacksonville State has a better winning percentage in the country than Oklahoma.

Clifton Enjoying a Streak of Her Own

Caleigh Clifton has a streak of reaching base in 22 straight games, the longest by an OU player this season and the longest since Lauren Chamberlain reached safely in the final 25 games of 2014 and the first 13 of 2015 for a 38-game streak.

During her run, Clifton has 21 hits, 20 walks and 10 hit by pitches. Four times during the streak she's failed to get a hit or walk, but was hit by a pitch to keep the streak alive.

She's posted a slash line of .447/.662/.745 during those 22 games and has scored 23 runs with 16 RBI, three doubles, a triple, three home runs and seven stolen bases.

Clifton has now become the team's leader in batting average and walks this year. Additionally, she leads the Big 12 and is eight nationally in OBP at .583, a figure that would rank fifth in OU annals.

Quick Hits

Every one of Oklahoma's main offensive starters has a batting average of at least .323 ... OU is outscoring teams 101-15 over the first two innings this year and hasn't given up a run in the first two frames since March 30, a streak of 18 games ... Sooner pitchers have given up just six home runs in the last 26 games ... OU hurlers have also allowed just two earned runs over the last seven games, sporting a 0.30 ERA over that span ... every spot in the lineup is hitting .315 or better, led by the No. 9 hitters at .403 ... OU is hitting .350 or better as a team in every inning this year except for the fourth (.302)

Kelsey Arnold's batting average has been above .333 all season and she leads the team with a .425 mark in non-conference games ... Fale Aviu leads the team with a .529 average in road games ... in 23.0 innings this year, Paige Parker has not given up a first inning run and has a 1.14 ERA in road games; she has a win in 14 straight decisions ... Erin Miller leads the team in multi-hit games (22) and multi-RBI games (13) and the team has gone 23-1 with her in the leadoff spot

Through 5/1, among all active pitchers with at least 200 career IP Paige Parker is seventh in career ERA (1.67) and is also 16th in shutouts (18) and 41st in wins (51) ... Erin Miller is 22nd among active NCAA players with 11 career triples ... Kelsey Stevens is 10th among active pitchers in career victories (71), 11th in games started (108), 15th in shutouts (19), 14th in K/7 (7.69; min. 400 IP), 18th in appearances (138), 21st in strikeouts (613) and 43rd in innings pitched (557.7)

OU Continues Remarkable Run in National Polls

After going 3-0 last week, OU moved up two spots to No. 7 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll and one spot to No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. It's the highest ranking in each poll this season for OU.

Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll, 318 straight polls.

OU was No. 3 in the RPI poll for the third straight week. 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.

Nine of OU's opponents are ranked in the latest polls and four more are receiving votes. Oklahoma went 13-5 vs. those teams.

Oklahoma's seven losses this year have come to six teams that are a combined 202-73-1 (.734). In fact, OU has played the fifth toughest schedule in the country to date based on opponents' cumulative win percentage (games as of 5/1).

Looking ahead to OU's final six games, Sooner opponents have a .535 cumulative winning percentage, which ranks 118th in the country. Combining OU's past opponents with its future foes, OU's opponents have a .618 cumulative win percentage, which ranks eighth in the country.

Freshmen Contributing Right Away

With the graduation of one of the best senior classes in school history, OU needed one of its largest freshman classes ever to make up that production. And they've done just that.

Sydney Romero (3B), Caleigh Clifton (2B) and Shay Knighten (1B) have assumed starting roles in the infield, while Fale Aviu has been the starting designated player for the past 12 games.

Pitchers Jayden Chestnut and Brittany Finney have each made starts and contributed in the circle, while outfielders Kylie Lundberg and Raegan Rogers have seen playing time.

Clifton leads the team in average (.398), OBP (.583), HBP (11) and walks (28), while Knighten has a team-high 10 home runs and Romero is tied with Clifton for the team lead in triples (3).

A freshman is among the team's top three leaders in average, slugging, OBP, runs, hits, RBI, doubles, triples, home runs, total bases, walks, hit by pitches, sac bunts and stolen bases.

Finney has made four starts and has one win this year, posting a 1.15 ERA in 18.1 innings with 18 strikeouts. Chestnut has appeared in 20 games with four starts and owns an 8-0 record.

Featuring eight freshman, the 2016 class is the largest ever under Patty Gasso and the largest for the program since nine were on the 1988 squad. For reference, the oldest member of this year's freshmen was born in 1996.