OU Opens WCWS with JMU Thursday

Thursday, June 3

Oklahoma City, Okla.

11 AM

University of Oklahoma

James Madison

Tickets

June 02, 2021 | Softball

Watch Listen Live Stats Tickets Game Notes #LaunchPad

¹ Oklahoma

James Madison

June 3 / Women's College World Series / USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium / Oklahoma City

ESPN / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

WCWS STORYLINES

• No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma (50-2, 16-1 Big 12) continues its quest for a fifth national title this week as the Sooners make their fifth consecutive and 14th overall appearance at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

• The WCWS begins Thursday as the Sooners play the first game of the tourney versus James Madison (39-2, 17-1 CAA) at 11 a.m. CT.

• Thursday's game is available to watch on ESPN.

• The action can be heard on The Franchise (107.7 FM) in Oklahoma and nationwide on the TuneIn app with OU play-by-play announcer Chris Plank and alum Destinee Martinez on the call. All OU games can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 84 and on Westwood One Sports Radio.

• Tickets for the WCWS are available via NCAAtickets.com

BACK TO OKC

•The Sooners return to the Women's College World Series for the fifth year in a row and ninth time in the last 10 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 14th overall appearance at the WCWS, tied for the third-most showings all-time. The Sooners trail UCLA (30 appearances) and Arizona (24) and share third all-time with Washington (14).

• Overall, this season marks Oklahoma's 27th consecutive appearance in the NCAA postseason, including every year under head coach Patty Gasso. Only Arizona holds a longer active streak (34 straight), while the Sooners are tied with Washington for second-longest run.

• In 2019, the last season the tournament was played, OU reached its 13th WCWS in program history, culminating in a runner-up finish in the championship series. With four national titles (2000, '13, '16, '17) Oklahoma trails only UCLA (12) and Arizona (8) for most in NCAA history, and no other team has more than two.

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 7-0 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium this year, defeating Houston, Kansas City and Liberty (twice) in the Hall of Fame Classic, March 12-14 prior to winning three games at the Big 12 Softball Championship (Baylor, Texas Tech, OSU). Oklahoma has won 33 of its last 39 games there.

• All time, Oklahoma is 113-46 under Patty Gasso in Oklahoma City, including regular season and postseason games.

LAST TIME OUT

• The top-seeded Sooners won the NCAA Norman Super Regional over 16-seed Washington in two games to punch their ticket to the WCWS.

• Oklahoma won game one, 4-2, before eliminating the Huskies with a dominant 9-1, run-rule victory in game two in five innings.

• Senior Jocelyn Alo cemented her Player of the Year candidacy with a 4-for-5, two home run, four RBI weekend against fellow POTY candidate Gabbie Plain from UW.

• OU's pitching duo of freshman Nicole May and redshirt senior Shannon Saile shut down the Husky offense, surrendering a combined three runs on 11 hits. Both May (Friday) and Saile (Saturday) threw complete games, with each striking out five in their wins.

• Redshirt senior Nicole Mendes made the series-clinching grab on Saturday in right field, drifting back to the wall to collect the final out and send OU back to OKC.

A LOOK AT THE DUKES

• The Sooners and James Madison Dukes meet for the first time in program history Thursday morning.

• The Dukes, winners of the Colonial Athletic Association, come to OKC after winning the Knoxville Regional and Columbia Super Regional. They hold a 5-1 record in the NCAA Tournament, with their only loss coming to Supers-host Missouri last Saturday by a count of 7-1.

• The Dukes are lead by redshirt senior Odicci Alexander. Alexander, a two-way player that has thrown 117.0 innings on the year and holds a 2.09 ERA. Alexander has been exceptional in the postseason, striking out 48 through regionals and supers to just 17 strikeouts in 37.3 IP.

SOONERS VS. THE FIELD

• Alabama: The Sooners and Crimson Tide have met 12 times in the postseason, most recently facing off three times in the 2019 WCWS with OU taking two of the three games. After a 3-2 OU win in the team's opening game at the World Series, Bama advanced out of the losers bracket to beat OU once before OU turned around in the second game of the doubleheader to beat the Tide and advance to the Championship Series

• Arizona: The Wildcats hold a 20-29 advantage all-time over the Sooners. OU took the last matchup in Tucson in 2020, a 6-4 OU win in 10 innings. The programs have not met at the World Series since 2002.

• Florida State: The Seminoles hold just a 6-7 all-time lead over OU with the last meeting coming in 2019 at the St. Pete/Clearwater Invitation, a 7-4 FSU win. The programs have never met at the WCWS.

• Georgia: One of OU's two losses in 2021 came in Athens in the first game of a doubleheader April 20. UGA handed Oklahoma it's first loss of the season and ended the Sooners 40-game win streak with a 7-6 win in nine innings. The two programs have never met in the World Series.

• Oklahoma State: Bedlam for the second consecutive WCWS is a possibility if both the Sooners and Cowgirls win their respective games on Thursday (OSU vs. Georgia). The Sooners lead the all-time series with Oklahoma State with an 96-71 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 67. OU has won 29 of the past 31 matchups

• UCLA: The Sooners and Bruins met in the 2019 WCWS Championship Series with the Bruins claiming the title in two games over the Sooners. Oklahoma trails the all-time series with the Bruins with four wins to 11 losses.

ALL THE NUMBERS

• Oklahoma's offense leads the country in every major offensive category:
    • Home runs: 146 (43 better than 2nd-place Wichita State's 103). The Sooners and Shockers are the only programs with 100+ HRs in 2021.
    • Home runs per game: 2.81 avg.
    • Batting average: .421
    • On base percentage: .507
    • Slugging percentage: .809
    • Runs: 576 (11.52 per game avg.)

• OU is outscoring opponents 589-95 on the season, scoring an average of 11.33 runs per game to opponents 1.83 clip.

• Oklahoma has won by run rule in 34 of its 52 games.

• OU has scored 10-plus runs in one inning seven times in 2021.

• 14 Sooners have hit a home run this season, with 11 players blasting at least two. Six Sooners have 10-plus homers on the year, a program best.

• 17 times on the season OU has had a player hit two-plus home runs in a game.

• The Sooners hold two of the top three individual batting averages in the country out of players with at least 100 AB:
• 2nd - Jocelyn Alo - .487
• 3rd - Tiare Jennings - .485

• Three of the top seven home run hitters in the country reside in Norman, including the nation's leader.

    • 1st - Alo: 30
    • T2nd - Jennings: 25
    • T7th - Hansen: 21

• As a team, OU has hit at least one home run in 50 of its 52 games this season and has hit at least two in 41 games. The Sooners have hit six HRs in a game four times on the year, only to be topped by 13 in the season opener.

• Oklahoma has hit two-plus home runs in one inning 31 times this season, including three or more eight times and four-plus in one inning five times.

• The Sooners have hit back-to-back home runs 14 times in 2021 and back-to-back-to-back blasts three times.

• The Oklahoma defense ranks first in the country with a .985 fielding percentage and has committed just 17 errors on the season.

• OU's pitching staff leads the country with 22 shutouts. The staff ranks 15th with a 1.90 ERA.

ALO WINS USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Oklahoma softball senior Jocelyn Alo was named the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the organization announced Tuesday evening.

• It marks the first time in the history of the two awards that one program has swept both national honors with freshman Tiare Jennings winning NFCA/Schutt Sports DI Freshman of the Year, also announced Tuesday.

• Alo collects OU's third USA Softball Player of the Year Award, joining 2013 alum Keilani Ricketts (2012, '13) as the only Sooners to win the award. Alo, the Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 and All-Region selection, has paced the explosive Oklahoma offense in 2021, holding the nation's lead in home runs (30) and slugging percentage (1.135) and ranks second in RBIs (82) and fourth in batting average (.487). Her 30 home runs entering the World Series is tied for the program record she set herself in 2018, along with Lauren Chamberlain in 2012 and '13.

• The senior slugger has homered in 28 of OU's 52 games, including two grand slams and two multi-home run games. Alo is averaging 0.58 home runs per game and a home run ever 5.2 at-bats. The Hauula, Hawaii, native has registered a hit in 47 of OU's 52 games, including going on a program record 40-game consecutive hit streak dating from Feb. 21, 2020 to April 3, 2021. The streak was just three games shy of the all-time NCAA record.

• Alo tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a home run at seven from March 7 vs. Sam Houston through OU's first matchup with Iowa State, March 26. The Hauula, Hawaii, native has 84 career homers, just 11 shy of the OU and NCAA career record (95), set by 2015 OU grad Lauren Chamberlain.

JENNINGS WINS NFCA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

• Jennings wins OU's third NFCA Freshman of the Year honor, joining Paige Parker in 2015 and Alo in 2018. A Sooner has won three times in the seven-year history of the award.

• Also the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jennings has hit 25 home runs to go with 84 RBIs in her first-year campaign. Her RBI mark leads in the nation and she's tied for second in the country for home runs, just five behind fellow national award winner Alo's 30. She holds an exceptional slash line of .485/.537/1.059.

• The San Pedro, Calif., product has homered in 21 of OU's 52 games and hit multiple homers in a game three times, beginning with the season opener at UTEP where she tied a single-game program record with three home runs in her first collegiate game.

• The frosh has started every game of the season at second or third base and holds a .972 fielding percentage with 55 putouts and 48 assists to just three errors.

• Oklahoma freshman Jayda Coleman was also a finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year. OU is one of two programs in the award's history with two of the three finalists for the award, joining Florida's Amanda Lorenz (winner) and Kelly Barnhill in 2016. The third finalist for this season's honor was Clemson's Valerie Cagle.

RECORD BREAKERS & CHASERS

• The Sooners broke the program record for home runs in their series at Oklahoma State, hitting No. 116 in Stillwater and have since brought their season total to 146, blasting past the 2019 team's previous record of 115. The 2021 squad hit the program mark in 23 less games.

• The Sooners stand alone in second in NCAA history with their current 146 mark, just 16 shy of 2010 Hawaii's NCAA record 158.

• The 2021 Oklahoma Softball team has set the program record for most run-rule victories in a season with 34, surpassing the 2019 and 2013 teams' 25.

• The 2021 team currently holds the single-season program record for runs scored (589) batting average (.421), on-base percentage (.507) and slugging (.809).

• Senior Jocelyn Alo (84 career HRs) is 11 homers shy of the program and NCAA record 95 that 2015 OU grad Lauren Chamberlain hit throughout her career.

• Alo has now tied the program record for single-season home runs (30) set in 2018 by herself and 2012 and 2013 by Lauren Chamberlain.

• Freshman Tiare Jennings is five home runs short of tying and six away from breaking the NCAA freshman single-season home run record of 30, hit in 2012 by Chamberlain and 2018 by Alo.

• Oklahoma set an NCAA single-game home run record with 13 in the season opener versus UTEP, a 29-0 (5 inn.) run-rule victory. The team tied the NCAA record for homers in an inning with five in the first and fifth innings of the game.

• Freshman Tiare Jennings and junior Grace Lyons tied the school record for home runs in a game with three a piece against the Miners in the season opener.

• 50 runs scored set an NCAA Regional record. The Sooners accomplished the feat in three games.

• 24 runs broke the NCAA Regional single-game record.

• Six home runs in OU's regional final vs. Wichita State tied the NCAA postseason record for single-game home runs.

• The fourth inning of OU's game three vs. Texas Tech (4/25) marked the most runs scored in an inning in program history and tied for the second most in NCAA history, second only to College of Charleston's 29 on Feb. 11, 2004 (2nd inn.) vs. Savannah State and sharing the mark with Canisius' 18 mark on May 1, 1985 (2nd inn.) vs. Roberts Wesleyan.

• Oklahoma registered a program-best 28 hits in its 33-4 victory over New Mexico on Feb. 27 in Phoenix.

• Oklahoma holds the top two run single-game run totals of 2021 with 33 in its victory over New Mexico Feb. 27 and 29 in its season opener over UTEP.

ALO-NE AT THE TOP

• Senior utility player Jocelyn Alo leads the country with 30 home runs in OU's 52 games. The Hawaii native has hit a homer in 28 of OU's 52 games, including two grand slams and two multi-HR games.

• Alo has moved up the OU record book for career home runs to second in program history with 84. The NCAA HR record holder Lauren Chamberlain ranks first in program and NCAA history with 95.

• The slugger tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a home run at seven from March 7 vs. Sam Houston through OU's first matchup with Iowa State on March 26.

• Alo and Chamberlain share the OU single-season HR record at 30 home runs, both hitting the mark twice ('12, '13) and Alo (18, '21) with Alo having games left to be played this season.

• More of Alo's eye-popping numbers:

• 1st in the country with 30 home runs.

• Averaging 0.58 home runs per game and a home run ever 5.2 at-bats

• Ranks second in the country out of players with at least 100 AB with a .487 batting average.

• NCAA-leading 1.1135 slugging percentage

• Has recorded a hit in 47 of OU's 52 games in 2021

• Program record 40-game hit streak dating back to Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Texas A&M came to a close April 3 vs. Kansas. The streak goes down as the third best consecutive game hitting streak in NCAA history, falling just three games shy of the record.

• In conference play, Alo batted .500 with seven HRs, 22 RBIs and a 1.042 slugging clip.

• Alo recently announced she will be returning for her extra year of eligibility in 2022 as a redshirt senior.

JUAREZ, SAILE, MAY LEAD PITCHING STAFF

• The seven-deep Oklahoma pitching staff has put together a solid season, pitching shutouts in 22 of OU's 52 games.

• The staff has put together two combined perfect games this season plus a no-hitter. Redshirt senior Giselle Juarez, redshirt sophomore Brooke Vestal and freshman Nicole May pitched a perfect game vs. Portland State (2/28). Three OU pitchers, Vestal, freshman Alanna Thiede and sophomore Olivia Rains, combined for OU's second perfect game of the season vs. Sam Houston, March 7. Juarez, Rains and Shannon Saile combined to throw a no-hitter versus New Mexico Feb. 26, an 8-0 run-rule OU victory.

• Along with two perfect games and one no-hitter, the staff has allowed just one hit in 10 games this season.

• The staff holds a 1.90 ERA, good for 15th in the country, and has allowed 95 runs in 50 games to go with 367 strikeouts and 189 hits allowed to 97 walks.

• First Team All-Big 12 redshirt senior Shannon Saile boasts 121 strikeouts in 85.2 innings of work to go with 16 wins, two saves and no losses. Opponents are batting just .159 against the Land O'Lakes, Fla., native. In conference play, Saile posted a 1.71 ERA with 54 strikeouts to 22 walks while opponents batted .155 against her.

• Redshirt senior LHP Giselle Juarez leads the team with 121 strikeouts on the year in 96.2 IP to go with a 18 wins. In conference play, Juarez was 7-1 with a 2.67 ERA to go with 47 strikeouts and just five walks. Opponents are batting .184 against Juarez.

• Freshman Nicole May has impressed in her first season of collegiate competition, striking out 85 in 76.0 innings pitched and collecting 14 wins to one loss and two saves. May holds a 1.72 ERA and struck out 22 in conference play to just six walks.

• Sophomores Olivia Rains (17.2), Macy McAdoo (7.2), Alanna Thiede (10.2) and Brooke Vestal (7.1) have all seen action for the Sooners in 2021.

FIVE SOONERS EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS

• Five members of the No. 1 Oklahoma softball team were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans, the organization announced Wednesday.

• Senior Jocelyn Alo and freshmen Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings were named First Team honorees. Junior Grace Lyons and sophomore Kinzie Hansen collected Second Team accolades.

• The five selections tied for most in the country with UCLA and the three first team honors is second best in the nation.

• Jennings was one of just five unanimous first team All-Americans.

• Alo receives her third career All-America honor and second first-team accolade after garnering the status as a freshman. The other four Sooners earn the first honor of their careers.

• Alo, named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Tuesday night, has paced the explosive Oklahoma offense in 2021. The Big 12 Player of the Year holds the nation's lead in home runs (30) and slugging percentage (1.135) and ranks second in RBIs (82) and fourth in batting average (.487). Her 30 home runs entering the World Series is tied for the program record she set herself in 2018, along with Lauren Chamberlain in 2012 and '13.

• Also the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jennings is OU's first unanimous All-America selection since Caleigh Clifton in 2019. Jennings has hit 25 home runs to go with 84 RBIs in her first-year campaign. Her RBI mark leads in the nation and she's tied for second in the country for home runs, just five behind fellow national award winner Alo's 30. She holds an exceptional slash line of .485/.537/1.059. The San Pedro, Calif., product has homered in 21 of OU's 52 games and hit multiple homers in a game three times. Jennings has been steady in the field as well, starting every game of the season at second or third base and holding a .972 fielding percentage with 55 putouts and 48 assists to just three errors.

• Coleman, a First Team All-Big 12 selection and Top-3 Finalist for National Freshman of the year, is first on the team with a .578 on-base percentage and holds an on-base streak of 43 games and ranks second on the team with 32 walks drawn. The product of The Colony, Texas, leads the team with 19 stolen bases on 23 attempts in 2021. She's fourth on the team in doubles with nine on the year and has hit eight home runs.

• The Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Hansen, has been a force both at the plate and behind it in 2021. She's hit 21 home runs to go with a .453 batting average and 58 RBIs. Her 21 homers ranks seventh in the country and her batting clip ranks 14th. She has struck out just five times on the year in 150 at-bats. The sophomore holds a .996 fielding percentage at catcher and has helped turn nine double plays on the year and allowed just two runners to steal on her on six attempts.

• Lyons, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, has started all 52 games of the year at shortstop for the Sooners. She anchors the No. 1 defense in the country, holding a .974 fielding percentage and has turned 10 double plays to go with 59 assists, 54 putouts and just three errors. Equally impressive at the plate, Lyons has blasted 14 home runs in 2021 for fourth on the team in a locker room full of big bats. She's batting .428 on the year to go with 51 RBIs and 59 runs scored. The junior from Peoria, Ariz., has also hit 12 doubles on the year, good for second on the team.

#LAUNCHPAD

• The Sooner Club recently launched a fun, new and creative way to support OU student-athletes and the OU Softball and Baseball stadium projects by offering fans the opportunity to join the #LaunchPad. The #LaunchPad is all about #homers. Pledge to donate your own customized dollar amount for every #homer that OU Softball and/or OU Baseball hit in 2021!

• All donations are 100% tax deductible and will be directed to help fund the facility project of your choice - the new OU Softball Stadium Project and/or the OU Baseball Stadium Renovation Project.

• How It Works: Donate an amount to be charged per home run for softball and/or baseball for the 2021 season.

• Include if you'd like to make a gift for every home run hit in the 2021 season or start your pledge as of today.

• Watch the Sooners and cheer us on to victory while supporting future OU facility projects for baseball and softball.

• #Homers hit prior to your gift date will be included in your pledge. Monthly updates on the Pledge Per Home Run Campaign and other important Sooner Club information will be shared throughout the season.

• All donations from the Pledge Per Home Run Campaign will be treated as charitable donations supporting either the OU Softball Stadium Project or the OU Baseball Stadium Renovation Project and are tax-deductible.

• Payment Dates: Each month, we will charge your card on the first business day of the proceeding month for the amount you have elected to pledge per home run multiplied by the number of home runs in that month. (Monthly Payment Dates: Thursday, April 1, 2021; Monday, May 3, 2021; Tuesday, June 1, 2021; Thursday, July 1, 2021)

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