Parker Named Candidate for Senior CLASS Award

NORMAN — Oklahoma softball pitcher Paige Parker has been chosen as one of 30 candidates for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in college softball.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.

The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 Women's College World Series.

A three-time All-American, Parker has made 12 appearances in the circle for the Sooners this season, including 10 starts, to sit at 10-1 on the season. Through 54.1 innings, Parker holds a 0.52 ERA, good for ninth-best in the nation and third-best in the Big 12. She's struck out 71 batters, including a season-high 12 against Saint Francis, to average 9.1 strikeouts per seven innings. Additionally, Parker has held opponents to a .120 batting average this season.

Named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, Parker is majoring in Arts & Sciences Planned Program and has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-American twice.