Title Defense Begins in California

Thursday, February 10

Santa Barbara, Calif.

4:30 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

UC Santa Barbara

Tickets

Photo by: © Copyright Ty Russell 2021

February 09, 2022 | Softball

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¹ Oklahoma

UC-Santa Barbara

Mark Campbell Invitational

Thurs. Feb. 10-Sun. Feb. 13 / Santa Barbara, Calif./Irvine, Calif.

ESPN+ / FloSoftball / Radio / Live Stats / Game Notes

NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma softball team begins the 2022 season Feb. 10-13 in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Irvine, Calif., at UC-Santa Barbara and the inaugural Mark Campbell Invitational featuring Loyola Marymount, Mississippi State, No. 3/3 UCLA and UC-San Diego.

OPENING WEEKEND

• Preseason No. 1 Oklahoma begins its national title defense in Santa Barbara, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 10 at UC-Santa Barbara before meeting Loyola Marymount, Mississippi State, UCLA and UC-San Diego at the inaugural Mark Campbell Invitational, Feb. 11-13.

• Thursday's game vs. UCSB can be seen via ESPN+, while the Mark Campbell Invite is available to watch via subscription on FloSoftball.

• The action 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.

• For fans in the area, tickets for Thursday's game are available via UCSB's website. Admission to the Mark Campbell Invite in Irvine will be on a first-come, first-serve basis at the front gate.

UNANIMOUS 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.

LAST TIME THEY MET

• UC-Santa Barbara: The Sooners hold a 6-0 all-time series lead over the Gauchos. The teams most recently met in Los Angeles on March 14, 2019 with OU topping UCSB, 12-1.

• Loyola Marymount: OU holds the advantage 6-0 all-time vs. LMU, most recently meeting at LMU's home tournament in 2019, beating the Lions 14-0 in five innings.

• Mississippi State: The Sooners and Bulldogs met a season ago in Ruston, La., with OU run-ruling MSU, 9-0 in five. OU holds a 4-0 all-time record.

• UCLA: The two storied programs have met in each of the last two Women's College World Series, most recently with the Sooners eliminating the Bruins in 2021 by a score of 10-3. The Sooners trail the all-time series, 5-12.

• UC-San Diego: Sunday's meeting between the Sooners and Tritons marks the first matchup between the two programs.

INAUGURAL MARK CAMPBELL INVITATIONAL

• This weekend's Mark Campbell Invitational in Irvine, Calif., marks the inaugural edition of the tournament, named in honor of longtime travel ball coach, Mark Campbell, who suddenly passed in 2019 due to cancer.

• Most recently a travel coach for the OC-Batbusters, Campbell helped coach numerous Sooners throughout their youth days including the likes of current Sooners Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Nicole May, Kinzie Hansen, Alyssa Brito and Taylon Snow and alums Sydney Romero and Fale Aviu, among others.

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.

RECORD BREAKERS

• Oklahoma capped a record-breaking run with the program's fifth national championship in 2021. The Sooners opened the season with an NCAA record 13 home runs and continued to shatter program, conference and NCAA marks en route to the Women's College World Series crown.

• A look back at a few of the nearly 50 broken records the Sooners set last season:

• 8 NCAA Records

    • Team Batting Average — .405 (Broke 1998 Arizona's .385)
     • Team Slugging Percentage — .778 (Broke 2015 Oklahoma's .657)
    • On-base Percentage — .490
    • Home Runs — 161 (Broke 2010 Hawaii's 158 in 6 less games)
    • Runs Scored — 638 (Broke 1995 Arizona's 629 in 12 less games)
    • Runs Per Game — 10.63 (Broke 1995 Arizona's 8.74)
    • Home Runs Per Game - 2.68 (Broke 2010 Hawaii's 2.39)
    • Total Bases - 1,279 (Broke 1995 Arizona's 1,216)

• 6 Women's College World Series Records

    • Home Runs — 15
    • Runs Scored — 49
    • Hits — 67
    • T-Most Most Outstanding Players of all-time — 5
    • T-Most HRs in a WCWS game — Mackenzie Donihoo — 2 HRs (done 14 times)
    • T-Most HRs in a WCWS — Jocelyn Alo — 4 HRs (done 5 times)

• 3 NCAA Single-Game Records

    • Home Runs — NCAA Record 13 vs. UTEP (Broke 2008 BYU's 10 vs. Utah Valley)
    • Home Runs in an Inning — T1st all-time — 5 in the 1st and 5th inning vs. UTEP (2/11)
    • Runs in an Inning — T2nd all-time — 18 in 4th inning vs. Texas Tech (4/25)

• 13 Single-Game Program Records

    • Most hits - 28 (twice; at UTEP [2/11], vs. New Mexico [Feb. 27])
    • Most home runs - 13 at UTEP
    • Most doubles, team - 8 vs. Morgan State
    • T-Most hits - Hansen - 5 H at UTEP (done 5 times)
    • Most doubles, individual - Tiare Jennings, 3 vs. Morgan State
    • T-Most home runs - 3, Grace Lyons & Tiare Jennings at UTEP
    • Team Batting Average - .405 (broke 2015's .361)
    • Team On-Base % - .490 (broke 2015's .473)
    • Team Slugging % — .778 (broke 2015's .657)
    • Team Hits - 666 (broke 2000's 648)
    • Team Home Runs - 161 (broke 2019's 115)
    • Sacrifice Flies - 29 (broke 2019's 26)
    • Fielding % - 4th all-time - .982
    • Most weeks spent ranked No. 1 - 13 (broke 2013's 11-week run)

• Individual Season Program Records

    • Batting Average — Jocelyn Alo - .475 (broke 2013 Lauren Chamberlain's .458)
    • Doubles — Tiare Jennings - 25 (broke 1994 Becky Burrough's 24)
    • Home Runs — Jocelyn Alo - 34 (broke Alo (2018) and Chamberlain's (2012 & '13) 30)
    • RBIs — Tiare Jennings - 92 (broke 2013 Chamberlain's 84)
    • Extra-Base Hits — Tiare Jennings - 52 (broke 2013 Chamberlain's 48)
    • Total Bases — 203 - Jocelyn Alo (broke 2013 Chamberlain's 187)

• Individual Superlatives

    • Jocelyn Alo:
    • HR Per Game - 3rd all-time — 0.56
    • Single-season HRs - 2nd all-time - 34
    • Total bases - 2nd all-time — 203
    • SLG% - 6th all-time - 1.109

    • Tiare Jennings:
    • NCAA Single-Season Freshman RBI Record - 92 RBIs
    • Single-Season RBIs - 10th all-time - 92 RBIs

ALO IN A LEAGUE OF HER OWN

• Jocelyn Alo, the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, NFCA First Team All-American and member of the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team, paced the explosive Oklahoma offense in 2021.

• Also the Big 12 Player of the Year, Alo led the nation in home runs (34) and slugging percentage (1.109) and ranked second in RBIs (89) and third in batting average (.475).

• The Hauula, Hawaii, native tied or set numerous records in 2021, including program records for home runs (34), batting average (.475) and total bases (203).

• Her four home runs in the WCWS tied a World Series record, previously only been done four times.

• She helped lead OU to the single-season NCAA record for home runs as the Sooners blasted 161 on the year. Alo hit the record-breaking home run No. 159 vs. Florida State in Game Two of the WCWS Championship Series.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Sooners will match up against 14 schools that reached the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including four Super Regional participants and three Women's College World Series teams.

• The slate features 14 home games at Marita Hynes Field, including three Big 12 series in Norman. The non-conference schedule is highlighted by an opening weekend matchup against perennial contender UCLA, the return of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Rainbow Wahine Classic.

• Making its return to college softball after a one-year hiatus in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., Feb. 25-27. Oklahoma makes its 16th consecutive trip to the tournament, playing in the event every season it's been held since 2006. The Sooners will meet Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Arizona, Tennessee and Utah over the three-day tournament.

• The team will open its home slate at Marita Hynes Field in Norman with a Monday contest versus Minnesota on March 7. Oklahoma went undefeated at Marita Hynes in 2021, finishing 21-0 in Norman and winning regionals and super regionals in front of the home crowd.

• The Sooners will travel across the Pacific to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the third time in program history (2009, 2015) for the Rainbow Wahine Classic, March 10-12. Oklahoma will face host Hawaii, as well as Big 12 foe Baylor and California on the island.

• OU will return to the state of Oklahoma for the second annual Hall of Fame Classic at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, March 18-20. The Sooners went 4-0 in the inaugural tournament last season in OKC. The 2022 installment will feature OU playing Sam Houston, Indiana, San Diego, Houston and Iowa.

• The Bedlam Series presented by Phillips 66 closes the regular season in Norman, May 6-8. It will mark the first time three matchups versus the Cowgirls have taken place in Norman since 1997, when the Sooners hosted their in-state rival for one regular season contest and two NCAA Regional games. The Sooners took two of three from OSU in Stillwater last season to claim the Big 12 regular season title.

• OU will go for its fifth consecutive conference tournament title at the Big 12 Softball Championship in Oklahoma City, May 13-14.

FOUR NAMED TO PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

• Four members of the Oklahoma softball team have been named to the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, the organization announced the 50-player watch list in January.

• Redshirt senior and reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo, junior Kinzie Hansen and sophomores Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings are among the 50 student-athletes on the preseason watch list. The recognition marks Alo's fourth consecutive year on the preseason list, while Coleman, Hansen and Jennings make their first appearance.

• OU's four selections are the most nationally. Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma State and UCLA all have three representatives apiece to tie for second.

• Alo looks to become the second Sooner to repeat in winning the USA Softball award (Keilani Ricketts, 2012-13).

BIG 12 PRESEASON FAVORITES

• The nine-time defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma softball team has been voted by the league's head coaches as the 2022 preseason favorite.

• The Sooners received 36 points in this year's poll and were followed by Oklahoma State with 31 and Texas with 26. OU received six of the seven first-place votes with OSU garnering the other. This marks the 10th straight year and 13th in the last 14 seasons that OU has topped the conference's preseason poll. Baylor was selected fourth (19 points) and Iowa State fifth (18 points). Rounding out the poll was Texas Tech (10 points) and Kansas (7 points).

• The Sooners finished the Big 12 regular season 16-1 in 2021 en route to their ninth consecutive conference regular season crown. The team completed title sweep for the fourth straight season in Oklahoma City at the Big 12 Softball Championship.

• Oklahoma holds a combined Big 12 record of 144-14 the past nine seasons and has not lost a conference series since 2011.

• Overall, the program has won 20 Big 12 titles (13 regular season titles and seven Big 12 tournament championships) all under head coach Patty Gasso.

• Oklahoma returns nine all-conference selections from a season ago including the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year (Jocelyn Alo), Freshman of the Year (Tiare Jennings) and Defensive Player of the Year (Grace Lyons).

FOUR NAMED TO BIG 12 PRESEASON TEAM

• Four Oklahoma student-athletes were selected to the inaugural Big 12 Softball Preseason Team.

• Redshirt senior Jocelyn Alo, junior Kinzie Hansen and sophomores Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings were among the 12 players chosen to the squad by the league's head coaches. Jennings was one of two unanimous selections to the team.

• Oklahoma tied with Oklahoma State with four picks while Texas had three named to the team and one from Iowa State. Student-athletes were chosen regardless of position and coaches could not vote for their own players.

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.