No. 1 OU Heads to Mary Nutter Classic

Friday, February 25

Cathedral City, Calif.

2:30 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

Cal State Fullerton

Tickets

February 24, 2022 | Softball

Watch Listen Live Stats Tickets #LaunchPad Trophy Club

¹ Oklahoma

Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Feb. 25-27 / Cathedral City, Calif. / Big League Dreams Park

Tickets / FloSoftball / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

WEEKEND BASICS

• No. 1 Oklahoma makes its return to the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., this weekend, Feb. 25-27. The Sooners matchup against Cal State-Fullerton (Fri. 2:30 p.m. CT), Long Beach State (Fri. 5 p.m. CT), No. 8/10 Arizona (Sat. Noon CT), No. 17/17 Tennessee (Sat. 2:30 p.m. CT) and Utah (Sun. 11 a.m. CT).

• All games are available to watch on FloSoftball via subscription and can be heard on The Franchise 2 (103.3 FM/1560 AM) in Oklahoma and nationwide on the TuneIn app with OU play-by-play announcer Chris Plank on the call.

• After 10 games played, the Sooners are batting .397 as a team with 25 home runs, 95 runs scored on 95 hits and 85 RBIs. They are outscoring opponents 95-2 with the only two runs given up being unearned. The team is slugging .782, holds a .492 on-base clip and has swiped eight bases on 11 attempts.

ALO CHASING NO. 96

• Jocelyn Alo, the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and NFCA First Team All-American, tied the NCAA Career Home Run Record last weekend in Houston.

• Alo hit five home runs in five games, including hitting career No. 95 to tie OU alum Lauren Chamberlain as the NCAA Career Home Run Leader. Alo batted .600 on the weekend with 11 RBI and seven extra base hits, leading No. 1 OU to five run-rule wins. She slugged an exceptional 1.733 and registered 26 total bases.

• Alo hit four home runs across two games on Saturday, hitting two long balls in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. On the year, she has seven home runs and is batting .500 with 18 runs batted in. She has more home runs (7) than she does strikeouts (5).

• Alo hit the 95 mark in 215 games and 634 at-bats, reaching the record in less games than Chamberlain (220) and anyone else in the all-time top 10. Chamberlain registered 607 at-bats in her career, hitting home run No. 95 in her last career at-bat.

• The Sooner slugger will look for No. 96 starting Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT when the Sooners face CSU-Fullerton. After Alo's 34-homer season in 2021, the super senior will look to go well beyond 100 career blasts in 2022.

LAST TIME OUT

• The No. 1 Sooners had another exceptional weekend, going 5-0 with five run-rule victories at the Houston Classic over Houston, McNeese and Texas State.

• Jocelyn Alo was the highlight of the trip, hitting five home runs, including career No. 95 to match OU alum Lauren Chamberlain as the NCAA Career Home Run Leader.

• Senior Hope Trautwein threw a no-hitter and the OU pitching staff did not give up an earned run on the weekend, while the offense combined to beat the opponents 55-1. On the season, OU is outscoring its competition 95-2 and the pitchers have thrown 87 strikeouts.

A LOOK AT THE MNCC OPPONENTS

• CSU-Fullerton: The Titans enter Friday's matchup at 7-3 while batting .330 with 13 home runs. They have outscored their opponents 67-13 and are led at the plate by sophomore Hannah Becerra, batting .467 with 4 HR and 13 RBI. The Titans head coach, Kelly Ford, is a 1992 graduate of Oklahoma, playing her final two years of college ball at OU before working one season with the Sooners as a graduate assistant.

• Long Beach State: The Beach enter the MNCC at 2-7, allowing 65 runs to 25 runs scored. Senior Justine Briones is batting .318 with a team-best 2 HR and 6 RBIs. OU head coach Patty Gasso is a 1984 alum of Long Beach State.

• #8/10 Arizona: The Wildcats (7-2) are led by first-year head coach Caitlin Lowe following the retirement of softball legend Mike Candrea. They have outscored opponents 78-27 and have hit 16 home runs, with three players blasting four. Sharlize Palacios leads the team with 17 RBIs.

• #17/17 Tennessee: The Volunteers come to Palm Springs 6-3 overall, batting .248 as a team with 40 runs scored to 34 given up. Ivy Davis paces the team with three home runs and nine RBIs while the pitching staff holds a 2.77 ERA led by Texas Tech transfer Erin Edmoundson's 31 strikeouts in 28.1 IP.

• Utah: The Utes (7-4) have plenty of familiar faces in assistant coaches D.J. Gasso (youngest son of head coach Patty Gasso) and Paige Parker (2-time national champion OU pitcher). The team is batting .293 with 57 runs scored while the pitching staff holds an ERA of 3.67 against some tough early-season competition. Ellessa Blomstrom leads the team at the plate with 3 HR and 14 RBI.

LAST TIME THEY MET

• CSU-Fullerton: The Titans hold the all-time series at 6-11 over the Sooners with the last meeting coming in 2019 at Mary Nutter, a 9-1 OU win in five innings.

• Long Beach State: The Sooners lead the series with The Beach 13-2, but LBSU upset the Sooners in Tucson, Ariz., in 2020 by a final of 5-4.

• Arizona: The two stories programs last met in a thriller in Tucson on Feb. 15, 2020, a 6-4 OU win in 10 innings. The 'Cats lead the all-time series 21-29.

• Tennessee: The two programs are tied 5-5 in series history with the last meeting coming at Mary Nutter in 2017, a 2-1 UT victory.

• Utah: The Sooners lead the all-time series 19-5 over the Utes. OU run-ruled Utah 10-2 in Norman in five innings during the shortened 2020 season.

ALO NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Jocelyn Alo was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week, the NFCA announced Tuesday.

• Alo collects the honor following a weekend for the record books. The Hauula, Hawaii, native hit five home runs in five games, including hitting career No. 95 to tie Lauren Chamberlain as the NCAA Career Home Run Leader.

• She batted .600 on the weekend with 11 RBI and seven extra base hits, leading No. 1 OU to five run-rule wins. She slugged an exceptional 1.733 and registered 26 total bases.

• Alo hit four home runs across two games on Saturday, hitting two long balls in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. On the year, she's hit seven home runs and is batting .500 with 18 runs batted in.

• It marks Alo's second career NFCA National Player of the Week honor and first since March 27, 2018.

HOME RUN U

• Oklahoma is officially Home Run University. With Jocelyn Alo's record-tying career homer No. 95, two Sooners sit atop the NCAA record books for career home runs in Alo and 2015 alum Lauren Chamberlain.

• In addition to Alo and Chamberlain, 2015 alum Shelby Pendley sits at ninth all-time with 84 career blasts.

• More evidence of the Sooners staking claim to HRU is the past two seasons when OU has lit up the record books:

• 2021 saw the Sooners set NCAA records for home runs (161), runs scored (638), runs per game (10.63) and homers per game (2.68), among other records.

• Jocelyn Alo hit 34 blasts in 2021 for second all-time in single-season NCAA history, just three shy of Laura Espinoza's (Arizona) 37 in 1995. Alo's 2018 along with Chamberlain's 2012 and '13 where each hit 30 homers a piece all rank in the all-time top-10.

• Sophomore Tiare Jennings nearly matched Alo and Chamberlain's record (30) for freshman homers a season ago, hitting 27 to come within three of the NCAA frosh record.

• In 2022, the Sooners currently lead the NCAA with 25 home runs and a 2.5 HR/game average.

• Alo currently paces the country with seven homers while Jennings holds a tie for seventh with five blasts in 10 games.

DOMINANCE IN THE CIRCLE

• Oklahoma's pitching staff is not to be overlooked by the potent offense. The OU staff of Jordy Bahl, Nicole May, Hope Trautwein and Macy McAdoo have combined for a 0.00 ERA, allowing no earned runs in OU's 10 games and just two runs to get across overall. The staff have thrown one combined perfect game and Trautwein has tossed an individual no-hitter.

• The staff has a combined 87 strikeouts in just 54.0 innings pitched, a product of OU's eight run-rules in 10 games.

• Freshman Jordy Bahl leads the group with 34 strikeouts in 20.1 IP, highlighted by a 14 K performance against then-No. 3 UCLA on opening weekend.

• The staff opened the season with a perfect performance in the circle from Bahl, May and Trautwein. The trio struck out a combined eight batters in the five-inning run-rule, helping the Sooners to a 14-0 win.

• Trautwein collected her fourth individual no-hitter last weekend vs. McNeese (2/19), striking out eight and allowing just one walk.

• May has one double-digit strikeout performance on the year with 10 vs. Miss. State on Feb. 11, a two-hit, complete-game performance.

ALO, TRAUTWEIN COLLECT BIG 12 WEEKLY HONORS

• Oklahoma redshirt seniors Jocelyn Alo and Hope Trautwein collected Big 12 weekly honors for their week two performances at the Houston Classic.

• Alo was named Big 12 Player of the Week after a five-homer weekend in five games, including hitting career No. 95 to tie Lauren Chamberlain as the NCAA Career Home Run Leaders. Alo batted .600 on the weekend with 11 RBI and seven extra base hits, leading No. 1 OU to five run-rule wins. The reigning national and Big 12 player of the year slugged an exceptional 1.733 and registered 26 total bases.

• Alo hit four home runs across two games on Saturday, hitting two long balls in back-to-back games for the first time in her career.

• Trautwein, named conference co-pitcher of the week, threw her fourth career no-hitter in OU's 11-0 run-rule victory over McNeese on Saturday. The graduate transfer struck out eight in five innings of work and allowed just one walk to the 16 batters she faced. It marked her first individual no-hitter as a Sooner after combining on a perfect game in OU's season opener.

• In Trautwein's two appearances on the weekend, she struck out 10 in six innings pitched and allowed just one hit and two walks to go with no runs. She holds a 0.00 ERA on the season, having not giving up any runs in her 17.0 IP.

• It marks Alo's fifth career Big 12 Player of the Week honor and the first for Trautwein, playing her first season in the conference.

JENNINGS PICKS UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF

• Sophomore and reigning NFCA Freshman of the Year Tiare Jennings has picked up where she left off in 2021 during OU's start to 2022.

• The sophomore has hit five home runs over OU's 10 games, batting .440 with 12 RBIs and 15 runs scored, also drawing nine walks and stealing two bases on three attempts.

• The San Pedro, Calif., native holds a .588 on-base percentage and a 1.040 slugging percentage. Jennings has struck out just once on the season in her 25 at-bats.

UNANIMOUS PRESEASON NO. 1

• Oklahoma was chosen as the unanimous No. 1 in both the 2022 USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25.

• Oklahoma's No. 1 spot in the NFCA poll marks the third time the Sooners enter a season in the top spot (2017, '18) and just the second time OU has been the unanimous choice in the coaches poll, joining the 2017 squad.

• OU received 800 total points and all 32 first-place votes in the NFCA poll to lead No. 2 Alabama (758) and No. 3 UCLA (700). Florida State and Oklahoma State rounded out the top five.

• In the USA Softball Preseason Top 25, the Sooners received 625 points and all 25 first-place votes to hold the top spot. Alabama was voted second with 591 points, while UCLA was third at 549. Oklahoma State (547) and Florida (501) round out the top five.

• Additionally, it's 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 nine of the past 10 years, the most over that stretch.

• Overall, the Sooners rank third with 22 top-10 appearances in the NFCA preseason poll, trailing only Arizona (24) and UCLA (23).

• 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 the only program ranked every week in the 28-year existence of the NFCA's poll (392 straight).

• It's the 15th straight season and 18th in the 20-year history of the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll that Oklahoma is ranked in the preseason top 10.

THE ALL-AMERICANS ARE BACK

• Oklahoma returns five NFCA All-Americans from a season ago in redshirt senior Jocelyn Alo, senior Grace Lyons, junior Kinzie Hansen and sophomores Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings.

• Alo, the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and NFCA First Team All-American, rewrote the record books a season ago and will have the opportunity to do more damage as a super senior in 2022. Also the 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year, Alo recorded program records for home runs (34), batting average (.475) and total bases (203) in 2021, including an NCAA-best 1.109 slugging percentage in 2021.

• Another NFCA All-American, Hansen, ranked fifth in the country a season ago with 24 home runs as she batted .438 with 66 RBIs. The Norco, Calif., product was a versatile weapon for OU, starting all but two games behind the plate or at first base. The 2021 Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player allowed just three runners to steal on her, finishing the season with a .990 fielding clip.

• Coleman, an NFCA First Team All-American and finalist for the NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, burst onto the college softball scene with her energy and playmaking ability as a freshman in 2021. The OU centerfielder led the team with 20 stolen bases and ranked second on the team with a .545 on-base percentage to go with nine home runs, 11 doubles and 53 RBIs.

• Jennings, the 2021 NFCA DI National Freshman of the Year and unanimous NFCA First Team All-American, had one of the most dominant first-year campaigns in not only Oklahoma, but NCAA history. The San Pedro, Calif., native set the NCAA single-season freshman RBI record with 92 and finished with 27 home runs on the season, just three away from the NCAA freshman HR record. Jennings also led the NCAA with 25 doubles and was second nationally behind Alo with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

FRESH FACES

• The Sooners reloaded once again via recruiting and the transfer portal for 2022.

• Nine newcomers enter the mix for OU this season, highlighted by consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class, Jordy Bahl, and transfers Alyssa Brito (Oregon) and Hope Trautwein (North Texas).

• Six freshmen will lace 'em up for OU in 2022: Bahl, Turiya Coleman, Hannah Coor, Emmy Guthrie, Quincee Lilio and Sophia Nugent.

• Bahl, the 2020-21 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year, posted a 27-0 record with a 0.10 ERA her senior season, surrendering just 27 hits and 15 walks in 137 innings pitched and striking out 316 batters.

• Transferring to Norman from Oregon, Brito joins the Sooners following an All-Pac 12 season with the Ducks. The rising sophomore will have three years of eligibility with the Sooners.

• As a freshman in Eugene, Brito collected Second Team All-Pac 12, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and Pac-12 All-Defense accolades and was named to the NFCA's All-Pacific Region Second Team. She started 53 games at shortstop in her first-year campaign with the Ducks, batting .299 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs, adding five doubles, a triple and 30 runs scored. At shortstop, the Tustin, Calif., product registered 59 putouts, 73 assists and committed just four errors.

• Helping the Sooners reload in the circle is graduate transfer Trautwein.

• Trautwein departed North Texas as its career leader in ERA (2.05), wins (61), opponent batting average (.197) and K/7IP (8.11). Named back-to-back Conference USA Pitcher of the Year and to the first team NFCA All-South Region team in 2021, the Pflugerville, Texas, product made national news in April when she tossed a perfect game, striking out all 21 batters faced in UNT's game versus Arkansas Pine-Bluff, becoming the first pitcher in Division I history to tally 21 strikeouts in a perfect game. She amassed a 46-12 record over the last three seasons and is a four-time member of the C-USA all-conference squad.

ALO, COLEMAN, HANSEN JENNINGS NAMED TO NATIONAL TEAM ROSTERS

• Four members of the Oklahoma softball team were named to USA Softball rosters for international competition this summer, the organization announced the rosters in early February.

• Senior Jocelyn Alo, sophomore Jayda Coleman, junior Kinzie Hansen and sophomore Tiare Jennings will all compete in tournaments with USA Softball this summer. The four will compete in one tournament as a group at the 2022 Japan All-Star Series.

• Already announced as a member of the 2022 Women's National Team for the World Games in Birmingham, Ala., this July is Kinzie Hansen. The Norco, Calif., product was also named to the Japan All-Star Series roster Wednesday afternoon.

• Alo and Coleman were both named to the 2022 Canada Cup and Japan All-Star Series rosters while Jennings will join her Sooner teammates for the Japan series.

• Selected by the Women's National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) following the selection trials held in January, Alo, Coleman and Jennings make their first appearances on a Women's Senior National Team roster.

• The World Games are set to be held July 7-12 in Birmingham, while the 2022 Canada Cup will take place in Surrey, BC, Canada, June 20-26. The Japan All-Star Series is scheduled for August 1-9 in Fukushima, Japan.

THE TROPHY CLUB

• The Oklahoma softball program has announced the launch of its restructured booster club under a new name, The Trophy Club.

• The Trophy Club replaces the former Diamond Club as the program's premier booster initiative to continue to enhance the student-athlete experience at Oklahoma, both on and off the field.

• Softball fans can join now and take part in exclusive events, including the annual golf tournament, coaches luncheon and more.

For membership details and how donations will be utilized, visit The Trophy Club landing page on SoonerSports.com.

• Gifts to the Trophy Club and Oklahoma softball will be utilized for: resources for the development of our student-athletes, facility upgrades to enhance recruiting and student-athlete experiences and improved quality of travel to increase academic participation by our student-athletes.

THE #LAUNCHPAD IS BACK

• The #LaunchPad is back in 2022! Cheer on your Sooners and support our student-athletes in a fun, new and creative way by joining the #LaunchPad. The #LaunchPad is all about #homers. Pledge to donate your own customized dollar amount for every #homer that OU Softball hits in 2022!

• All donations are 100% tax deductible and will be directed to help fund the facility project of your choice - the new Love's Field - 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 for the 2022 season.

• Include if you'd like to make a gift for every home run hit in the 2022 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. For example, if OU Softball hits 20 home runs in March after you pledged $10 per #Homer, on April 1 we will charge your card $200.

Monthly Payment Dates:

Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Friday, April 1, 2022
Monday, May 2, 2022
Wednesday, June 1, 2022

• Have fun along the way by interacting with @OU_Baseball & @OU_Softball on social media with your favorite term to use for #homers! Some of our favorites include #dingers #taters #bombs #ruthianblast #yack #fourbagger #jimmyjack

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