Sooners Announce 2021 Schedule

NORMAN — Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso announced the Sooners' 2021 regular season softball schedule on Tuesday, beginning this Thursday in El Paso, Texas.

OU, ranked fourth in the USA TODAY/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason polls, 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 2021 campaign marks the 27th for Gasso at Oklahoma. During her OU tenure, the Sooners have reached the postseason every year, have made 10 consecutive trips to the Super Regionals and 13 overall appearances in the WCWS and have won four national championships.

The season will begin this weekend in El Paso, Feb. 11-12. The Sooners were scheduled to face Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, Utah Valley and UTEP in the Wildcat Invitational in Abilene, Texas, but due to inclement weather the teams have shifted play to El Paso. OU will match up with UTEP and ACU for two games apiece Thursday and Friday with the season opener scheduled for 11 a.m. CT Thursday versus UTEP.

OU will return to Texas for the second weekend of the season, heading to Sam Houston State on Feb. 19 for matchups with SHSU and UT-San Antonio before a doubleheader with Houston on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The Sooners 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. Saturday will feature a rematch with New Mexico at GCU before playing Grand Canyon on its home field. The Sooners will close the road trip on Sunday morning with a matchup against Portland State.

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.

The HOF tournament will begin with the Sooners' third matchup versus Houston on March 12 prior to a Saturday meeting against Liberty. OU will cap the weekend with a rematch against Liberty on Sunday in Norman.

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 Sooners will return home to host Kansas April 1-3 prior to a midweek road contest at Wichita State on April 7.

Oklahoma returns to Big 12 play April 9-11 in Waco, Texas, against preseason No. 18/22 Baylor.

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 Sooners return to conference play hosting Texas Tech April 23-25.

OU will close non-conference play with a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn., April 30-May 1 to play the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for the first time since 2010.

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.

TICKETING

OU officials are continuing to work closely with leading medical and public health authorities to ensure they are making decisions that are in the best interest of student-athletes, stakeholders and the university. At this moment, OU is anticipating the seating capacity of Marita Hynes Stadium to be at approximately 25% for the 2021 season. Seating capacities are subject to change.

With limited capacity and overwhelming demand, tickets will be made available to 2020 OU Softball season ticket holders and Sooner Club members in priority order. The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department will be contacting these groups with ticket options for the 2021 season in the coming days.

Digital ticketing will be implemented for 2021 to allow fans to seamlessly access or transfer tickets to others via the SoonerSports2Go app.

MASK POLICY

Appropriate cloth or surgical-style masks that cover the nose and mouth completely will be required at all times while on campus and inside the OU Softball Complex.
Other face coverings including clear face shields, gaiters/buffs, bandanas or masks with valves are not permitted.
Masks may be removed temporarily only if necessary for eating and drinking while in the stadium

2021 Oklahoma Softball Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (CT)	LOCATION
Feb. 11	at UTEP	11 a.m.	El Paso, Texas
Feb. 11	vs. Abilene Christian	4 p.m.	El Paso, Texas
Feb. 12	vs. Abilene Christian	11 a.m.	El Paso, Texas
Feb. 12	at UTEP	4 p.m.	El Paso, Texas
Feb. 19	vs. UTSA	11 a.m.	Huntsville, Texas
Feb. 19	at Sam Houston State	4 p.m.	Huntsville, Texas
Feb. 20	at Houston	11:30 a.m.	Houston, Texas
Feb. 20	at Houston	1:30 p.m.	Houston, Texas
Feb. 26	vs. New Mexico	12 p.m.	Tempe, Ariz.
Feb. 26	at Arizona State	6 p.m.	Tempe, Ariz.
Feb. 27	vs. New Mexico	12 p.m.	Phoenix, Ariz.
Feb. 27	at Grand Canyon	4:30 p.m.	Phoenix, Ariz.
Feb. 28	vs. Portland State	10 a.m.	Phoenix, Arix.
March 5	MISSOURI	3 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 5	SAM HOUSTON STATE	5:30 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 6	LOUISIANA MONROE	12:30 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 6	TBD	5:30 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 7	TBD	1 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 10	UT ARLINGTON	6 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 11	BYU	3 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 11	BYU	5 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 12	vs. Houston	4 p.m.	Oklahoma City, Okla.
March 13	vs. Liberty	4 p.m.	Oklahoma City, Okla.
March 14	LIBERTY	12 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 19	TEAM MEXICO	6 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 20	TEAM MEXICO	2 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 21	TEAM MEXICO	1 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
March 26	at Iowa State	4 p.m.	Ames, Iowa
March 27	at Iowa State	1 p.m.	Ames, Iowa
March 28	at Iowa State	12 p.m.	Ames, Iowa
April 1	KANSAS	6 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 2	KANSAS	6 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 3	KANSAS	1 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 7	at Wichita State	6 p.m.	Wichita, Kan.
April 9	at Baylor	6:30 p.m.	Waco, Texas
April 10	at Baylor	2 p.m.	Waco, Texas
April 11	at Baylor	1 p.m.	Waco, Texas
April 16	TEXAS	6:30 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 17	TEXAS	1 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 18	TEXAS	12 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 20	at Georgia	4:30 p.m.	Athens, Ga.
April 20	at Georgia	7 p.m.	Athens, Ga.
April 23	TEXAS TECH	6 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 24	TEXAS TECH	1 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 25	TEXAS TECH	12 p.m.	Norman, Okla.
April 28	at North Texas	6 p.m.	Denton, Texas
April 30	at UT Chattanooga	2 p.m.	Chattanooga, Tenn.
April 30	at UT Chattanooga	4 p.m.	Chattanooga, Tenn.
May 1	at UT Chattanooga	11 a.m.	Chattanooga, Tenn.
May 7	at Oklahoma State	TBD	Stillwater, Okla.
May 8	at Oklahoma State	TBD	Stillwater, Okla.
May 9	at Oklahoma State	TBD	Stillwater, Okla.

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