Sooners Head to Houston

^2/3 Oklahoma

Houston

Tarleton State

Sun. Feb. 21-Mon. Feb. 22 / Houston, Texas

NORMAN — Oklahoma softball returns to the field Feb. 21-22 in Houston for three games at Cougar Softball Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. OU will play Houston in a doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. CT before facing Tarleton State on Monday at 11 a.m. on Houston's field.

The Sooners original weekend schedule with two games at the Bearkat Classic at Sam Houston State on Friday and two contests with Houston Saturday was altered due to inclement weather.

WEEKEND STORYLINES

• The No. 2/3 Oklahoma Sooners return to action in the Lone Star State for three games at the University of Houston after OU's 4-0 opening weekend at the Miner Invitational in El Paso, Texas, Feb. 11-12.

• Oklahoma will face off with the Cougars in a doubleheader at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and cap the trip with an 11 a.m. matchup with Tarleton State Monday on Houston's field.

• The action will be available to watch via ESPN+ (subscription required) and can be heard on The Franchise 2 in Oklahoma, 1560 AM and 103.3 FM, with OU play-by-play announcer Chris Plank on the call. Fans outside of Oklahoma can listen live on the TuneIn app.

• Attendance at Cougar Softball Stadium this weekend will be limited and on a pass-list basis.

• Houston head coach Kristin Vesely is a 2006 Oklahoma alumna. The Phoenix, Ariz., native was a four-time All-Big 12 honoree and two-time NFCA All-American as a Sooner.

LAST TIME THEY MET

• The Sooners and Cougars last met Feb. 18, 2017, for a doubleheader in Houston with OU taking both games in extra-inning fashion, 7-5 (8 innings) and 2-1 (8 innings). Oklahoma holds the all-time record over Houston, 8-1.

• Oklahoma meets Tarleton State on Monday for the second time in program history. The teams last met over 20 years ago on March 14, 1997, a 4-0 OU win in Houston.

RECORDS FALL ON OPENING WEEKEND

• The No. 4 Oklahoma softball team started the 2021 season with a bang at the Miner Invitational. OU collected four run-rule victories including a record-setting opening day, topping UTEP (29-0) and Abilene Christian (9-0) by a combined 38 runs on the first day of the season before besting the same opponents, 11-0 (ACU) and 21-2 (UTEP) on day two.

• The Sooners set an NCAA single-game record for home runs in a game with 13 blasts in the first contest versus UTEP.

• Oklahoma tied the NCAA record for homers in an inning with five in the first and fourth frames.

• Freshman Tiare Jennings began her OU career with a 12-for-13, 12-RBI weekend, including an incredible five home runs in OU's four games.

• Junior shortstop Grace Lyons also wowed, putting up a 10-for-15, 12-RBI weekend with a team-leading six blasts, including her second career grand slam.

• Jennings and Lyons each homered three times against the Miners in the opener, tying a school record for most home runs by an individual player in a game.

• Seven Sooners finished with at least one home run on Thursday (Jennings, Lyons, Hansen, Mendes, senior Jocelyn Alo, sophomore Mackenzie Donihoo and freshman Jayda Coleman). It marked the first career blasts for Coleman, Donihoo and Jennings.

• Senior Jocelyn Alo launched three round-trippers to bring her career home run tally to 57, moving her into fourth in program history.

• The pitching staff had themselves an opening weekend in the circle as well. Redshirt senior Giselle Juarez was exceptional with 11 strikeouts and no runs or hits allowed to go with one walk.

• Freshman right hander Nicole May made her collegiate debut with a four-inning, three-strikeout performance, allowing just one walk versus Abilene Christian in the Sooners' second game of the season. She finished the weekend with six strikeouts, three hits and two earned runs allowed and two walks.

• OU's pitching staff holds a 0.90 ERA to accompany 24 strikeouts and just two earned runs and three walks in four games. Sophomores Macy McAdoo, Olivia Rains and Alanna Thiede and redshirt sophomore Brooke Vestal all saw action opening weekend, along with Juarez and May.

SHE'S A FRESHMAN

• Oklahoma softball freshman Tiare Jennings was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Tuesday.

• Jennings, also tabbed Big 12 Player of the Week, had a collegiate debut for the record books, going 12-for-13 in the box with five home runs, 12 RBIs and a .923 batting average at the Miner Invitational.

• The 2019-20 Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year hit three home runs in her first collegiate game, including a two-run blast in her first at-bat. Her three round-trippers helped the Sooners to an NCAA single-game record 13 home runs in a 29-0 run-rule win over UTEP in the season opener.

• Jennings' three home runs versus the Miners tied a school record for single-game home runs, joining her with her own home run hat trick in the game was junior Grace Lyons.

• The San Pedro, Calif., native finished the weekend with 30 total bases and eight extra base hits, pacing the Sooners in each category.

• Jennings' weekly honor marks OU's first NFCA weekly award since redshirt senior pitcher Giselle Juarez won Pitcher of the Week accolades on Feb. 26, 2019 and the first Player of the Week honor since senior utility player Jocelyn Alo claimed the title on March 27, 2018.

• It marks the first season a freshman has won the initial NFCA Player of the Week since 2008 when Ashton Ward of Tennessee took home the first weekly accolade.

PRESEASON NO. 4

• Oklahoma entered the 2021 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 11th 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 eight of the past nine years, the most over that stretch.

• Overall, the Sooners rank third with 21 top-10 appearances in the NFCA preseason poll, trailing only Arizona (23) and UCLA (22).

• 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 27-year existence of the NFCA's poll.

• In the 2021 NFCA Preseason Poll, OU received 708 total points to rank No. 4 behind unanimous No. 1 UCLA (800), Washington (748) and Arizona (717). LSU (644) rounds out the top five, while Big 12 foe Texas (611) holds the No. 6 spot. Two other Big 12 schools make top 25 appearances with Oklahoma State (No. 11) and Baylor (No. 22).

• The Sooners received 420 points to also hold the No. 4 spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, UCLA took first at 492 with 19 of the 20 possible first-place votes, while Washington was second at 466 with the other first-place nod. Arizona (440) holds third and LSU (412) rounds out the top five.

• This marks the 14th straight season and 17th in the 19-year history of the ESPN.com/USA Today poll that Oklahoma is ranked in the preseason top 10.

BIG 12 FAVORITES

• Winner of the last eight regular season Big 12 championships, the Oklahoma softball team topped the 2021 Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

• This marks the ninth straight year and 12th in the last 13 seasons that OU has topped the conference's preseason poll. The Sooners received 34 points in this year's poll and were followed by Texas with 33 and Oklahoma State with 26. OU received four of the seven possible first-place votes with UT garnering the other three. Baylor was selected fourth (21 points) and Texas Tech fifth (14 points). Rounding out the poll are Iowa State (13 points) and Kansas (6 points).

• In 2019, the last year Big 12 conference softball contests were played due to the cancellation of the 2020 season prior to conference play, the Sooners became the first program to finish Big 12 play undefeated in back-to-back seasons.

• OU is undefeated in their last 54 conference series (50-0-4 in that span) and have not lost a conference series since 2011.

THREE NAMED TO POTY WATCH LIST

• Three members of the Oklahoma softball team have been named to the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List.Seniors Giselle "G" Juarez, Jocelyn Alo and Nicole Mendes are among the 50 student-athletes on the preseason watch list.

• The recognition marks Juarez' and Alo's third consecutive year on the preseason list, while Mendes makes her first appearance.

• Three selections tie for fourth nationally with Arizona, Mississippi State and Texas also having three representatives. UCLA leads all programs with six on the list, while Alabama and Washington have four representatives.

• The top 25 finalists for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 21. While an athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the top 25 finalists. The top 10 finalists will be announced May 5 and the top three announced May 19. The 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed June 1. Freshmen can be considered for the Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level.

• Oklahoma alumna and current USA Softball national team member Keilani Ricketts was a two-time recipient of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, considered the most prestigious honor in NCAA Division I Softball.

2021 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

• Oklahoma will play 21 contests at Marita Hynes Field in Norman and will match up against 10 programs that reached the 2019 NCAA Tournament, including two Super Regional participants.

• The schedule features six teams in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.

• The Sooners will open the season with consecutive weekends south of the Red River, playing in the Miner Invitational in El Paso before playing sets of games at Sam Houston State and preseason Houston.

• The team will travel west to Arizona for five games Feb. 26-28. The team will take part in the Arizona State Tournament in Tempe with games versus New Mexico and preseason No. 15/16 Arizona State on Friday before making a short trip to Grand Canyon University to cap the weekend.

• Oklahoma opens its home slate March 5-7 with the annual Courtyard Marriott Tournament and will welcome preseason No. 23/24 Missouri, Sam Houston State and Louisiana Monroe.

• The team will play six games in five days between March 10-14 starting with a midweek home matchup versus UT-Arlington. The Sooners will play a home doubleheader against BYU on March 11 before taking part in the inaugural Hall of Fame Tournament at the newly renovated USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, March 12-13.

OU will pause from NCAA competition for a March 19-21 three-game series with the Mexican national team in Norman. The matchup will feature current Sooner and Team Mexico member Nicole Mendes, along with the possibility of other current or former Sooners with Mexican heritage playing for the national squad.

• The quest for a ninth straight Big 12 title begins March 26-28 in Ames, Iowa, with a three-game series against Iowa State.

• The 2021 edition of the Red River Rivalry will take place in Norman with OU facing preseason No. 6/7 Texas in a battle of the top two projected Big 12 squads April 16-18.

• Oklahoma will journey to SEC country on April 20 for a doubleheader with preseason No. 14/14 Georgia. It marks the first time since 2015 that the teams have met and just the sixth matchup in program history. The Bulldogs boast four Women's College World Series appearances, all since 2009.

• The Bedlam Series presented by Phillips 66 versus No. 10/11 Oklahoma State will cap OU's 2021 regular season May 7-9. The in-state rivals will meet in Stillwater for the three-game series. It marks the first time three matchups have been played at one location since 1997, when the Sooners hosted the Cowgirls for one regular season contest and two games in an NCAA regional.

RETURNING TALENT

• The Sooners return 17 letterwinners from a season ago, including 11 players with starting experience.

• Looking to lead the charge in the circle for OU in 2021 will be a rejuvenated Giselle "G" Juarez. Juarez battled injury throughout the 2020 campaign, registering just 6.2 inning pitched. The 2018 and '19 NFCA First-Team All-American returns for her redshirt senior season in 2021 with the chance to topple numerous OU pitching records, already holding top-10 spots in OU career history in opponent batting average (.150), strikeouts per seven inning pitched (10.11) and ERA (1.45).

• 2018 NFCA First Team All-American and 2019 Second Team selection Jocelyn Alo will provide the power in the box for OU in 2021 just as she has the past three seasons. Alo ranks in the OU career top 10 in a number of batting categories including home runs (54), batting average (.404), slugging percentage (.846) and walks drawn (91). The senior finished 2020 with a team-leading 61 total bases and a slashline of .427/.813/.506 to go with eight home runs, 21 RBIs and 22 runs.

• Outfielder and two-time WCWS All-Tournament Team member Nicole Mendes returns for her fifth season with the Sooners in 2021 and looks to bounce back from a season that saw her play just six games following knee surgery in 2019. The only current Sooner that played on OU's last national title team in 2017, Mendes went 3-for-6 at the plate with two home runs and five RBIs in her limited appearances in 2020.

• Senior captain Lynnsie Elam started all 24 games of OU's 2020 campaign, with 22 of her 24 starts coming behind the plate. The Chickasha, Okla., native paced the Sooners last season with nine home runs to go with 22 RBIs and 19 runs and two stolen bases. Behind the plate, Elam registered a team-high 161 putouts with 17 assists and a .973 fielding percentage, and caught four runners stealing. In 2019, Elam became just the second player in program history to finish a single season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage (min. 150 chances), committing no errors with 505 putouts and 34 assists.

• Presumed to hold down the shortstop position for a third consecutive season will be junior Grace Lyons. Lyons, a 2019 All-Big 12 Freshman Team honoree, has started all 87 games the past two seasons at shortstop for the Sooners. Ranked second on team with 40 assists, 23 RBIs and three HBP a season ago, the Arizona native was also a threat in the box, recording seven games with multiple hits and five games with multiple RBIs last year. Lyons launched five home runs in the shortened season, good for third on the team.

• Sophomore Kinzie Hansen looks to pick up where she left off in the batter's box following an exceptional freshman campaign. The Norco, Calif., product led the Sooners with 26 RBIs, ranked second on the team with 31 H and 11 walks and fourth on the squad in batting average, finishing the year hitting .413 with four home runs. Hansen started 22 games at first base last season, registering a perfect fielding percentage and 152 putouts.

• Another talented arm that will contribute in 2021 is fellow redshirt senior Shannon Saile. Saile paced the Sooners in Juarez's absence in 2020, leading OU with 70.0 IP, 89 Ks, a 1.80 ERA and an 8-3 record. Additionally, Saile ranked first in the Big 12 conference and second nationally with five saves.

FRESH FACES

• Oklahoma brought in five true freshmen (Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Paige Knight, Nicole May and Zaida Puni) as part of the class of 2020, along with the addition of transfer infielder Jana Johns from South Carolina.

• Entering the infield mix for the Sooners in 2021 will be South Carolina transfer Jana Johns. Johns started every game of her USC career at third base, a total of 146 contests, and collected All-SEC Second Team honors in 2019 and All-SEC Freshman and Defensive Team honors as a freshman in 2018. The Calhoun, Ga., native had the most assists for a Gamecock third baseman (151) and set the fielding percentage record for her position (.978) in her first year of college. In 2019 Johns blasted 15 home runs, tying for a program best in a season, and departed South Carolina with 19 career homers. Additionally, Johns finished the 2020 season on a 17-game reached base streak.

• Looking to make an early contribution to the pitching staff will be highly touted freshman Nicole May out of Pleasanton, Calif., and the OC-Batbusters travel squad. May, the 2018-19 Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year and top-10 recruit by numerous media outlets, helped lead the Batbusters to the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship. The Foothill High School product compiled an undefeated 24-0 record her junior season (senior season cancelled due to COVID-19), registering 246 strikeouts to just 13 walks for an ERA of 0.32.

• Two highly touted signees from the 2020 signing class that look to be in the mix for starting spots are Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings.

• Coleman, the 2019-20 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year and consensus No. 1 recruit out of the 2020 class, helped lead the U.S. to the WBSC U-19 World Cup in 2019, hitting .435 with 10 hits, six runs, three RBIs and five stolen bases. A U.S. Junior Women's National Team member, Coleman also put together one of the most decorated high school careers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The Colony, Texas, product scored the most runs all-time in the Dallas area and needed just five more runs for the state record and eight for the national mark before the 2020 season was cut short. The signee finished her HS career with 279 hits, 261 runs, an exceptional .702 batting average and 209 stolen bases.

• Jennings continues OU's California and OC-Batbusters pipeline as she joins the Sooners as the reigning Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year. Jennings was batting .710 with six home runs and 19 RBIs when her senior season was ended. As a senior at St. Anthony's High School in Long Beach, Calif., she did not strike out in the box and did not register an error at shortstop. She finished her high school career batting .581 to go with 111 hits, 61 RBIs and 16 home runs.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.

WEEKEND STORYLINES

LAST TIME THEY MET

RECORDS FALL ON OPENING WEEKEND

SHE'S A FRESHMAN

PRESEASON NO. 4

BIG 12 FAVORITES

THREE NAMED TO POTY WATCH LIST

2021 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

RETURNING TALENT

FRESH FACES

Players Mentioned

Jocelyn Alo

Jayda Coleman

Mackenzie Donihoo

Lynnsie Elam

Kinzie Hansen

Tiare Jennings

Jana Johns

Giselle Juarez

Paige Knight

Grace Lyons

Nicole May

Macy McAdoo

Nicole Mendes

Zaida Puni

Olivia Rains

Shannon Saile

Alanna Thiede

Brooke Vestal

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics