Sooners Face Cyclones Sunday, Monday in Norman

April 8-9 | Norman, Okla. | Marita Hynes Field

Iowa State

^2/2Oklahoma

KEBC 1560

NORMAN — No. 2/2 Oklahoma (31-2, 6-0 Big 12) welcomes Iowa State (18-21, 1-5 Big 12) Sunday-Monday. The series, which was originally scheduled to take place in Ames, Iowa, was moved to Norman due to anticipated inclement weather. Games have been rescheduled to begin with a Sunday doubleheader at noon and 2 p.m. CT. The series finale is slated for Monday with first pitch at noon CT.

The Sooners are on a 22-game win streak, the longest active streak in the nation, after winning all of their games in March. OU is also undefeated at home this season, winning its last 17 contests at Marita Hynes Field, dating back to the 2017 season.

All three games will be streamed through SoonerSports TV for free. Additionally, they can be heard on the air through KEBC 1560 AM in Norman or online via the Franchise 2.

Masterful in March

The Sooners were undefeated in the month of March, beginning their 22-game winning streak on March 2. OU's offense posted a slash line (AVG/OBP/SLG) of .344/.447/.575 in March while holding opponents to .143/.200/.196, outscoring foes 172-15. The Sooner pitching staff combined for an ERA of 0.76 with 153 total strikeouts.

Under 24th-year head coach Patty Gasso, the Sooners have only gone undefeated throughout an entire month four times, excluding June. The feat was also accomplished in May 2016, February 2013, February 2007 and April 2001.

With a 31-2 record this season, the 2018 Sooners match the 2007 and 2013 squads for the best 33-game start in program history. The 2007 team finished 55-8, with its third loss coming in its 39th game, while the 2013 group was 57-4 on the year as it claimed the program's second national championship, with its third loss coming in the 41st game.

Home Sweet 'Homa

The Sooners are undefeated at home this year with 13 wins at Marita Hynes Field. OU has won 17 consecutive home games, with its last loss coming in the NCAA Regionals against North Dakota State, 3-2 in nine innings.

OU finished the 2017 season with a 24-2 record at home, including a 20-1 mark in regular-season contests.

In their most recent appearance at Marita Hynes Field, the Sooners began Big 12 play as they swept Texas Tech in a three-game series. OU outscored TTU 35-1 on the weekend, run-ruling the Red Raiders in five innings in each game. It marked the first time the Sooners run-ruled an entire conference series since they did so against Iowa State in 2014.

The Sooners opened their 2018 home slate with a season-long 10-game homestand. Oklahoma was dominant in its opening weekend of home games, outscoring opponents 31-1 over four contests at the Courtyard Marriott Tournament March 2-4. Oklahoma hosted Saint Francis (PA) in a midweek contest on March 7, run-ruling the Red Flash 8-0 in five innings. The homestand concluded at the OG&E Tournament on March 9-11 with two wins over Illinois State and South Carolina and one win over Indiana.

Overall at home, the Sooners are averaging .393 at the plate, slugging .649, and recording an on-base percentage of .487. They've outscored opponents 109-8, holding foes to a .149 batting average while the pitching staff has posted a 0.74 ERA.

National Nods

A pair of Sooners have earned recognition as national players of the week in freshman utility player Jocelyn Alo and senior pitcher Paige Parker. Alo was named Louisville/Slugger NFCA Division I National Player of the Week on March 27 while Parker was tabbed USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week on April 3.

Alo was the first Sooner to earn weekly recognition from the NFCA since Paige Parker was named Pitcher of the Week in April 2015. Alo, Parker and former Sooner Keilani Ricketts are the only freshmen in program history to receive a national weekly nod as Parker was named NFCA Pitcher of the Week and USA Softball Player of the Week in 2015 and Ricketts was named USA Softball Player of the Week in 2010.

Against Texas Tech on March 23-25, Alo was 4-for-5 (.800) in the first Big 12 series of her career, with all four of her hits going out of the park. She finished the weekend with a slugging percentage of 3.200 over three games with 16 total bases. The Hauula, Hawaii, native drove in 10 runs and scored six over the weekend. In Sunday's game, Alo recorded her second career game with multiple home runs as she drilled a pair of three-run blasts to record a single-game career-high six RBIs. Alo also drew walks in five of her 10 plate appearances, totaling an on-base percentage of .900.

Tuesday's honor was the third time in her career that Parker has been named the USA Softball Player of the Week, also earning the honor once in both 2015 and 2016. She has been the Collegiate Player of the Week more than any other player in OU history, and Parker and former Sooner Keilani Ricketts are the only players in program history to win the award more than once.

Oklahoma is one of just two programs in Division I to have multiple athletes recognized by the NFCA and USA Softball, joining Arizona State (G Juarez, NFCA and USA Softball on March 27; Marisa Stankiewicz, NFCA on April 3).

Parker Named Finalist for Senior CLASS Award

Oklahoma pitcher Paige Parker has been chosen as one of 10 finalists 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.

Parker joins former Sooners Erin Miller (2016), Shelby Pendley (2015), Destinee Martinez (2014), Keilani Ricketts (2013), Jessica Shults (2013), Samantha Ricketts (2009) and Lauren Eckermann (2008) as OU's finalists for the Senior CLASS Award.

A three-time All-American, Parker has made 20 appearances in the circle for OU this season, currently holding a 17-1 record. Parker leads the nation with a 0.30 ERA through 92.1 innings pitched while holding her opponents to a .119 batting average. She has not allowed a run in her last 38 innings pitched and has surrendered just four earned runs all year

Parker owns 109 career wins and sits third all-time in program history, joining Kami Keiter (101 wins, 2002-05), Jennifer Stewart (115 wins, 1999-2002) and Keilani Ricketts (133 wins, 2010-13) as the only Sooners to reach 100 wins. She also leads leads all active Division I pitchers in wins. Texas State's Randi Rupp holds 97, Oklahoma State's Emmie Robertson has 86, Furman's Lindsey Bert owns 75 and Florida State's Kylee Hanson has 74.

Among active Big 12 member teams, eight pitchers have reached the century-mark in wins in Parker, Keiter, Kansas' Stephani Williams (105 wins, 1991-94), Texas' Blaire Luna (112 wins, 2010-13), Stewart, Baylor's Whitney Canion (123 wins, 2009-04), Ricketts and Texas' Cat Osterman (136 wins, 2002-06).

Additionally, Parker has registered 111 strikeouts this season, bringing her career total to 866 Ks. Parker ranks second all-time in program history, trailing only Ricketts, who registered 1,605 strikeouts in her career. Parker also ranks fourth among active Division I pitchers, behind Rupp (1,123 Ks), Osorio (935 Ks) and Robertson (901 Ks).

Parker's 74 career complete games rank sixth and her 32 career shutouts are the seventh-most in school history. She sits fifth among active pitchers in complete games – trailing Bert (97), Rupp (93), North Dakota State's Jacquelyn Sertic (88) and Robertson (84) – and is second in shutouts behind Rupp (38).

Last Time Out

OU extended its winning streak to 22 games as it swept then-No. 15 Baylor on March 23-25 in Waco, Texas. It was just the second time the Lady Bears had been swept at Getterman Stadium, with the first time also coming against the Sooners.

The Sooners opened the series with a 5-0 victory on Friday. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Nicole Mendes doubled off the left-center wall to plate Fale Aviu from first base. OU added three runs in the sixth as Aviu recorded a double of her own to drive in pinch runner Raegan Rogers before Sydney Romero singled up the middle to bring Kelsey Arnold and Aviu home. A grounder from Lea Wodach in the seventh drove in pinch runner Hannah Sparks.

In game two, Mariah Lopez and Paige Lowary combined on OU's first no-hitter of the season as the Sooners run-ruled the Lady Bears 9-0 in five innings. The no-hitter was the 50th in program history, but just the fourth ever that was a combined effort. Arnold led the offense with a 2-for-2 performance, scoring two runs, while Aviu drove in three runs in the game for her fourth multi-RBI game of the year. The Sooners opened scoring with four runs in the second and added three in the third and two in the fourth.

OU sealed the series sweep with a 4-1 win on Sunday. Sydney Romero led off the game with a home run to left field, and Nicole Pendley extended the lead with a solo shot in the fifth. With two runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, pinch hitter Kylie Lundberg delivered with a single to center field that plated Caleigh Clifton and Pendley. Baylor's only run of the weekend came in the bottom of the seventh as Goose McGlaun scored on a groundout from Maddison Kettler.

The OU pitching staff continued its dominance in the circle, allowing just one run on seven hits over the weekend and holding opponents to a .113 batting average and a .179 on-base percentage. Paige Parker shined on the weekend, allowing no runs on six hits over 11.0 innings while moving to 17-1 on the season with a pair of wins in two starts. She was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week and USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week for her performance against No. 15 Baylor.

Facing Iowa State

The Sooners lead the all-time series with the Cyclones 77-28, including a 28-12 mark in Norman. In 2017, OU swept ISU in the regular-season conference series, recording two run-rule wins and one shutout.

OU has won 30 straight games in the series and has not lost to ISU in over a decade, as its last defeat came on April 22, 2006, in Ames, Iowa. The win streak is Oklahoma's second longest active streak against a Division I opponent, with the only longer streak coming against Wichita State (34 games).

The Sooners opened 2017 conference play with a doubleheader against the Cyclones. In game one, OU downed ISU 7-1. Nicole Mendes led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring two runs, driving in another and stealing a base. Caleigh Clifton and Fale Aviu also had multi-hit games, as each went 2-for-3, and Clifton and Nicole Pendley both recorded two RBIs.

Oklahoma swept the doubleheader behind an offensive explosion in game two, scoring 20 runs in a five-inning shutout of the Cyclones. It was the ninth-highest run total in program history, the 20-run margin of victory tied for sixth largest in program history, and the 20-0 shutout was the second largest shutout behind a 21-0 win over Temple (3/4/07). Oklahoma scored six runs in the first, 10 runs in the second and four more in the fourth. Eight different Sooners combined for 12 hits, led by a three-hit game for Shay Knighten, while 11 different Sooners scored a run, including three each for Knighten, Clifton and Aviu. The team also drew a season-high 12 walks, including a career-high four free passes for Pendley and three for Clifton.

The sweep was sealed in a 13-4 run-rule win for OU, who finished off the Cyclones in six innings. The offense posted 15 hits as six different Sooners collected two hits each. Four OU batters also had at least two runs batted in and five scored two runs each. Two hitters fit into all three categories as Pendley and Sydney Romero each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Pendley drove in four runs, while Romero had three RBI.

In the 2017 series, the Sooners' offense posted a slash line (AVG/OBP/SLG) of .468/.564/.759 compared to just .206/.265/.238 for Iowa State, while outscoring the Cyclones 40-5 in the three-game set. OU pitchers had an ERA of just 0.39 on the weekend, while ISU's staff ERA was 13.07.

Up Next

The Sooners continue their homestand as they host Wichita State in a midweek matchup on Wednesday. OU then welcomes Kansas for a three-game conference series Friday-Sunday.

OU leads both programs in the all-time series. The Sooners are 47-7 (25-3 in Norman) against Wichita State and 63-44 (33-14 in Norman) versus Kansas.