Softball Season Begins in Phoenix

GCU Kickoff Tournament
Feb. 8-10 | Phoenix, Ariz. | GCU Softball Stadium

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KEBC 1560

GCU.tv (vs. GCU Friday)

Notes

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Weekend Schedule
Day	Opponent	Time (CT)
Friday	Syracuse	3:30 p.m.
Friday	Grand Canyon	6 p.m.
Saturday	Charlotte	10 a.m.
Saturday	Syracuse	3 p.m.
Sunday	San Diego State	10:30 a.m.

NORMAN — The No. 4/4 Oklahoma softball team opens its 2019 campaign this weekend at the GCU Kickoff Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Sooners are slated to take on Syracuse (3:30 p.m. CT) and Grand Canyon (6 p.m.) on Friday. On Saturday, OU will face Charlotte at 10 a.m. before a rematch with the Orange at 3 p.m. Oklahoma closes out the weekend with a matchup against San Diego State on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Oklahoma is 33-14 all-time in season openers. In 2018, OU defeated Weber State 6-3.

This marks the second year in a row OU will open its season at the GCU Kickoff. Last year, the Sooners went 5-0, outscoring opponents 35-4.

WEEKEND STORYLINES

SOONERS TABBED PRESEASON NO. 4

Oklahoma enters the 2019 season ranked fourth in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25.

OU's No. 4 spot in the NFCA Poll marks the ninth straight year the Sooners have started in the NFCA's top 10, good for the nation's longest active streak. OU has been ranked in the top five in six of the past seven years, which is tied with Florida for the most over that stretch. Overall, the Sooners rank third with 19 top-10 appearances in the NFCA preseason poll, trailing only Arizona (21) and UCLA (20).

Oklahoma, Michigan, UCLA and Washington are the only programs to be ranked in every NFCA preseason poll, which dates back to 1995. OU also extended its streak of being ranked every week in the 25-year existence of the NFCA's poll, 354 weeks in all.

This marks the 12th straight season and 15th in the 17-year history of the ESPN.com/USA Today poll that Oklahoma is ranked in the preseason top 10.

A CLASS OF THEIR OWN

The 2019 season marks the final season for six Oklahoma seniors: Falepolima Aviu, Caleigh Clifton, Shay Knighten, Kylie Lundberg, Raegan Rogers and Sydney Romero. Since they stepped on campus three years ago, no team in the country has a better win percentage or win total than the OU seniors.

Best Winning Percentage Since 2016
Team	Win Pct.	Wins	Losses	Ties
1. Oklahoma	.888	175	22	0
2. Florida	.859	170	28	0
3. Florida State	.848	168	30	0
4. Oregon	.847	155	28	0
5. Michigan	.808	139	33	0

Most Wins Since 2016
Team	Wins	Losses	Ties	Win Pct.
1. Oklahoma	175	22	0	.888
2. Florida	170	28	0	.859
3. Florida State	168	30	0	.848
4. Oregon	155	28	0	.847
5. Auburn	148	41	0	.783

Overall, the Sooner seniors have accumulated three Big 12 regular season titles, two Big 12 postseason trophies (the Big 12 Tournament was not held in 2016) and a pair of national championships during their time with OU.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Sooners will be road tested in 2019 with 38 of their 53 games being held on the road or at neutral sites. Oklahoma will play just 15 games at Marita Hynes Field in 2019. OU has played fewer regular season home games just three other times in the Patty Gasso era: nine in 1997, 12 in 1996 and six in 1995.

Additionally, 15 home games ties for the third lowest in the country among major conference teams this season. Only Oregon State and Iowa have fewer, each scheduled to host 12 home games in 2019. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers and Wisconsin are also set to play 15 games at home this year, making Oklahoma and Oregon State the only non-Big 10, Power-Five schools competing at home 15 times or fewer this spring.

The Sooners are playing a road-heavy schedule due to Big 12 scheduling. In 2018, the Sooners' series against Iowa State was moved to Norman due to snow in Ames, Iowa. As a result, Oklahoma will travel to Ames in both 2019 and 2020 and will host just four conference games (Baylor series and one Bedlam contest) in Norman this year.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

No team in the country put together a better defensive performance than OU in 2018. The Sooners led the nation with a 0.986 fielding percentage last year, committing just 22 errors in 62 games.

In addition to ranking first in the nation, the Sooners' 2018 fielding percentage and error total both rank first in program history for a single season.

LAST TIME THEY MET...

All-time, Oklahoma leads the series with Syracuse (4-0), Grand Canyon (3-0) and San Diego State (10-1). Saturday's contest against Charlotte will mark the first meeting between the Sooners and the 49ers.

Each of OU and Syracuse's previous meetings have taken place at neutral sites. Most recently, the Sooners claimed a 7-0 victory at the 2016 Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas.

The Sooners have faced Grand Canyon just three times previously, including a pair of contests at the 2018 GCU Kickoff. OU won both meetings last year, 8-1 and 10-0 in five innings. GCU will also travel to Norman this year for the second OU tournament March 8-10.

Oklahoma has won its past six contests against SDSU, most recently earning a 10-1 run-rule win in the 2015 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

UP NEXT

The Sooners travel to Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 14-16 to take on Kentucky, Notre Dame, Florida Atlantic, Florida State and Hofstra in the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational.