Sooners, Crimson Tide Meet in WCWS Opener

Women's College World Series
May 30 | 8:30 P.M. | Oklahoma City | USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The top-seeded Oklahoma softball team (54-3) will look to claim its third NCAA title in the last four years and fifth overall this week at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners open the WCWS against No. 8 seed Alabama (57-8) on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. CT. In their second game of the double-elimination tournament, the Sooners will face No. 5 Florida (49-16) or No. 13 Oklahoma State (44-15). A win over Alabama would have OU playing on Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT, while a loss would see Oklahoma play its second game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Oklahoma's first game will be broadcast on ESPN2, while its second game will air on ESPN. Additionally, fans can tune in via KEBC 1560 AM in Norman or online through the Franchise 2.

GAMEDAY STORYLINES

FAN INFORMATION

All-session tickets are sold out, as are all single-sessions except for session 1. A limited number of standing room only tickets will be made available for each sold out session. They will be made available at the stadium on the day of the respective session. Fans can also look for tickets on NCAA.com/Exchange, the NCAA-approved secondary ticket marketplace.

USA Hall of Fame Stadium does not have a clear bag policy. Additionally, fans can bring empty open containers.

GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN

The Sooners return to the Women's College World Series for the fourth year in a row and eighth time in the last nine seasons. No other program in the country has made as many trips to the WCWS as Oklahoma since the 2011 season.

Oklahoma is making its 13th overall appearance at the WCWS, the fourth-most showings all-time. The Sooners trail UCLA (29 appearances), Arizona (23) and Washington (14).

Overall, this season marks Oklahoma's 26th consecutive appearance in the NCAA postseason, including all 25 years under head coach Patty Gasso. Only Arizona holds a longer active streak (33 straight), while the Sooners are tied with Washington for second-longest run.

THERE'S ONLY ONE OKLAHOMA

For the second time in program history, the Sooners entered the NCAA Softball Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The feat was also accomplished in 2013, when OU went on to earn its second national championship.

In the final polls of the 2019 season, the Sooners remained ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 for the fifth week in a row. Oklahoma is the only program to be ranked every week of the NFCA poll all-time, a run of 367 straight polls.

Speaking of No. 1, Oklahoma leads the nation in the following statistical categories: batting average (.355), earned run average (1.06), fielding percentage (.987), home runs per game (1.89), on-base percentage (.447), runs per game (7.67), shutouts (28), slugging percentage (.661), strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.89) and win-loss percentage (.947).

WE MEET AGAIN

Thursday will mark the 10th postseason meeting between Oklahoma and Alabama and seventh in the Women's College World Series. The two programs last met in the opening game of the 2016 World Series; OU won 3-0 in eight innings when then-freshman Shay Knighten hit a walk-off, three-run home run.

Oklahoma and Florida's last three meetings have been at the WCWS. In 2018, the Sooners knocked out the Gators with a 2-0 win on Elimination Saturday. In 2017, OU swept the Championship Series against UF to claim the national title.

The Sooners lead the all-time series with Oklahoma State with an 93-70 record. The Sooners have more wins over the Cowgirls than any other team in program history and head coach Patty Gasso has more wins vs. OSU than any other team with 64. OU has won 23 straight in the series and 26 of the past 27 matchups.

EXIT 132A

The Sooners will make a familiar trip up I-35 North for the Women's College World Series, traveling less than 30 miles from Marita Hynes Field to USA Hall of Fame Stadium. OU is already 1-0 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium this year, defeating Texas Tech 8-0 in five innings in the first game of the 2019 Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma has won 23 of its last 26 games there.

All time, Oklahoma is 103-43 under Patty Gasso in Oklahoma City, including regular season and postseason games.

ROMERO RISING IN THE RANKINGS

Senior Sydney Romero is one of the top offensive producers in the country this season. She currently ranks third nationally in total bases (163), fourth in sacrifice flies (six), sixth in hits (83), 11th in runs per game (1.11), 13th in slugging percentage (.853), 15th in batting average (.435), 16th in home runs (19) and 30th in toughest to strike out (23.9 at-bats per strikeout).

Romero leads all active Division I players with 313 career hits, 833 career at-bats and 545 career total bases. She ranks third with 212 career RBIs and fourth with 224 runs scored and 57 doubles.

During NCAA Regionals, Romero made her 817th career at-bat to set the OU career record (she now has 833). In the final game of Supers, Romero recorded her 57th career double to break that Oklahoma career record as well. The senior also tied the program record with her 13th career sacrifice fly on May 19. She is on the verge of breaking three other OU career records, ranking second in the following career categories: hits (313), total bases (545) and extra-base hits (1118). A full list of upcoming career milestones is available on page eight.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

After last weekend, Oklahoma's defense led the country with a fielding percentage of .987. The Sooners have only committed 17 errors in 2019, including just five in Big 12 play. OU is on pace to record its best single-season fielding percentage and its lowest single-season error total in program history. The NCAA record is .988 (Tennessee, 2007).

Sooners, Crimson Tide Meet in WCWS Opener