OU Announces Addition of Lowary, Sparks

NORMAN – Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso has announced the addition of two student-athletes for the upcoming 2017 season in pitcher Paige Lowary and catcher Hannah Sparks.

A native of Dallas Center, Iowa, Lowary joins the reigning national champion Sooners after spending the first two seasons of her career at Missouri. With the Tigers, Lowary posted a 43-15 record with a 3.32 earned run average in 360.2 innings pitched. She struck out 315 with 181 walks while holding opponents to a .244 batting average. She made 57 starts in 81 appearances and tossed 22 complete games with four shutouts and added six saves.

"Paige is a seasoned pitcher who will help bring some needed depth to our pitching staff," Gasso said. "Her experience both collegiately and with USA Softball will be invaluable to our program. We look forward to working with Paige and getting her comfortable with her new teammates as soon as possible."

This past season, Lowary set career highs in ERA (3.25), wins (25), appearances (44), games started (31), complete games (16), shutouts (4) and innings pitched (198.0). She was at her best during the NCAA Regional when she threw three shutouts to advance Missouri to the Ann Arbor Super Regional. She was named SEC Pitcher of the Week for the stretch of March 14-20 when she went 4-0 with a 0.36 ERA against Western Illinois and New Mexico State.

“Coming to Oklahoma is the best feeling I've had in a long time,” Lowary said. “I'm excited for a fresh start. I love Coach Gasso already and I really feel like I'm going to fit in with the team. I'm just really excited to be a part of it.

“Obviously, how successful Oklahoma has been was a huge part of my decision, but right when I stepped on campus I felt it. It's kind of cliché, but I really did feel something, and I really loved Coach Gasso, the environment and the atmosphere of OU. I just felt like it was the perfect place for me.”

In 2015, she was named to the Freshman All-SEC team after going 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA, 164 strikeouts and four saves in 162.2 innings. Among her season highlights included being named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after she went 3-0 at the Mary Nutter Classic with a 1.91 ERA in 14.2 innings of work.

Lowary has also represented her country on the international level as a member of the USA Softball Women's Elite Team in 2015 and 2016. While in high school at Dallas Center-Grimes, she was the two-time Gatorade Iowa Softball Player of the Year for 2012 and 2013 and helped her team to a pair of state titles.

Sparks comes to Oklahoma after two seasons at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla.

"As a junior college catcher, Hannah fills a need for experience and depth behind the plate," Gasso said. "She has all the tools both offensively and defensively to make an immediate impact for the Sooners."

A native of Thomasville, Ala., she is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she was named to 2016 NJCAA Division I Softball All-America Second Team after hitting .401 with a .503 on-base percentage and .776 slugging percentage. She hit 16 home runs, seven doubles and one triple and drove in 48 runs with 63 runs scored, 29 walks, 23 strikeouts and 20 stolen bases.

“I'm beyond excited to be a part of the program at OU,” Sparks said. “It all happened kind of fast and I never thought I would make it to a program like this one. From the time I stepped on campus back in April and met the players and the coaches, I felt right at home. I'm really excited to get this journey going.”

Behind the plate, she made just one error in 351 chances for a .997 fielding percentage and threw out 14 of 27 stolen bases attempted against her. Her Raiders team went 44-8 on the season and was two wins shy of a national tournament bid.

Lowary and Sparks join an Oklahoma team that is coming off the third national title in program history, the third school to reach that mark. They will join a signing class of five that was announced in November, as well as 12 returners from the team that went 57-8 and won its fifth straight Big 12 title.