University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Softball History & Tradition

The phone in Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso's office rang three different times. Each time the USA Elite Team selection committee was on the other end. Each time they wanted Gasso to gauge the interest one of her players would have in playing for the 2004 Elite Team.

After the third call, Gasso sat in her office and pondered what had happened over the last month. During that span, three Sooners had been invited (and accepted) to play in the First World University Softball Championships as members of the USA Elite Team, which only ranks behind the Olympic Team. Three Sooners were on the 16 player team, which was a first for any team at OU and only the fourth time any softball program had placed that many players on the squad at the same time.

It was just another sign that OU was among collegiate softball's creme de la creme but it still took some time to hit Gasso.

USA Softball's interest in the Oklahoma program continued during the summer of 2006 as alum Norelle Dickson was one of 16 collegiate players to play on the USA World Team in Taiwan. Sooner players have been called on before. Former Sooners Kami Keiter and Heather Scaglione were rookies with the 2004 squad.

Dickson, on the other hand, played in five tournaments with the Elite squad. Former Sooner Kristin Vesely played for the USA Junior National Team before her freshman year and alum Leah Gulla (2000-03) was part of the most recent Olympic Trials. Additionally, Samantha Ricketts, Christina Enea, Kelli Braitsch and Lisa Carey have received a number of tryouts.

Destinee Martinez won gold with Team USA at the III Pan American Championship in August 2010. Team USA defeated Canada, 3-1, to win the event and qualify for the International Softball Federation Junior Women's World Championship.

In June 2011, Keilani Ricketts became the first Sooner to be named to the senior women's national team. Jessica Shults was named an alternate?for the squad. The two claimed gold with the U. S. in the World Cup of Softball before Ricketts added a second gold medal as the winning pitcher for the U. S. in the Pan American Games.

Ricketts and Shults were reunited in 2012 when each helped Team USA win silver at both the 2012 ISF XIII Women's World Fastpitch Championship and Canadian Open International Championship.

Program history was made in 2013 when Ricketts, Martinez and Lauren Chamberlain were each named to the National Team, marking the most Sooners selected for the team.

Year Player Participation
2025 Kinzie Hansen USA National Team
Jocelyn Alo USA National Team
Tiare Jennings USA National Team
Kelly Maxwell USA National Team
2024 Jocelyn Alo USA Women's World Cup Finals
Tiare Jennings USA Women's World Cup Finals
Kelly Maxwell USA Women's World Cup Finals
2018 Keilani Rickets USA National Team
2017 Mariah Lopez Junior National Team
2013 Lauren Chamberlain USA National Team
Destinee Martinez USA National Team
Keilani Ricketts USA National Team
2012 Keilani Ricketts USA National Team
Jessica Shults USA National Team
2011 Keilani Ricketts USA National Team
Jessica Shults USA National Team
Lauren Chamberlain Junior National Team
Destinee Martinez Junior National Team
2010 Destinee Martinez Junior National Team
2005 Christina Enea National Team Trials
Heather Scaglione National Team Trials
Kristin Vesely National Team Trials
Norrelle Dickson Elite Team
Heather Scaglione Elite Team*
2004 Norrelle Dickson Elite Team
2003 Leah Gulla Olympic Trials
Kristin Vesely Junior National Team
Norrelle Dickson Elite Team
2002 Kelli Braitsch National Team Trials
Christina Enea National Team Trials
2001 Lisa Carey National Team Trials
* Scaglione was part of two different Elite teams in 2005.