Softball Set for Midweek Doubleheader with Tarleton State

NORMAN – The Big 12-leading Oklahoma softball team welcomes Tarleton State to Love's Field on Tuesday evening for a nonconference doubleheader.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT with the second game to follow at 6:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2.

Tuesday's meeting will serve as the third and fourth all-time between OU and the Texans. Oklahoma holds a 2-0 advantage in the series, blanking Tarleton State 4-0 in 1997 and earning a 13-0 run-rule win in 2021.

A limited number of returned tickets are available for Tuesday's doubleheader. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.

LAST TIME OUT

Five Sooners homered and 13 of 14 OU hitters reached base as the No. 2/1 Oklahoma trounced Iowa State 14-1 on Sunday at Love's Field, securing a conference-opening weekend sweep.

Oklahoma closed the first weekend of conference play leading the Big 12 standings, a full game ahead of Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and UCF. The Sooners outscored Iowa State 29-3 over the course of the three-game series.

Ella Parker recorded her first collegiate three-hit game, going 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, Cydney Sanders and Quincee Lilio each left the yard to lead a lineup that produced 14 hits and drew five walks.

SCOUTING THE TEXANS

Tarleton State enters the midweek 12-13 on the season and will begin WAC play at Utah Valley this weekend. The Texans went 1-2 at the Jacksonville Spring Break Challenge last weekend, defeating Presbyterian 6-2 after falling to USC Upstate (6-5) and Jacksonville (5-3).

Centerfielder Kelci Hill has been an excellent tablesetter for Tarleton this spring, slashing .470/.500/.723 for a 1.223 OPS, scoring 24 runs and driving in 20 from the leadoff spot. Left fielder Kayla Wallace boasts a .365 average and a 1.095 OPS while third baseman Katy Schaefer leads the club with five home runs and 26 RBIs to form a formidable top of the order.

Right-handers Alexa Rehmeier (3-2, 5.33 ERA), Hannah Blincoe (4-2, 4.99 ERA) and Kendall Daniel (2-2, 3.67 ERA) have combined to start 23 of Tarleton State's 25 games this spring. Fellow righty Makenzie Dunbar adds a 4.46 ERA and 26.2 innings in 10 appearances out the Texan bullpen.

CYD'S CRUSHING IT

OU junior first baseman Cydney Sanders' home run on Sunday punctuated an incredible weekend that saw her homer four times, go 4-for-5 (.800) and drive in nine runs. She also drew five walks, reaching in nine of her 10 trips to the plate during the series sweep.

Over the month of March (9 games), Sanders is slashing .600/.750/1.933 for a 2.683 OPS with six home runs, two doubles, a 1:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a whopping 15 runs batted in.

LEADERBOARDS

The Sooners enter the week ranked highly across the national leaderboards in multiple statistical categories. OU leads the nation in OPS (1.179) and is top-three in fielding percentage (2nd, .988), slugging percentage (2nd, .705), batting average (3rd, .388), on-base percentage (3rd .473), runs scored (3rd, 193), shutouts (3rd, 13) and home runs (3rd, 44) while ranking seventh in ERA (1.32). Junior first baseman Cydney leads the nation in OPS (1.630) and ranks third in slugging percentage (1.051).

Sanders leads the Big 12 in OPS and slugging percentage while ranking second in home runs (8), fourth in on-base percentage (.579) and seventh in walks drawn (15). Senior third baseman Alyssa Brito is third in doubles (7), fourth in runs scored (26) and tied for fourth in home runs (7) with senior shortstop Tiare Jennings.

In the circle, sophomore left-hander Kierston Deal is third across the Big 12 in both ERA (0.85) and batting average against (.178). Nicole May is fourth in wins (7) and opponent average (.183) while landing ninth in ERA (1.75). Kelly Maxwell lands fifth in opponent average (.194), sixth in wins (6) and eighth in ERA (1.70) while Karlie Keeney's 1.35 ERA mark is sixth in the league.

FRESHMEN PHENOMS

Oklahoma freshmen Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker have provided immediate impact to the lineup as regulars in their debut season, currently standing as the team's top-two batting average leaders.

Pickering paces OU in batting average and slashes .456/.515/.702 for a whopping 1.217 OPS entering the week. She has collected five doubles and three homers to go with 16 RBIs while logging strong defense in both outfield corners.

Parker is third among OU hitters with five home runs, slashing .440/.532/.820 for a 1.352 OPS. She has driven in 21 runs while drawing walks in 16.1% of her plate appearances.

Both Pickering and Parker have been especially effective with runners in scoring position, posting respective OPS marks of 1.411 and 1.640 in those situations. Both hit .529 or better with RISP and have combined for eight extra-base hits in such chances.

KIERSTON'S DEALING

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Kierston Deal has been terrific over her last five starts, winning each while logging 22.0 scoreless innings. The southpaw has allowed just nine hits while maintaining a 27:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over her last five outings.

CHAMPS IN THE CLUTCH

Oklahoma's lineup has produced the third-most runs across the NCAA with 193 this season. A key factor in the order's success has been the club's penchant for hitting with runners in scoring position. OU slashes .408/.489/.768 for a 1.257 OPS with RISP, adding a .514 weighted on-base average in those situations.

Alyssa Brito is 11-for-18 (.611) with RISP this spring, producing a 1.874 OPS. Tiare Jennings has blasted four home runs and four doubles while producing a 1.632 OPS with runners in scoring position. Ella Parker (.529), Kasidi Pickering (.545), Jayda Coleman (.533) join Brito and Jennings as Sooners batting .500 or better with RISP.

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