UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

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9 Illinois State 11 AM W, 3-1 2.10 Illinois 1 PM W, 3-0 2.10 Florida International 5 PM W, 9-1 (5) 2.11 Illinois State (Championship) 10 AM W, 4-2 OU/NIKE CLASSIC - NORMAN, OKLA. 2.16 Birmingham Southern 4:45 PM W, 14-1 (5) 2.

1 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL 2007 SCHEDULE & RESULTS DATE OPPONENT TIME (CST) SCORE DIAMOND FUN & SUN CLASSIC - MIAMI, FLA. 2.9 #16 Louisville 9 AM W, Illinois State 11 AM W, Illinois 1 PM W, Florida International 5 PM W, 9-1 (5) 2.11 Illinois State (Championship) 10 AM W, 4-2 OU/NIKE CLASSIC - NORMAN, OKLA Birmingham Southern 4:45 PM W, 14-1 (5) 2.17 Northwestern State 12:15 PM W, 12-0 (5) 2.17 Minneosta 2:30 PM W, Birmingham Southern 12:15 PM W, Northwestern State 2:30 PM W, TULSA 4 PM W, 5-3 PALM SPRINGS CLASSIC - PALM SPRINGS, CALIF Notre Dame 12 PM W, Loyola Marymount 3 PM W, 10-0 (5) 2.24 #16 California 12 PM W, 11-3 (5) 2.24 #6 Oregon State 2:30 PM W, Ohio State 11 a.m. W, ARKANSAS 3 PM W, 14-0 (5) 2.28 ARKANSAS 5 PM W, 10-2 (5) 3/1 NORTH TEXAS 4 PM W, 4-1 OU RESIDENCE INN INVITATIONAL - NORMAN, OKLA. 3.3 WICHITA STATE 2:30 PM W, TEMPLE 4:45 PM W, 10-0 (5) 3.4 TEMPLE 12:15 PM W, 21-0 (5) 3.4 WICHITA STATE 2:30 PM W, at Tulsa 6 PM L, EVANSVILLE 6 PM W, 6-2 OU WORTH INVITATIONAL - NORMAN, OKLA. 3.9 EVANSVILLE 2:30 PM W, CENTENARY 4:45 PM W, CENTENARY 2:30 PM W, 11-1 (6) 3.10 UMKC 4:45 PM W, 10-2 (6) JUDI GARMAN CLASS - FULLERTON, CALIF Pacific 3:30 PM W, #5 Arizona 10:30 PM W, NC State 8:15 PM L, Cal State Northridge 3:30 PM W, 8-0 (5) 3.18 #21 DePaul 12:30 PM W, 3-2 (8) 3.18 #5 Arizona 3:30 PM W, 11-0 (5) 3.22 at Texas Tech 5 PM W, at Texas Tech 7 PM W, at #10 Texas 1 PM W, at #10 Texas 12 PM L, 5-4 (10) 3.28 CENTRAL ARKANSAS 6 PM W, #2 TEXAS A&M 2 PM W, #2 TEXAS A&M 12 PM L, OKLAHOMA STATE 7 PM W, 8-0 (5) 4.6 IOWA STATE 3 PM W, 8-0 (5) 4.6 IOWA STATE 5 PM W, 3-2 (10) 4.11 at North Texas 6 PM W, at Missouri 11 AM L, at Missouri 1 PM W, #7 BAYLOR 5 PM W, 3-2 (10) 4.18 #7 BAYLOR 7 PM W, NEBRASKA 2 PM W, NEBRASKA 12 PM W, at Oklahoma State 7 PM W, at Kansas 2 PM L, at Kansas 1 PM W, 13-4 (6) BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP - OKLAHOMA CITY 5.11 Kansas 4:30 PM W, #18 Missouri 11 AM W, Texas Tech 3 PM W, NCAA REGIONALS - AMHERST, MASS Colgate 1 PM W, UMass 11 AM W, UMass 12:30 PM W, NCAA SUPER REGIONALS - NORMAN, OKLA DePaul 11 AM 5.27 DePaul 12 PM 5.27 DePaul (if necessary) 2 PM NCAA WCWS OKLAHOMA CITY Notes: All starting times are Central ALL CAPS - Home games LEADING OFF The third-seeded Oklahoma softball team (55-6) clinched its seventh regional championship last weekend in Amherst, Mass., and will host 14th-seeded DePaul (44-11) in a Super Regional May in Norman. All games of the best-of-three series will be shown live on ESPN. The series opener is slated for Saturday at 11 a.m. (CST) at Marita Hynes Field at the OU Softball Complex. The second game will begin at 12 p.m. on Sunday while the third game (if necessary) will start at approximately 2 p.m. OU joins Texas A&M as the two squads to solely have all of its games shown live on basic cable station ESPN. Veteran softball announcer Pam Ward will be on play-by-play and Karen Johns will handle the color commentary for the weekend. Jessica Summers, Softball Media Relations Director 180 W. Brooks Suite 2525, Norman, OK O: (405) C: (405) F: (405) jlsummers@ou.edu THIRD-SEEDED OKLAHOMA HOSTS FIRST SUPER REGIONAL IN SCHOOL HISTORY THIRD-SEEDED OKLAHOMA SOONERS 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 IN THE POLLS 1 ESPN.com/USA Softball 3 USA Today/NFCA 14TH-SEEDED DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS OVERALL, 20-0 BIG EAST IN THE POLLS 14 ESPN.com/USA Softball 14 USA Today/NFCA TALE OF THE TAPE OU DEPAUL Batting Average Runs per game Hits per game Home Runs RBI Walks Stolen Bases-Attempts ERA Shutouts Strikeouts per game Opp. batting average SUPER REGIONAL INFORMATION Date: May 26 (11 a.m.) May 27 (12 p.m., 2 p.m. if necessary) Location: Norman, Oklahoma Field: Marita Hynes Field Radio: KOKC 1520 AM with Brian Brinkley TV: ESPN with Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Karen Johns (color) Live Stats: SoonerSports.com In addition to television, OU play-by-play voice Brian Brinkley will call all of OU s games this weekend on KOKC 1520 AM. Live stats will be solely provided by NCAAsports.com. The two programs are familiar with each other after playing against each other earlier this season in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton Calif. (March 18). The Sooners came out on top in a close game as OU won 3-2 in eight innings. The two squads have never met in NCAA Tournament action, but the all-time series is tied between the two schools, 4-4. Neither team has won two straight games against the other in the series history. SUPER REGIONAL HISTORY Both DePaul and Oklahoma are making their second appearances in a Super Regional since the new format began in The Sooners and Blue Demons advanced to Super Regionals in 2005 while DePaul also advanced all the way to the Women s College World Series that season. DePaul topped Northwestern in the Chicago Super Regional to advance to the school s third world series. Ironically, OU was a 14th seed in 2005 facing a third-seeded Arizona team in Tucson for the Super Regional. The Wildcats swept OU in the regional with scores of 6-0 and 7-6. OU s loss in the Super Regional in 2005 snapped Oklahoma s five-year streak of consecutive trips to the Women s College World Series. The streak began in 2000, the year Oklahoma won the National Championship. NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 1

2 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll (5/9) Team 2007 Record Pts. Last 1.Tennessee (23) Alabama (1) OKLAHOMA Arizona (1) LSU Northwestern Texas A&M Baylor Arizona State Michigan Washington Hawaii UCLA DePaul Oregon State Stanford Georgia Tech Texas Florida Oregon Virginia Tech Illinois State Louisiana-Lafayette Southern Illinois N.C. State NR 25. Ohio State NR OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Missouri 35, Fresno State 27, Creighton 22, Houston 19, California 16, Massachusetts 12, North Carolina 4. Eight others received one vote each. ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (5/15) Team 2007 Record Pts. Last 1. OKLAHOMA (14) Tennessee (5) LSU Arizona T3 5.Alabama T3 6.Northwestern Baylor Texas A&M Arizona State Michigan Washington UCLA Virginia Tech DePaul Georgia Tech Hawaii Oregon State Stanford Missouri Oregon Ohio State RV 22.Florida T25 23.Fresno State T25 24.Southern Illinois Illinois State OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Creighton (26), Texas (21), Cal (11), ULL (8), NC State (7), Cal Poly (6), Nebraska (5), Fullerton (2), Florida State (2), Louisville (1). REGIONAL THREE LEFTOVERS The Sooners claimed their seventh regional championship in the last eight years after sweeping through the field in three games at the Amherst Regional... OU is 28-3 in regional action, excluding Super Regionals, since OU hit an uncharacteristic.237 in the regional while Lauren Eckermann, who threw all 21 innings for OU notched a 0.67 ERA... If there was an MVP honor, Eckermann would have been the most likely candidate as she went 3-0 with 19 strikeouts and only one walk while holding opponents to a.155 batting average (11-of-71)... Samantha Ricketts was also a strong candidate after recording four of OU s 10 RBI in the three games, including a three-run gamewinning homer in the opening game against Colgate... The Sooners snapped UMass nation s-best win streak of 27 straight and its home winning streak of 33 consecutive wins... Oklahoma has never lost a regional when it was the top seed in the regional... The Sooners were a No. 3 national seed and the highest seed not to host a regional. AGAINST THE FIELD OU played 41 percent of its games this season (24) against teams in the NCAA Tournament field of 64. Oklahoma owned a 20-4 record against the field with a winning percentage of.833. In those 24 games, the Sooners outscored the opposition, Oklahoma beat the top overall seed, Arizona, twice this season including an 11-0 run rule NUMERICAL ROSTER OU OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS At least 10 hits 27 times At least 10 runs 16 times Held Scoreless 3 times Individual 3 RBI game 17 times Individual 4 RBI game 13 times Individual 5 RBI game 5 times Individual 3 hit game 21 times Individual 4 hit game 2 times Run rule wins 18 times Record OU scores Record OU scores Record OU scores REGIONAL OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION Since the 2000 regional when the Sooners went on to win the national championship, the Sooner offense has been on fire in regional action. Since 2000, OU has gone 28-3 in regionals and has outscored opponents during those eight regionals. NCAA AT OU SOFTBALL COMPLEX The OU Softball Complex has been good to the Sooners in the NCAA Tournament. Marita Hynes Field has never hosted a Super Regional, but the Sooners are a perfect 15-0 at the Complex in NCAA Regional action. OU recorded four-game sweeps from and went 3-0 in 2005 when the new format began. While the Sooners own a perfect NCAA tournament record at the OU Softball Complex, they do not own a perfect mark in NCAA action in Norman. Prior to the complex being built, OU hosted an NCAA Regional in 1997 across the street at Reaves Park. The Sooners went 1-2 with two losses to Oklahoma State. TOP MARK ENTERING TOURNAMENT The Sooners entered the 2007 NCAA tournament with the least amount of losses of any Sooner team in history. OU began tournament action with a 52-6 overall record. The 2000 squad, which also won the National Championship that season, entered tournament play with a 58-8 record before running through the entire tournament without a loss on its way to its first ever national title. NO. NAME PRONUNCIATION POS. B-T HT. CL HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) 1 Jamie Fox OF R/R 5-9 Sr. Lafayette, La. (Acadiana HS) 2 Jadyn Smith JAY-din RHP R/R 5-8 Jr. Newcastle, Okla. (Newcastle HS) 4 Amber Flores FLOOR-ez OF R/R 5-4 Fr. Calexico, Calif. (Southwest HS) 5 Lauren Eckermann RHP R/R 5-9 Jr.-Tr. Brenham, Texas (Temple JC) 7 Mariee Mena MAY-nah UTL L/R 5-5 Sr. Escondido, Calif. (Escondido HS) 8 Lindsey Vandever VAN-duh-ver C R/R 5-6 Fr. Davenport, Okla. (Davenport HS) 10 Samantha Ricketts 1B L/L 5-9 So. San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS) 11 D.J. Mathis LHP L/L 5-6 So. East Alton, Ill. (Roxana HS) 12 Savannah Long INF R/R 5-8 Jr. Midwest City, Okla. (Midwest City HS) 14 Morgan Hudsonpillar RHP R/R 5-11 So. Bartlesville, Okla. (Bartlesville HS) 15 Norrelle Dickson INF L/R 5-9 Sr. Orange, Calif. (El Modena HS) 18 Iver McDonald EYE-vur OF R/R 5-3 Fr. Houston, Texas (J. Frank Dobie HS) 21 Jade Prather PRAY-ther OF R/R 5-7 Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (PC North HS) 23 Susan Ogden C R/R 5-8 Jr. Sherman, Texas (Sherman HS) 24 Jeannie Douglas OF L/R 5-4 So. Stillwater, Okla. (Chandler HS) 30 Stacia Aleman Stay-sha al-lah-men UTL R/R 5-5 Sr. Oklahoma City, Okla. (Mustang HS) 43 Traci Dickenson INF R/R 5-4 So. Placentia, Calif. (El Dorado HS) 44 Jessica Legendre la-zhahn-dra INF R/R 5-7 So. Port Jefferson, N.Y. (Vandermeulen HS) 99 Amber Spaulding OF R/R 5-6 Sr. Fontana, Calif. (Etiwanda HS) 2 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

3 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 CAREER CLIMBERS Current Sooners who are making their way up the OU career records lists: AT BATS Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Kristin Vesely Lisa Carey Christy Ring Kelli Braitsch RUNS SCORED Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Christy Ring Kelli Braitsch Kristin Vesely Lisa Carey Christina Enea Erin Evans Jamie Fox 04-Present HITS Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Kristin Vesely Lisa Carey Christy Ring BATTING AVERAGE Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Samantha Ricketts 06-P Becky Burroughs Kristin Vesely Lisa Carey HOME RUNS Ashli Barrett Heather Scaglione Lisa Carey Kelli Braitsch Leah Gulla Jennifer Stump Jamie Fox 04-Present Lynette Velazquez Casey Dickson Samantha Ricketts 06-P WALKS DRAWN Casey Dickson Christy Ring Heather Scaglione Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Christina Enea Jennifer Stump Kelli Braitsch Jamie Fox 04-Present STOLEN BASES Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present Christy Ring LaKisha Washington ON-BASE PERCENTAGE Norrelle Dickson _ 04-Present.484 Samantha Ricketts 06-P Becky Burroughs Andrea Davis Christy Ring Kristin Vesely RBI Ashli Barret Christina Enea Samantha Ricketts 06-P Jamie Fox 04-Present Jennifer Stump SCOUTING DEPAUL The Norman Super Regional will be a match up between one of the country s top offensive teams in Oklahoma against one of the nation s best pitching staffs (DePaul). The Blue Demons have the luxury of having two of the top pitchers in the nation. DePaul enters the weekend with the sixth lowest ERA in the country while both of its pitchers ranked in the top 15 in lowest ERA in the country. Senior pitcher Tracie Adix enters the weekend match up with a 0.79 ERA and 154 strikeouts in innings pitched. The Big East Pitcher of the Year owns a 19-2 record with a loss to then-no. 24 UMass and then-no. 7 Northwestern. Adix, a first team all-region selection, is holding opponent batters to a.152 ERA and has thrown nine shutouts this season while only walking 21 in 33 appearances. Providing a good 1-2 punch in the circle is freshman Becca Heteniak, the Big East Rookie of the Year and first team all-region selection, who owns a 1.16 ERA and a 20-6 record. The freshman pitched the shutout against Missouri in the regional final and owns 173 strikeouts in innings. Appearing in 29 games this season, Heteniak is holding opponent batters to a.142 clip. Heteniak was the losing pitcher against the Sooners earlier this season but only gave up one earned run in OU 3-2 extra-innings win as the Sooners scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth on two errors. DePaul s offense enters with a team batting average of.277 with four Blue Demons hitting above.300. Sandy Vojik leads off the lineup and is one of the main power hitters on the team with 11 home runs and 31 RBI for a team-best.441 on-base percentage. Mary Wilus is also providing power in the lineup with a.316 batting average and a leads the team in home runs (12) and RBI (38). The Blue Demons have been one of the hottest teams in the country in the latter half of the season. Since losing to the Sooners on March 17, DePaul has only lost five times and tore through the Big East regular season with a 20-0 record. DePaul s lone postseason loss was to Notre Dame in the Big East semifinals. The Blue Demons have recorded six wins against top-25 teams, including three straight shutouts in the Carbondale Regional. SIX SOONERS NAMED ALL-MIDWEST REGION Oklahoma placed six players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest All-Region Team on May 16, including a teamleading five on the first team. Third baseman Norrelle Dickson, pitcher Lauren Eckermann, left fielder Amber Flores, designated player Susan Ogden and first baseman Samantha Ricketts highlighted the first team while second baseman Traci Dickenson represented OU on the second team. OU s five first team selections ties a school record for the most in one season as the 2000 National Championship squad also placed five on the first team. Dickson, also the Big 12 Player of the Year, became the first Sooner in history to be named to the All-Midwest Region first team all four years of her career. Ricketts, a sophomore, picked up her second straight first team honor. The awards add to an already long list from the season. Five Sooners were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Dickson captured Big 12 Player of the Year honors and Eckermann was named the Big 12 Co- Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, Dickson was one of 10 semifinalists for USA Softball National Player of the Year while Ricketts is one of three finalists for the award. All six Sooners are now eligible for All-America honors, which will be announced during the week of the Women s College World Series, May 31-June 6. RICKETTS ONE OF THREE POY FINALISTS The awards keep pouring in for OU sophomore Samantha Ricketts as the first baseman was named one of three finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year, the Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced Wednesday. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, in its sixth year, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by NCAA Division I collegiate softball players across the country. Ricketts joins fellow sophomore Kaitlin Cochran of Arizona State and senior pitcher Monica Abbott of Tennessee on the list. Ricketts is the first Sooner in history to ever be named a finalist (top 3) while two other Sooners (Norrelle Dickson in 2007 and Leah Gulla in 2003) have been named semifinalists (top 10). Dickson made the final cut of 10 in 2007 after making the list of 25 in ONE WIN AWAY FROM SINGLE SEASON RECORD Juco-transfer Lauren Eckermann led the junior college ranks in ERA last season and the junior hasn t missed a beat in Division I action this season. Eckermann tied the OU single season record for wins in a season (37) after defeating UMass in the regional final. Eckermann will be aiming to break Jennifer Stewart s 2001 single season win record when she enters the circle this weekend. To see where Eckermann ranks in OU single season records, check the left hand column on page six. RICKETTS SETS SINGLE SEASON RBI RECORD` Sophomore Samantha Ricketts entered the NCAA Tournament tied with Lisa Carey s 2000 mark for the OU and Big 12 single season record in RBI with 77. It didn t take long for Ricketts to break the seven-year record as her three-run game-winning homer in the opening game against Colgate made her the OU and Big 12 RBI single season leader. Ricketts is leading the nation with 1.33 RBI per game and 81 on the season. SOONERS WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP The Sooners claimed their third Big 12 Championship on May 12 as they defeated Texas Tech, 6-3, in the title game. Oklahoma, a No. 2 seed, knocked off Kansas (5-0) and No. 18 Missouri (7-1) on its way to the finals. The Sooners also played all three of their tournament games within a 24-hour span due to weather adjustments. It marked OU s third Big 12 Tournament trophy after winning the title in the inaugural year of the Big 12 (1996) and then again in The Sooners have collected five total Big 12 trophies, including the three postseason trophies as well as the two regular season in 1999 and ECKERMANN NAMED MVP OF BIG 12 TOURNEY Lauren Eckermann, the Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, took home MVP honors of the Big 12 Tournament after throwing all three games for the Sooners, except for 1/3 of an inning. Eckermann recorded a 0.68 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a.162 average with 18 strikeouts. Eckermann improved her record to 34-3 on the year after adding three wins in a day s span with a gutty performance. Earning all-tournament honors were freshman Lindsey Vandever, junior Savannah Long and senior Norrelle Dickson. Vandever caught fire in the tournament as the rookie compiled a.571 clip in three games with five RBI. Long led all Sooners with a.750 average in three games. NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 3

4 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG BIG 12 FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS SINCE THE START OF THE BIG 12 IN 1996, NO CONFERENCE SCHOOL EXCEEDS OU WITH... 1 National Championship 4 USA Elite Team Members 5 Women s College World Series Appearances 5 Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year 7 NCAA Regional Championships 24 All-Americans 47 All-Big 12 First Team Members 53 Player/Pitcher of the Week Honors 156 Big 12 Wins BIG 12 WEEKLY HONORS Players of the Week Date Player School 2/13 Megan Gibson Texas A&M 2/20 Ashley Monceaux Baylor 2/27 Mariee Mena*^ Oklahoma 3/6 Megan Gibson Texas A&M 3/13 Alex Colyer* Baylor 3/20 Samantha Ricketts^ Oklahoma Courtney Totte Oklahoma State 3/27 Norrelle Dickson* Oklahoma 4/3 Courtney Totte* Oklahoma State 4/10 Norrelle Dickson Oklahoma Brette Reagan Baylor 4/17 Alex Reynolds Texas A&M 4/24 Savannah Long^ Oklahoma 5/1 Jacqueline Williams Texas 5/8 Ashley Monceaux Baylor Pitchers of the Week Date Player School 2/13 Amanda Scarborough Texas A&M 2/20 Meagan Denny Texas 2/27 Megan Gibson Texas A&M 3/6 Lauren Eckermann Oklahoma 3/13 Lisa Ferguson^ Baylor 3/20 Lauren Eckermann Oklahoma 3/27 Lisa Ferguson Baylor 4/3 Molly Hill Nebraska 4/10 Lauren Eckermann Oklahoma 4/17 Ashley DeBuhr Nebraska 4/24 Amanda Scarborough Texas A&M 5/1 Meagan Denny Texas 5/8 Alyssa Ransom Iowa State *USA Softball National Player of the Week ^ NFCA National Player of the Week Conference Overall School W L T Pct. H A W L T Pct. H A N Last 5 Streak Baylor^ W3 OKLAHOMA* W1 Missouri L1 Texas A&M L2 Nebraska W1 Texas L1 Kansas L5 Texas Tech W3 Oklahoma State L6 Iowa State W2 ^ - Regular Season Champion * Big 12 Tournament Champions CAREER HITS LEADER Senior Norrelle Dickson made history against No. 10 Texas as she became the all-time hits leader at the University of Oklahoma. The third baseman did it in strong fashion as she went 5-for-5 against Texas (March 25) to pass Kristin Vesely s ( ) previous mark of 293. MAKING HISTORY... AGAIN The opening of Big 12 was very historical for Norrelle Dickson. In addition to becoming the all-time hits leader, the senior also took the title of runs scored leader at Oklahoma. Dickson became the all-time leader in runs scored against Texas Tech (March 22) as she passed Christy Ring s ( ) previous mark of 206. DICKSON BREAKS STOLEN BASE RECORD Senior Norrelle Dickson stole the 87th base of her career against Ohio State (Feb. 25) in Palm Springs. The theft broke the career stolen base record at OU that was previously held by Christy Ring ( ) with 86. Dickson leads the Sooners with 37-of-43 stolen bases on the season. DICKSON SETS BIG 12 SINGLE SEASON RECORD Scoring three runs against Kansas on April 29, senior Norrelle Dickson broke her own OU and Big 12 single season record for runs scored. The previous record was 66 runs in an entire season. DICKSON ALL OVER THE CHARTS Two-time All-American and 2007 Player of the Year finalist Norrelle Dickson has left her mark on the OU program and nowhere is it more noticeable than the career record book at Oklahoma. The senior owns the top career marks in stolen bases, on-base percentage, batting average, hits, runs and at bats. She has also moved to fifth in total bases. RICKETTS SHOWING UP ON CAREER CHARTS Despite only being a sophomore, first baseman Samantha Ricketts is beginning to climb To see where Ricketts ranks in OU single season and career records, check the left hand column on pages three and five up career charts. Ricketts is eighth on the all-time list with 27 home runs and eighth with 132 career RBI. Her career averages are also on pace to set records as she is second in career batting avg. (.391) and tied with Dickson for first in on-base percentage (.484) and leading the pack with a.694 slugging percentage. NOTABLE STEAKS 170 Consecutive games started by Norrelle Dickson 169 Consecutive weeks since the inception of the NFCA Poll that OU has been ranked in the top Consecutive games Fox hasn t commited an error 18 Consecutive games OU notched an extra-base hit until ending it against North Texas 14 Consecutive seasons of 40 or more wins 14 Consecutive trips to the NCAA postseason 14 Career-long hit streak by Dickson that ended at Missouri on April Consecutive games OU hit a home run this season until ending it against Oregon State (Feb.24) 11 Consecutive seasons with five or more All-Big 12 selections 10 Consecutive hits by Dickson in as many at bats which was one shy of the NCAA record (March 24-28) 10 Consecutive years that OU has won its opening game in an NCAA Regional DICKSON NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR Senior Norrelle Dickson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year this season and became the first Sooner to earn the honor since Kelli Braitsch in 2001 and the fifth Sooner in the 12-year history of the Big 12 Conference. The lefty slapper led the conference in batting for the second straight year with a.479 batting average, including an even better.484 average in Big 12 action. She led all Big 12 players in hits, runs and batting average in both overall games and conference only action. She already set the Big 12 single season record for runs scored with 68 scored so far this season. ECKERMANN SHARES CO-BIG 12 PITCHER OF THE YEAR Junior pitcher Lauren Eckermann also highlighted the individual conference awards as the juco-transfer was named Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, sharing the honor with Texas A&M s Amanda Scarborough. Eckermann becomes the first Sooner to ever win Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors since the award began in Eckermann has been a key component to the squad s success this season as the juco-transfer is third in the country with a 34-3 record while she also led the league in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, appearances and complete games in Big 12 action. She also led the conference in overall games with 11 shutouts. 4 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

5 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 CAREER CLIMBERS More current Sooners who are making their way up the OU career records lists: TOTAL BASES Lisa Carey Kelli Braitsch Heather Scaglione Kristin Vesely Norrelle Dickson 04-Present Leah Gulla Christy Ring Christina Enea Casey Dickson Ashli Barrett SLUGGING PERCENTAGE Samantha Ricketts 06-P Becky Burroughs Lynette Velazquez Andrea Davis Ashli Barrett Heather Scaglione Kelli Braitsch Leah Gulla Tammy Allard Jennifer Stump SINGLE SEASON OFFENSIVE MARKS A few Sooners are also making statements in the single season records at OU. Below is a look at where current Sooners stand in the single season lists: BATTING AVERAGE Norrelle Dickson Kristin Vesely Norrelle Dickson Kristin Vesely Becky Burroughs Kelli Braitsch Samantha Ricketts Cari Graves Lisa Carey Lisa Carey 2001 HOME RUNS Lynette Velazquez Lisa Carey Samantha Ricketts Casey Dickson Ashli Barrett Heather Scaglione Ashli Barrett Becky Burroughs Leah Gulla Andrea Davis Heather Scaglione 2005 RBI Samantha Ricketts Lisa Carey 2000 RUN SCORED Norrelle Dickson Norrelle Dickson Lisa Carey Christy Ring Kelli Braitsch Kristin Vesely 2005 SEVEN SOONERS NAMED ALL-BIG 12 The No. 2 Oklahoma softball team placed seven players on the All-Big 12 teams. Senior Norrelle Dickson, junior Lauren Eckermann, freshman Amber Flores, junior Susan Ogden and sophomore Samantha Ricketts highlighted the Coaches All-Big 12 first team while sophomore Traci Dickenson and senior Jamie Fox collected second team honors. The Sooners tied with Baylor, the Big 12 regular season champions, with the most first team selections and led all schools with seven total honorees. Oklahoma has placed at least five members on the All-Big 12 teams every year since the inception of the league in TOP FIVE IN NCAA The top five teams in scoring and batting average as reported by the NCAA (5/20) FOUR SOONERS EARN BIG 12 ACADEMIC HONORS The No. 2 Oklahoma softball team posted four Sooners on the Academic All-Big 12 teams. Leading the pack were first-team honorees Stacia Aleman, Norrelle Dickson and Jamie Fox. Rounding out the second team was Savannah Long. Aleman was recognized for her 4.0 GPA in the fall and was one of only four Big 12 softball players to record a perfect GPA. DICKSON, FOX NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT OU seniors Norrelle Dickson and Jamie Fox were named to ESPN The Magazine s Academic All-District VI Softball First Team released on May 10 by the College Sports Information Directors of America. They become only the second Sooner pair in OU history to earn all-district honors and first since Angie Holwell and Nicole Myers did it in OU s last Academic All-District selection was Erin Evans in /200/100 Recording her 100th stolen base of her career against Iowa State (April 4), Norrelle Dickson became the first player in OU and Big 12 history to record at least 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases in her career. Additionally, Dickson is one of only 12 players in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. Below is a look at the players Dickson joined in the record books after recording her 100th steal. Amber Jackson of Maryland joined the club after Dickson. Members of the Club (Compiled with help from the 2007 NCAA Softball Records Book) Nicole Barber, Georgia ( ) 379 hits, 266 runs, 257 SB Natasha Watley, UCLA ( ) 395 hits, 252 runs, 158 SB Kelly Krestchman, Alabama ( ) 368 hits, 288 runs, 133 SB Alison McCutcheon, Arizona ( ) 405 hits, 289 runs, 148 SB Amy Chellevold, Arizona ( ) 371 hits, 252 runs, 113 SB Lauren Bauer, Arizona ( ) 349 hits, 238 runs, 133 SB Shamalene Wilson, Florida St. ( ) 310 hits, 223 runs, 161 SB Tiff Tootle, South Carolina ( ) 351 hits, 207 runs, 114 SB Lindsay Schutzler, Tennessee (2004-P)* 354 hits, 236 runs, 118 SB Caitlin Lowe, Arizona (2004-Present)* 341 hits, 240 runs, 156 SB Norrelle Dickson, Oklahoma (2004-P) 326 hits, 234 runs, 110 SB Amber Jackson, Maryland (2004-P)* 349 hits, 264 runs, 113 SB * Stats as of May 22 SCORING (runs per game) 1. Alabama OKLAHOMA Howard NC A&T Hampton 6.59 BATTING AVERAGE 1. Alabama Bethune-Cookman OKLAHOMA Tennessee Howard.326 OFFENSE TO DEFENSE RATIO OU has scored 428 runs in 61 games, compared to 118 for its opponents. OU averages 7.02 runs per game while holding opponents to Additionally, 18 of OU s 61 games have been shortened to five or six innings by run rule. PROLIFIC OFFENSE The Sooners own one of the top offenses in the country and it became evident as the NCAA stats were released on May 20. Oklahoma is second in the country in runs scored per game and third in batting average while Samantha Ricketts is leading the country in RBI and Norrelle Dickson ranks in the top 10 in batting average and runs scored. A complete list of where the Sooners rank as a team and individually in every category is located on page seven. HOME RUN CENTRAL Head coach Patty Gasso added more power to the lineup this season and it has been evident as OU ranks 16th in the country with 1.15 home runs per game and 70 total homers. OU has recorded 23 more than its entire total last season. Samantha Ricketts is leading the way with a league-best 18 home runs. Additionally, OU has also recorded seven grand slams this season by Ricketts (four), Susan Ogden, Stacia Aleman and Traci Dickenson. CLOSING IN ON BIG 12 RECORDS In addition to Norrelle Dickson and Samantha Ricketts setting the Big 12 single season record in runs scored and RBI, respectively, the team as well as OU individuals are closing in on Big 12 single season records for overall games. Below is a look at the single season marks OU is chasing: BIG 12 SINGLE SEASON TEAM RECORDS OKLAHOMA RECORD.330 Batting Average.337 (Oklahoma-2001) 428 Runs Scored 459 (Oklahoma-2000).518 Slugging Percentage.545 (Missouri ) 227 Walks 237 (Oklahoma-2000) 372 RBI 431 (Oklahoma-2000) BIG 12 SINGLE SEASON INDIVIDUAL RECORDS INDIVIDUAL STAT RECORD Dickson.455 BA.492 (Kim Martinez, TTU-1997) Dickson 71 Runs Norrelle Dickson 2007 Dickson.553 OB%.531 (Ali Viola, NU-1998) Ricketts 18 HR 22 (Ali Viola, NU-1998) Ricketts 81 RBI Samantha Ricketts 2007 Ricketts 141 TB 173 (Lisa Carey OU-2000) Ricketts 37 BB 47 (Selena Collins, TAMU-2003) Eckermann 37 Wins 40 (Jenny Voss, NU-1998) Eckermann 46 App. 58 (Amanda Renfro, TTU-2001) Eckermann 31 CG 41 (Jenny Voss, NU-1998) Eckermann 39 GS 47 (Sarah Clopton, KU-1997) NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 5

6 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 SINGLE SEASON PITCHING MARKS Take a look at the OU single season records juco-transfer and Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Lauren Eckermann has already broken or is close to breaking. VICTORIES Lauren Eckermann Jennifer Stewart 2001 PITCHING APPEARANCES Kami Keiter Jill Most Jill Most Jennifer Stewart Kami Keiter Cheryl Jacobs Lauren Eckermann 2007 GAMES STARTED Cheryl Jacobs Kami Keiter Jennifer Stewart Jill Most Lauren Eckermann 2007 COMPLETE GAMES Cheryl Joacobs Jill Most Patti Graham Lauren Eckermann Kami Keiter 2003 INNINGS PITCHED Cheryl Jacobs Jill Most Kami Keiter Jennifer Stewart Cheryl Jacobs Lauren Eckermann 2007 STRIKEOUTS Jill Most Jill Most Kami Keiter Lauren Eckermann 2007 LUCKY NUMBER FIVE Oklahoma is one of the nation s best teams in runs scored as it averages 7.02 runs per game, but scoring five runs or more has been the answer for the Sooners. Oklahoma is 42-0 this season when scoring five or more runs. On the flip side of that, the Sooners are 52-2 when the pitching staff holds the opponent under five runs. CLUTCH HITTING Two of OU s and the Big 12 s top hitters, Norrelle Dickson and Samantha Ricketts, are also doing their best hitting in crucial times. Below is a look at the hitters averages in clutch situations: w/runners On Bases Loaded Dickson Ricketts Runners in Scoring Position 2-Out RBI Dickson (26 total) Ricketts (81 total) EXTRA BASES The Sooners had their streak of 18 straight games with an extrabase hit snapped against North Texas (March 1). The Sooners had recorded at least one extra-base hit in all 18 games prior to that. Oklahoma has notched an extra-base hit in 55 of its 61 games and has recorded more than one multiple-base hit on 43 different occasions this season. SOONERS VS. RANKED TEAMS The Sooners became the last team in the top-25 to end their perfect record against teams in the top-25 as No. 10 Texas beat the Sooners, 5-4, in 10 innings on March 25. However, Oklahoma still owns an impressive 11-2 record against top-25 opponents, meaning teams that were ranked in the top-25 when OU played them. NEVER LOSE TWO IN A ROW While Oklahoma only has six losses on the season, the Sooners have been resilient when dropping a game this season as they have not lost back-to-back games all season. Below is a look at what happened after each OU loss this season: Loss Next Tulsa (March 7) Won seven straight NC State (March 16) Won six straight #10 Texas (March 25) Won two straight #2 Texas A&M (April 1) Won four straight Missouri (April 15) Won six straight Kansas (April 29) Won seven straight RECORD PACE OU s offense has been scoring runs at a record-setting pace this season. The Sooners are averaging 7.02 runs per game, which over an entire season would set the OU school record. The 2000 National Championship squad averaged 6.2 runs per game. Below are the averages for the last five seasons: Year Runs Per Game EXTRA INNINGS The Sooners have played four extra-inning contests this season, three against top-25 opponents, and have been pretty successful with a 3-1 record in those games. The Sooners have won both extra-frames games at home (3-2 win over No. 7 Baylor in eight and a 3-2 win over Iowa State in 10). OU beat then-no. 21 DePaul in eight in a neutral spot (Palm Springs, Calif.) while dropping its lone extra-innings loss on the road, a 5-4 loss to No. 10 Texas in Austin in 10 innings. GASSO GRABS 600 & 800 MILESTONE Gasso won the 600th game of her Oklahoma coaching career on Feb. 25, 2007 in a 7-2 win over Ohio State in the Palm Springs Classic. The winningest coach in Big 12 history now owns a (.754) mark at OU since taking over the Sooner program in She added another notch to her resume on May 19, 2007, as OU s 2-0 defeat of UMass in the NCAA Regional marked the 800th victory of her coaching career which includes her time at Long Beach City College. NINE-HOLE STRENGTH Second baseman Traci Dickenson is making a case for the best nine-hole hitter in the country. The sophomore is second on the team with 14 home runs and 51 RBI behind clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts. Dickenson is also recording a.644 slugging percentage this season with a.295 batting average. Dickenson finished third in the conference with five home runs and fifth in the league with 15 RBI in Big 12 action. The sophomore is a two-sport athlete at Oklahoma as she also a defender on the soccer team in the fall. OGDEN TAKING OVER DP ROLE Last year s starting catcher, Susan Ogden, still remains an integral part of the Sooner lineup. The former catcher has taken over the designated player duties in the lineup and has done an impressive job. Ogden is third on the squad and with a.397 average that includes 36 RBI and a.532 slugging percentage. The junior has been a key fivehole hitter in the lineup as opponent batters don t want to walk RBI leader Samantha Ricketts because they have to face Ogden. This showed in OU s game against Nebraska as the Huskers walked Ricketts to load the bases and Ogden followed with a two-rbi double that would give OU the lead it would never lose. VANDEVER SETTLES IN Freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever has often drawn comparisons to former All-American OU catcher Heather Scaglione. The rookie has taken over the starting role in the lineup. Vandever has shown her all-around talent since entering the starting lineup as she has 23 RBI and five home runs on the year and has thrown out 15 base runners in 29 attempts. Vandever is having a strong postseason. The freshman was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team and hit.333 for the Sooners in the Amherst Regional. The rookie catcher started every Big 12 game this season and the Sooners led the league with the least amount of bases stolen on them. Big 12 foes only attempted 16 steals and were successful on seven of them. 6 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

7 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 NCAA STATS The NCAA stats were released on Monday, May 20. Below is a look at where the Sooners rank in team and individual categories: OU in NCAA Team Rankings (As of 5/20/07) Stat Rank Scoring (runs per game) nd Batting Average.330 3rd WL Percentage.902 2nd Slugging Percentage.518 5th Fielding Percentage th Home Runs (per game) th ERA th Stolen Bases (per game) rd OU Individual Rankings (As of 5/20/07) Norrelle Dickson Stat Rank Batting Average.445 7th Runs (per game) th Stolen Bases (per game) th Hit by pitch (per game) th Samantha Ricketts Stat Rank RBI (per game) st Slugging Percentage th Home Runs (per game) th Batting Average th Lauren Eckermann Stat Rank Victories rd ERA th Savannah Long Stat Rank Hit By Pitch th RICKETTS NEARING SINGLE SEASON BESTS Clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts is on pace to break a few OU single season records in Below is a look at where Ricketts stands currently and what the OU single season record is: Current Record Home Runs RBI Slugging % Walks Drawn On-Base % ANOTHER 40-WIN SEASON For the 14th straight year, including the last 13 under head coach Patty Gasso, the Sooners have recorded a 40-win season. OU s win against Iowa State (4/6) marked the 40th win of the season and OU now owns 15 more wins than the 2006 squad did all of last season. BEST START EVER Oklahoma made history with its 23-0 start to the 2007 season. No other Sooner squad in OU history has recorded a better mark. The previous best was a 12-0 start by both the 2001 and 2002 squads. HOME IS WHERE THE W IS Oklahoma recorded a 27-1 mark at home this season with its lone loss coming to No. 2 Texas A&M. Prior to the loss against the Aggies, the Sooners owned a 25-game home winning streak before having it snapped on April 1. The streak dated back to April 19, 2006 when OU beat Tulsa. It also marked the longest home winning stretch for the Sooners since the 28-game home win streak that ended on April 17, That win streak was also ended by then-no. 7 Texas A&M. OU has won 32 of its last 33 home contests. PERFECT IN FEBRUARY Head coach Patty Gasso has recorded her first perfect February. The Sooners went 18-0 in the month of February, marking the first time in OU school history an Oklahoma squad has done that. LAST ONE LEFT OU hurler Lauren Eckermann and Alabama hurler Chrissy Owens were the last pitchers left in Division I with 10 or more wins and a perfect record. However, both dropped their first loss of the season on Sunday, March 25. Eckermann (21-1) suffered her first loss of the season to No. 10 Texas and Owens (16-1) dropped her first loss to No. 9 LSU. Eckermann s winning percentage ranks third in the country with a 37-3 mark. BIG 12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK The Sooners led all Big 12 schools with eight Big 12 weekly honors. Oklahoma headlined the Player of the Week column with five this season in Mena, Ricketts, Long and Dickson (twice). Additionally, pitcher Lauren Eckermann is the lone conference pitcher to collect the honor three times this year. The Sooners haven t had the same pitcher earn the honor twice in a season since the National Championship year, 2000, when Jennifer Stewart was honored twice. THREE NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK The Sooners have set a school record this year with four National Players of the Week. Mariee Mena collected both NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week while Samantha Ricketts was honored by USA Softball and Norrelle Dickson and Savannah Long picked up NFCA honors. OU has never had more than one player win it in a year, let alone four. Prior to this season the last Sooner to earn national recognition was Jessica Leslie (2005). COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORIES Oklahoma owns a 55-6 record, but not all the wins came easy. The Sooners have had to record some come-from-behind wins this season. The Sooners have trailed after four innings on 11 different occasions and have come back to win six of them. Additionally, OU has been tied after four innings six different times and went on to win all of them, except for a 10-inning contest against No. 10 Texas. In OU s season opener against then-no. 16 Louisville, the Sooners scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to win, 9-5. Against Minnesota, OU scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to win 6-5. OU recorded a victory against No. 6 Oregon State as the Sooners produced four runs in the top of the seventh to best the Beavers, 4-1. Oklahoma also used a Ricketts solo home run in the bottom of the sixth against No. 21 DePaul to send it to extra-innings where OU won, 3-2. OU s latest come back was against No. 2 Texas A&M as the Sooners trailed, 2-0, heading into the bottom of the fifth and scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to come back and win. Savannah Long provided the latest heroics as her two-run walkoff homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave OU the 10-9 win against Nebraska on April 22. The Sooners trailed 9-8 as Long stepped to the plate and delivered the crushing blow on the first pitch in her at bat. THREE NO-HITTERS IN ONE WEEK The Oklahoma pitching staff was on a four-year drought of throwing no-hitters until D. J. Mathis and Lauren Eckermann combined for three no-hitters March 28-March 4. The last no-no prior to that was thrown by Kami Keiter against Tulsa on April 22, Junior Lauren Eckermann became the first Sooner to pitch a no-hitter in back-to-back starts as she held Temple hitless on March 3 and was one error away from throwing a perfect game against Wichita State (March 4) in the Sunday finale of the tournament. Additionally, Eckermann and Mathis became the first Sooner pair to throw three no-hitters in one week. Mathis pitched her first collegiate no-hitter March 28 against Arkansas and was one walk away from a perfect game. NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 7

8 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 TEAM RECORDS OU s offense has gotten off to a torrid pace this season. Below is a list of the single game records it has broken: or tied: TEAM Runs New Record 21 3/4/07 vs. Temple Old Record 19 3/11/06 vs. Utah INDIVIDUAL Hits Most hits 5 4/10/92 Cari Graves vs. Georgia St. 5 3/25/07 Norrelle Dickson vs. #10 Texas Most Homers 2 27 different times 2 3/18/07 Sam Ricketts vs. #5 Arizona 2 4/6/07 Traci Dickenson vs. Iowa St. 2 4/21/07 Savannah Long vs. Nebraska PROJECTIONS OU s offense has already passed its 2006 total in some areas and is projected to close in on others while making a run at a few single season records, below are the numbers: Stat Record Avg Slugging % Runs Hits B B HR RBI SB Fielding % RADIO BROADCAST SCHEDULE Central Arkansas March 28 KOKC Texas A&M March 31 Yahoo! Texas A&M April 1 KOKC Oklahoma State April 4 KOKC Baylor April 18 KOKC Nebraska April 21 Yahoo! Nebraska April 22 KOKC Oklahoma State April 25 KOKC Oklahoma City May 3 KOKC TELEVISION Texas A&M March 31 ESPN2 Oklahoma State April 4 KAUT (local) Missouri May 12 FOXSW Texas Tech May 12 FOXSW DePaul May 26 ESPN DePaul May 27 ESPN BIG 12 COMMISSIONER S HONOR ROLL Nine members of the OU softball team were named to the 2006 Fall Big 12 Commissioner s Honor Roll. Senior Stacia Aleman led the way with a perfect 4.0 GPA in Health and Exercise Science. Also making the list were Traci Dickenson, Norrelle Dickson, Jeannie Douglas, Lauren Eckermann, Jamie Fox, Savannah Long, Jade Prather and Jadyn Smith. Student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA for the semester to qualify for the list. ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS OU placed three Sooners on the all-tournament team at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in its opening weekend of the season. Lauren Eckermann highlighted the trio with her MVP honors. The junior transfer was exceptional in her first weekend with the Sooners as she posted a 4-0 record and a 0.60 ERA in 23.1 innings of work. Additionally, sophomores Traci Dickenson and Samantha Ricketts were named to the all-tourney team after their performances at the plate. LONG PICKS UP BIG 12, NATIONAL HONORS Junior Savannah Long picked up her first Big 12 and National Player of the Week honor after hitting.385 for the week (April 16-22) with three home runs and five RBIs in sweeps of No. 8 Baylor and Nebraska. Long also recorded the game-winner against Nebraska as her two-run shot with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave OU the 10-9 win and marked her second homer of the game. ECKERMANN, DICKSON HONORED BY BIG 12 For the second time this season, Oklahoma earned the Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Week honor in the same week. Norrelle Dickson and Lauren Eckermann earned the honor for the week of April 2-8. It marked the second honor this year for Dickson and the third of the year for Eckermann. Dickson hit.600 for the week with two RBI while Eckermann notched a perfect 0.00 ERA with two shutouts while also recording three Big 12 wins for the week. ANOTHER NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK The Sooners swept Big 12 Player and Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of March and also collected National Player of the Week honors. Samantha Ricketts picked up Big 12 and National Player of the Week after recording a. 471 batting average last weekend to lead OU to their second Judi Garman Classic title. The San Jose, Calif. native posted two home runs, including one grand slam in the championship game against No. 5 Arizona. Lauren Eckermann posted a perfect 4-0 record on the week, including a victory over No. 5 Arizona and a no-hitter against Northridge, her third of the season. Ricketts and Eckermann became the first OU pair to nab both Big 12 honors in the same week since Nicole Denes and Heather Scaglione did it in 2004 MENA NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK Senior Mariee Mena was recognized by USA Softball as the National Player of the Week for her play Feb The Escondido, Calif., native produced a.692 batting average over the Palm Springs weekend with eight RBI, including a double and two home runs. It marks the first National Player of the Week honor for Mena and was the first for the Sooners since 2005 when Jessica Leslie was selected for the honor. DICKSON NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK Senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson picked up her first USA Softball National Player of the Week honor in her career after hitting.750 (12-for-16) March against Texas Tech and No. 10 Texas. The two-time All-American went 7-for-7 in the two games against Texas. WINNING STREAK ENDS Oklahoma s 23-game winning streak came to an end against Tulsa on March 7. It tied with the 2001 squad for the secondlongest in school history behind the 2005 team that produced a 29-game winning streak. It marked the best start in school history and the 16th winning streak under head coach Patty Gasso of 10 or more games. WINNING STREAK DETAILS OU recorded the best start in school history by winning 23 consecutive games from Feb. 9 to March 7. Below are the details: It marked the second-longest streak in school history. OU s streak began with a 9-5 come-from-behind win over then-no. 16 Louisville on Feb. 9 and ended with a 2-0 loss to Tulsa. OU outscored its opponents during the stretch The offense hit.364 with 26 home runs and 182 RBI. Eight regulars hit above.300 with four (Dickson, Mena, Ogden and Flores) of those topping.400. OU scored 10 or more runs on 10 different occasions and run-ruled its opponents 11 times. The pitching staff had a combined ERA of 1.31 ERA and Mathis and Eckermann combined for three no-hitters in one week. LARGEST WINNING STREAKS The Sooners shared the second-longest winning streak in school history with the 2001 team. The 2005 squad set the record with a 29-game win streak. Below is the list of win streaks under Gasso: # Year Dates Feb. 11-March Feb. 9-March April 1-May May 19-Feb Feb. 23-March March 16-April Feb. 8-Feb Feb. 9-Feb Feb. 23-March March 1-March March 20-April Feb. 11-Feb March 25-April April 14-May Feb. 13-Feb April 23-May April 4-April 16 8 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 GASSO AND THE BIG 12 ERA ENTERING THE 2007 SEASON BIG 12 WINNING % 1. OKLAHOMA.751 2. Nebraska.709 3. Texas.

9 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 GASSO AND THE BIG 12 ERA ENTERING THE 2007 SEASON BIG 12 WINNING % 1. OKLAHOMA Nebraska Texas Texas A&M Missouri.508 ACTIVE NCAA STREAKS IN BIG OKLAHOMA 11 Nebraska Texas A&M 5 4. Texas 4 5. Baylor 3 Missouri 2 Three-Time Big 12 Coach of the Year Winningest Coach in Big 12 History A pioneer and legend after 12 years. Better believe it. Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso has blazed the trail for the Big 12, which has quickly gained national softball respect in just 11 years of existence. No person has been more responsible for the conference s rise in prominence than the winningest coach in its history. With five trips to the Women s College World Series in the last seven years, OU has not only earned respect but validated an entire conference. Her work at OU has done more than just net gains for her employers and the league. The Midwest was a dormant recruiting area when she arrived in Presently, the Midwest and South (especially Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Florida) rank a very close second to California. BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON TITLES 1. OKLAHOMA 3 (96, 99, 2000) Nebraska 3 (98, 01, 04) Texas 3 (02, 03, 06) 4. Misosuri 1 (1997) Texas A&M 1 (2005) ALL-AMERICANS 1. OKLAHOMA Nebraska 12 Texas Missouri 6 Texas A&M 6 Missouri 6 ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM SELECTIONS 1. OKLAHOMA Nebraska Oklahoma State Texas Texas A&M 20 All that without even mentioning her accomplishments. In 2003, Oklahoma was named the fifth best program alltime by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Go back to 1994, before Gasso arrived in Norman, and it s a guarantee that OU doesn t even sniff the top 25. During her tenure, the Sooners have reached the postseason every year. They have claimed five Regional Championships, made five WCWS appearances and claimed one national championship. Not many coaches around the land can claim those credentials. Then again, if you tally the combined accomplishments of many conferences, they can t either. So what s next? It would be a mistake to say more of the same. This program has risen dramatically for 12 years and Gasso doesn t intend to slow the pace one bit. Titles like Coaching Legend and Best Coach In Big 12 History are usually reserved for retired leaders. In Gasso s case, there is no need to wait, she has already earned both titles. The Gasso File Personal Birth Date: January 19, 1965 Hometown: Torrance, Calif. Children: sons JT (18) and DJ (12) Husband: Jim Gasso High School: Bishop Montgomery (Calif.) College: Long Beach State, 1984 (B.A., 1984) Playing Experience Long Beach State University Coaching Experience 1995-Present: Head Coach, University of Oklahoma : Head Coach, Long Beach City College Career Record: (.742) ALL-MIDWEST REGION SELECTIONS 1. Nebraska OKLAHOMA Baylor Texas Oklahoma State 21 GASSO S YEAR-BY-YEAR AT OKLAHOMA Overall Conference--- Year W L Pct. W L Pct. Finish NCAA Regional Final st Big 12/NCAA Regional Final NCAA Regional NCAA Regional Final st Big 12/NCAA Regional Final st Big 12/NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Big 12 Tourney Champs/WCWS WCWS WCWS WCWS NCAA Super Regional NCAA Regional Final 12 years CAREER ACCOLADES -Three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year -Five-time All-Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year -NFCA 700-Win Club Inductee to Long Beach City -Member of Inaugural Class of Long Beach City Baseball & Softball Hall of Fame (2004) NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 9

10 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG QUICK FACTS School University of Oklahoma City Norman, Okla. Zip Code Founded 1890 Enrollment 31,400 Nickname Sooners School Colors Crimson & Cream Home Field OU Softball Complex - Marita Hynes Field Capacity 1,000 Affiliation NCAA Division I Conference Big 12 President David L. Boren (Yale, 63) Athletics Director Joe Castiglione (Maryland, 79) Ticket Office (800) 456-GoOU HISTORY First Year of Softball 1975 All-Time Record 1, (.637) All-Time Big 12 Record (.751) NCAA Tournament Appearances 13 (1994, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06) Regional Titles Five (2000, 01, 02, 03, 04) WCWS Appearances Five (2000, 01, 02, 03, 04) National Titles One (2000) MEDIA RELATIONS Softball Contact Jessica Summers Office Phone (405) Media Relations Main (405) Cell Phone (405) Press Box Phone (405) Fax (405) jlsummers@ou.edu COACHING STAFF Head Coach Patty Gasso Alma Mater, Yr. Long Beach State, 84 Years Coaching 16 Career Record (Pct.) (.742) Years at OU 2007 is 13th season Record at OU (Pct.) (.741) Assistant Coach Melyssa Lombardi Assistant Coach Howard Dobson Director of Opperations Kaycee Clark Softball Office Phone (405) TEAM INFORMATION 2006 Overall Record (.653) 2006 Big 12 Record 8-10 (.444) 2006 Big 12 Regular Season Fifth 2005 Postseason Big 12 Tournament Runner-Up, NCAA Regional Final 2006 Ranking No. 17 Letterwinners Returning/Lost 15/3 Starters Returning/Lost 8/1 MEDIA INFORMATION Athletics Web Site SoonerSports.com Local Newspapers: Norman Transcript normantranscript.com The Oklahoman oklahoman.com Tulsa World tulsaworld.com GASSO INKS SIX FOR 2008 The Oklahoma softball program continued its success on the recruiting trail and signed five athletes to National Letters of Intent last November during the early signing period. Joining the Sooners in the fall of 2007 will be Haley Anderson (Edmond, Okla.), Dani Dobbs (Moore, Okla.), Krystle Huey (Garland, Texas), Chana e Jones (San Jose, Calif.), Katelyn Rouppet (Stockton, Calif.) and Wendy Trott (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Haley Anderson UTL 5-2 R/R Edmond, Okla. Edmond Santa Fe High School Four-year starter at Edmond Santa Fe High School... Honored by the Edmond Sun as the 2006 Edmond Player of the Year... Named Big-All City Player of the Year as a senior... Honored as an All-State selection in Selected as the conference MVP during senior season... Earned MVP honors at Santa Fe HS as a junior and a senior... Led Santa Fe Wolves to a runner-up finish in the 2006 State Tournament... Recorded a.515 batting average with nine home runs, nine triples and 18 doubles during senior campaign... Played summer ball for the Oklahoma Ultimate Gold under head coaches Allen Marcum and Ken Richardson. Dani Dobbs 3B 5-4 R/R Moore, Okla. Moore High School Two-time all-district selection as a junior and senior Named the Gatorade Oklahoma Softball Player of the Year in 2005 Two-time all-conference selection Honored as an All-State selection in 2006 Earned All-Big City Player of the Year as junior after leading Moore High School to the 6A state title Hit.857 and went 12-for-14 at the plate during the 2005 Regionals Led the Lions to four straight conference championships and three regional championships Played summer ball for the Oklahoma Babes under head coach Steve Bachman Guided the Babes to a top 10 finish at Gold Nationals in Krystle Huey UTL 5-1 L/R Garland, Texas Garland High School A three-year letterwinner at Garland High School under head coach Cindy Mosteller Holds single-season records at Garland for hits (62) and runs scored (48) and is tied for triples (eight) Selected to the 2006 EA Sports All-American Team Named to the Texas Sports Writers Association All-State Team as a junior Named to the 2006 NFCA All South Central Region second team Led Garland to the 2006 state title where she also earned all-tournament honors During 2006 season Garland was ranked third in the nation and first in the state of Texas Named the team s Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 Led Garland to four consecutive district titles Guided Garland to the 2005 state championship game where it finished runner-up Played summer ball for the Texas Glory Gold under head coach Dan Adkins. Chana e Jones INF 5-6 L/R San Jose, Calif. Valley Christian High School Named Mercury News Athlete of the Year as a junior and a sophomore Two-time All-State selection as a sophomore and a junior Owned team-best.457 batting average during junior campaign Named the team s MVP in 2006 Two-time first team All-Mercury News honoree All-league WCAL second team selection as a junior Led Valley Christian to a second place finish in the Central Coast Section Final in 2006 First team all-league selection as a freshman and sophomore Honored as Christian Valley s Athlete of the Year as a sophomore Named the squad s Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman and a sophomore Played summer ball for the San Jose Sting (2002-present) under head coach Bob Perales, who also was the high school assistant coach One of the top hitters on the team with a.444 batting average last summer as the starting shortstop. Katelyn Rouppet 3B/SS 5-5 R/R Stockton, Calif. A.A. Stagg High School A three-year letter winner at A.A. Stagg High School under head coach Paul Sporleader Led squad to most league wins (nine) in school history in 2005 Earned a varsity spot as a freshman in 2004 and led the entire team in every offensive category Named an SJAA Honorable Mention selection in 2005 Also received the team s Coaches Award in 2005 Played summer ball for the San Jose Sting under head coach Bob Perales with fellow class member Chana e Jones Recorded a.397 batting average and 10 home runs with the Sting last summer Led the Sting to a ninth place finish at ASA A Nationals as she recorded a.345 batting average and 10 home runs that season In 2004 she led the Sting to a fifth place finish at ASA A Nationals and hit.303 with four home runs that season A multi sport athlete who also lettered in basketball, soccer and tennis A starter on both the basketball and soccer team and a T-CAL consolation finalist during 2006 fall tennis season where she compiled a 10-5 record Named to the Honor Roll the last thee consecutive years. Wendy Trott 1B 5-11 L/L Fountain Valley, Calif. Fountain Valley High School A three-year lettterwinner at Fountain Valley High School under head coach Carry Baker Set to play senior season this spring Two-time second team all-league as a junior and sophomore Named a first team all-league honoree as a freshman Honored as the squad s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior Played summer ball for the Gold Worth Firecrackers under head coach Tony Rice Led the Firecrackers to a second-place finish at the 2006 Gold National Championships Also a 2005 letterwinner in golf Member of the Principle s Honor Roll. Nominated for the Coronet, the most prestigious award at Fountain Valley High School that honors athletics and academics. 10 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

11 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 11

.. Selected as OU s representative on the Big 12 Spring Sports Good Works Team... Led the team in Amherst Regional with a.429 batting average... Hit ninth home run of the year against No.

12 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #1 JAMIE FOX OUTFIELD R/R 5-9 SENIOR LAFAYETTE, LA. ACADIANA HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Second team All-Big Academic All-District first team... Academic All-Big 12 first team selection... Selected as OU s representative on the Big 12 Spring Sports Good Works Team... Led the team in Amherst Regional with a.429 batting average... Hit ninth home run of the year against No. 18 Missouri in Big 12 Tournament (5/12)... Returned to starting lineup this season healthy after having surgery on shoulder in the offseason... Recorded two doubles and a three-run homer against Kansas (4/29)... Hit solo home run against Oklahoma State marking her second in the series (4/25)... Notched key two-rbi double in OU s 5-1 win over Nebraska (4/22)... Recorded walk-off solo home run against Oklahoma State to end the game in an 8-0 run rule in the bottom of the fifth (4/4)... Hit.571 with three RBI in series against No. 2 Texas A&M... Recorded two-out two RBI single against No. 2 Texas A&M that led to OU s 4-2 victory... Led the team to a 4-0 record after notching a.400 clip with five RBI in the OU/Residence Inn Invitational... Pounded two hits and two RBI in OU s 11-3 run rule of Cal... Hit third home run of the season against Tulsa (2/20)... Unstoppable in the OU/Nike Classic where she pounded two home runs and 11 RBI for a.500 batting average in five games... Pounded a key two RBI single to tie up the game in OU s come-from-behind win over Minnesota (2/17)... Hit a key RBI single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of OU s come-from-behind victory over No. 16 Louisville (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 01, 2007 North Texas Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three (three times) last vs. Northwestern La. St. Feb. 18, 2007 Hits Four (twice) last vs. Missouri May 15, 2004 Doubles Two (twice) last vs. Kansas April 29, 2007 Total Bases Nine vs. Indiana Feb. 17, 2006 RBI Five vs. Indiana Feb. 17, 2006 Stolen Bases One (21 times) last vs. UMASS Mat 19, 2006 Walks Three Northwestern La. St. Feb. 18, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. Earned first save of the year in tournament championship against Illinois State after pitching the final out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh.

13 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #2 JADYN SMITH PITCHER R/R 5-8 JUNIOR NEWCASTLE, OKLA. NEWCASTLE HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Recorded first win of the year after replacing Eckermann in the final 3.2 innings against Minnesota where she held the Gophers hitless (2/17)... Earned first save of the year in tournament championship against Illinois State after pitching the final out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh... Saw first action of the season against Florida International as she pitched the final two outs in OU s run-rule win over Florida International (2/10). GAME BY GAME #2 Smith, Jadyn - 8 appearances (All games) Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Strikeouts Four vs. UTEP March 13, 2005 Hits Allowed Zero* vs. Minnesota Feb. 17, 2007 Innings Pitched 5.1 vs. UTEP March 13, 2005 Walks Allowed 0 (three times)* last vs. Iowa State March 25, 2005 *Must pitch at least three innings CAREER STATS ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BF B/AVG WP HBP SFA SHA / / / TOTAL / NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 13

OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #7 MARIEE MENA OUTFIELD R/R 5-5 SENIOR ESCONDIDO, CALIF. ESCONDIDO HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Moved to the No.

.. Added two RBI in OU s 9-2 win over North Texas (4/11)... Notched two hits in OU s close 3-2 win over Iowa State (4/6)... Produced key RBI single in OU s 4-2 win over No. 2 Texas A&M (3/31).

14 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #7 MARIEE MENA OUTFIELD R/R 5-5 SENIOR ESCONDIDO, CALIF. ESCONDIDO HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Moved to the No. 2 spot in the lineup halfway through the season... Sparked offense with a hit in each game of the Amherst Regional... Went 2-for-4 in OU s 8-3 win over Missouri (4/15)... Added two RBI in OU s 9-2 win over North Texas (4/11)... Notched two hits in OU s close 3-2 win over Iowa State (4/6)... Produced key RBI single in OU s 4-2 win over No. 2 Texas A&M (3/31)... Added two hits and an RBI in OU s 7-3 route of Central Arkansas (3/28)... Went 2-for-3 in OU s 7-0 shut out over No. 10 Texas (3/24)... Recorded a.571 batting average in the OU/Worth Tournament... Had career-long eight game hit streak snapped against Arkansas (2/28)... Swept National Player of the Week honors for the week of Feb after hitting.692 with eight RBI on a slugging percentage in Palm Springs...Hit third home run of the year against Ohio State in Palm Springs Classic and also produced three RBI in the contest (2/25)... Ignited OU s come-from-behind win against then-no. 6 Oregon State with an RBI in the top of the seventh (2/24)... Added two RBI in OU s run-rule route of then-no. 16 Cal (2/24)... Addd a double and home run in OU s win over Notre Dame in the Palm Springs opener (2/23)... Hit.500 in OU/Nike Classic... Pounded first home run of the season against Northwestern Louisiana State in finale of OU/Nike Classic (2/18). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three vs. Northwestern La. St. Feb. 18, 2007 Hits Three (four times) last vs. Iowa State April 23, 2006 Doubles Two vs. Centenary March 14, 2004 Total Bases Six vs. Northwestern La. St. Feb. 18, 2007 RBI Four last vs. Texas A&M May 11, 2006 Stolen Bases One (11 times) last vs. UMASS May 20, 2007 Walks Two (three times) last vs. Arkansas Feb. 28, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. The Big 12 leader in home runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage... Broke Big 12 and OU RBI single season record with game-winning three-run homer against Colgate (5/18)... Hit.

15 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #10 SAMANTHA RICKETTS 1B L/L 5-9 SOPHOMORE SAN JOSE, CALIF. ARCHBISHOP MITTY HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist (top 3)... Invited to USA National Team Selection Camp... All-Midwest Region first team... All-Big 12 first team... The Big 12 leader in home runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage... Broke Big 12 and OU RBI single season record with game-winning three-run homer against Colgate (5/18)... Hit.400 in Big 12 Tournament... Pounded 17th home run of the season against Kansas to tie OU and Big 12 RBI single season record of 77 (4/29)... Had key RBI in OU s 2-1 win over Oklahoma State (4/25)... Recorded fourth grand slam of the year against Nebraska (4/21)... Hit game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth to beat No. 7 Baylor, Led team with career-high four hits and four RBI against North Texas (4/11)... Went 6-for-6, including a home run, in two-game series against Iowa State (4/6)... Named Big 12 Player of the Week and NFCA National Player of the Week for March for leading the Sooners to the Judi Garman Classic title after hitting.471 with four home runs and a double in the tournament... Hit two home runs, including third grand slam of the year, in championship game against No. 5 Arizona (3/18)... Led team with six RBI in OU Worth Invitational... Added six RBI at the OU Residence Inn Invitational... Led OU to five straight wins in the Palm Springs Classic after hitting.538 and adding 11 RBI over the weekend...recorded then-career-high seven total bases against Loyola Marymount that included a home run and a double (2/23)... Added four RBI in OU s win over Notre Dame in Palm Springs (2/23)... Pounded third home run of the season against Tulsa (2/20)... Opened the OU/Nike Classic with a grand slam against Birmingham-Southern and six RBI (2/16)... Collected alltournament honors at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic after leading the Sooners with a.462 batting average and recording three RBI. GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Four vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Hits Four vs. North Texas April 11, 2007 Doubles Two last vs. OCU March 2, 2006 Total Bases 10 vs. Arizona March 18, 2007 RBI Six vs. Arizona March 18, 2007 Walks Three (two times) last vs. Oklahoma State May 11, 2006 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

7 Baylor after coming in for relief in the final five innings and only giving up one run (4/18).

16 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #11 DJ MATHIS PITCHER L/L 5-6 SOPHOMORE EAST ALTON, ILL. ROXANA HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Recorded second straight win in relief after pitching the final 3.2 innings against Nebraska and only allowing three hits (4/21)... Picked up 11th win against No. 7 Baylor after coming in for relief in the final five innings and only giving up one run (4/18)... Came in for relief of Morgan Hudsonpillar and didn t give up a hit in her four innings of work to pick up 10th victory of the season against Central Arkansas (3/28)... Picked up ninth victory with 7-3 victory over Texas Tech (3/22)... Recorded eighth win of the year with six-hit shut out over No. 5 Arizona in Judi Garman Classic title game (3/18)... Set career high with nine strikeouts against Centenary, the most by an Sooner so far this season (3/9)... Threw shut out against Wichita State (3/3)... Pitched no-hitter against Arkansas in OU s, 14-0 run rule victory and was one walk away from a perfect game (2/28)... It marked the first Sooner no-hitter since April 22, 2003 when Kami Keiter did it against Tulsa... Posted a 1.37 ERA and a 2-0 record in Palm Springs... Pitched complete game in Ohio State win and only surrendered four hits (2/25)... Had one of her best outings of the season against then-no. 6 Oregon State as she only gave up one run on five hits to the Beavers in the seven-inning contest (2/24)... Recorded second win against Northwestern Louisiana State after throwing 4.2 shut out innings before being relieved for the final out of the game... Earned first win of the season against Florida International after holding the Golden Panthers to only two hits and one run while striking out six in 4.1 innings of work (2/10). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS PITCHING Innings Pitched 8.1 vs. Michigan March 20, 2006 Strikeouts Nine vs. Centenary March 9, 2007 Hits Allowed Zero^ vs. Arkansas Feb. 28, 2007 HITTING Hits One vs. Utah Valley State March 11, 2006 RBI Three vs. Utah Valley State March 11, 2006 *Must pitch at least three innings ^Must be a complete game CAREER STATS ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BF B/AVG WP HBP SFA SHA / / TOTAL / NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 16

.. Flame-throwing infielder has returned to shortstop position... One of only two Sooners to get a hit against Kansas in OU s 2-0 loss (4/28).

17 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #12 SAVANNAH LONG SS R/R 5-8 JUNIOR MIDWEST CITY, OKLA. MIDWEST CITY HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES All-Big 12 Tournament Team... Academic All-Big 12 second team... Named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team after hitting.750 in the tournament... Flame-throwing infielder has returned to shortstop position... One of only two Sooners to get a hit against Kansas in OU s 2-0 loss (4/28)... Hit two home runs against Nebraska, including a walk-off two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give OU the 10-9 win (4/21)... Broke out of five-game hitting slump with game-tying two-run homer against No. 7 Baylor (4/18)... Led team with two RBI against Oklahoma State (4/4)... Recorded third double of the season in OU s 7-3 win over Texas Tech (3/22)... Hit.300 in OU Worth Invitational with four RBI that included a triple and a home run... Pounded her first triple of the year against UMKC (3/10)... Added second home run of the year in OU s 11-1 run rule of Centenary (3/10)... Only Sooner with an RBI against North Texas, she had two on an RBI single (3/1)... Pounded first home run of the year in the first game of the twin bill against Arkansas (2/28)... Recorded two RBI in the Sooners run-rule victory over Loyola Marymount (2/23)... Hit.500 in the OU/Nike Classic... Recorded team-best two hits against Illinois (2/10)... Pounded a two RBI single against Illinois State (2/9)... Opened season with RBI against No. 16 Louisville (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Two (13 times) last vs. Nebraska Apr. 21, 2007 Hits Three (twice) vs. Kent State May 20, 2006 Doubles Two vs. Texas Tech March 28, 2006 Triples One (three times) last vs. UMKC March 10, 2007 RBI Four (three times) last vs. Kent State May 20, 2006 Stolen Bases One (15 times) last vs. Kansas May 21, 2007 Walks Three vs. Oklahoma State May 11, 2006 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #14 MORGAN HUDSONPILLAR PITCHER R/R 5-11 SOPHOMORE BARTLESVILLE, OKLA.

.. Earned fourth win of the year and threw the combined shutout with Jadyn Smith in OU s run-rule win over Temple where she only gave up two hits in three complete innings (3/4).

18 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #14 MORGAN HUDSONPILLAR PITCHER R/R 5-11 SOPHOMORE BARTLESVILLE, OKLA. BARTLESVILLE HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Only gave up a career-best two hits and no earned runs in OU s six-inning run rule of Centenary (3/10)... Earned fourth win of the year and threw the combined shutout with Jadyn Smith in OU s run-rule win over Temple where she only gave up two hits in three complete innings (3/4)... Recorded second win of the year against North Texas as she held the Mean Green to four hits and one run while striking out five (3/1)... Earned first win of the season against Loyola Marymount after holding the Lions to four hits and zero runs in 3.2 innings (2/23)... Saw first action in the circle against Birmingham Southern where she recorded first win of the season after allowing no runs and only three hits in her three innings of action (2/18). GAME BY GAME #14 Hudsonpillar, Morgan - 7 appearances (All games) Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS PITCHING Innings Pitched _7.0 (three times) last vs. Texas Tech March 28, 2006 Strikeouts Six vs. Texas Tech March 28, 2006 Hits Allowed Five last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 HITTING Hits Two vs. Iowa State April 23, 2006 RBI One (twice) vs. Utah Valley State March 11, 2006 *Must pitch at least three innings CAREER STATS ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BF B/AVG WP HBP SFA SHA / / TOTAL / NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 18

. Academic All-District first team selection.. Academic All-Big 12 first team... OU career leader in hits, runs scored, stolen bases, batting average and on-base percentage.

19 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #15 NORRELLE DICKSON 3B L/R 5-9 SENIOR ORANGE, CALIF. EL MODENA HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Named a USA Softball Player of the Year Semifinalist (top 10)... Big 12 Player of the Year... All-Midwet Region first team... Big 12 All- Tournament Team.. Academic All-District first team selection.. Academic All-Big 12 first team... OU career leader in hits, runs scored, stolen bases, batting average and on-base percentage... Became one of only 11 NCAA softball players in history to record at least 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases in their career (4/4)... The Big 12 leader in runs scored, hits and batting average... Holds the Big 12 single season record for runs scored... Picked as the Akron Racers first overall pick in the NPF Draft and the sixth selection overall... Returned to third base this season after spending all of last year in left field... Recorded only second outside-the-park home run in her career against Kansas (4/29)... Broke the Big 12 single season record for runs scored after scoring three against Kansas (4/29)... Was one hit away from tying the NCAA consecutive hit record (11) before having streak of 10 straight hits snapped against No. 2 Texas A&M (3/31)... Named USA Softball National Player of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week after going a perfect 7-for-7 in two games against No. 10 Texas and recording a.750 batting average with 16 total bases... Passed Kristin Vesely to become the all-time hits leader at Oklahoma against No. 10 Texas (3/25)... Became the all-time runs scored leader against Texas Tech, passing Christy Ring s top mark (3/22)... Led Sooners to run-rule victory with 3-for-4 outing and two RBI against No. 5 Arizona (3/18)... Hit first outside-the-park home run of her career against UMKC (3/10)... Recorded a.556 clip in the OU/Residence Inn Invitational... Leadoff batter hit.533 in Palm Springs Classic... Broke the career stolen base record at OU with theft against Ohio State (2/25)...Hit.533 in the OU/Nike Classic while adding four RBI and a double... Pounded second home run of her career against Illinois, a two-run shot that was an inside-the-park home run (2/10). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Four vs. North Texas Apr. 11, 2007 Hits Five vs. Texas March 25, 2007 Doubles One (20 times) last vs. Nebraska Apr. 21, 2007 Total Bases 12 vs. Texas March 25, 2007 RBI Three (three times) last vs. Utah Valley Stata March 11, 2006 Stolen Bases Three (three times) last at Northwestern La. St. Feb. 17, 2007 Walks Two (11 times) last vs. Texas March 24, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

5 Arizona (3/18)... Scored three runs in OU s perfect performance in five games in Palm Springs... Recorded fourth hit of her career against Birmingham-Southern in the OU/Nike Classic (2/18).

20 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #21 JADE PRATHER OUTFIELD R/R 5-7 SENIOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. PUTNAM CITY NORTH HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Continues in role as OU s pinch runner... Recorded a single against Central Arkansas (3/28)... Added fifth hit of her career against No. 5 Arizona (3/18)... Scored three runs in OU s perfect performance in five games in Palm Springs... Recorded fourth hit of her career against Birmingham-Southern in the OU/Nike Classic (2/18)... Scored key run against No. 16 Louisville (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at Texas Mar 25, 2007 at Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri Apr 18, 2007 Baylor Apr 18, 2007 Baylor Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Missouri May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 19, 2007 UMASS May 20, 2007 at UMASS SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs One (55 times) last vs. Missouri May 12, 2007 Hits One (six times) last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 Total Bases One (six times) last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 RBI One Oklahoma State April 5, 2006 Stolen Bases One (21 times) last vs. Pacific March 15, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 20

.. Has switched roles from starting catcher to designated player... One of only two Sooners to get a hit in OU s 2-0 loss to Kansas (4/28).

21 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #23 SUSAN OGDEN DP/C R/R 5-8 JUNIOR SHERMAN, TEXAS SHERMAN HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES All-Midwest Region first team... All-Big 12 first team... Has switched roles from starting catcher to designated player... One of only two Sooners to get a hit in OU s 2-0 loss to Kansas (4/28)... Had career-best 10-game hit streak snapped against Oklahoma State (4/25)... Notched key two-rbi double against Nebraska that gave OU a lead it would never lose in a 5-1 win over Nebraska (4/22)... Led team with 2-for-3 outing in OU s 3-2 extra-innings win over No. 7 Baylor (4/18)... Recorded three RBI and four hits in Missouri series (4/15)... Went 2-for-3 with an RBI in OU s loss to No. 2 Texas A&M (4/1)... Pounded third home run of the season against No. 10 Texas and finished the game with three RBI in OU s victory (3/24)... Sooner slugger caught fire at the OU Worth Invitational where she hit.750 with four RBI and a.833 slugging percentage... Went 3-for-4 with two RBI in OU s 10-2 run rule of UMKC (3/10)... Added a perfect 2-for-2 outing with a double against Centenary (3/90... Recorded another perfect outing (3-for-3) against Evansville (3/9)... Led the Sooners at the OU/Residence Inn Invitational as the junior recorded a.667 batting average with four RBI on a slugging percentage... Started second game of doubleheader against Arkansas and went 2-for-3 that included a double and an RBI... Hit.333 in Palm Springs Classic... Hammered first grand slam of her career against Birmingham-Southern while recording a career-high four RBI (2/18)... Recorded two RBI in OU s run-rule victory over Florida International (2/10)... Pounded a double in the opening-game of the season against No. 16 Louisville (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three (twice) last vs. Valparaiso March 10, 2005 Hits Three (three times) last vs. UMKC March 10, 2007 Total Bases Six vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 18, 2007 RBI Four vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 18, 2007 Walks Two (three times) last vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 16, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.

22 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #24 JEANNIE DOUGLAS OUTFIELD L/R 5-4 SOPHOMORE CHANDLER, OKLA. CHANDLER HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Pounded first hit of the season, which was also the first double of her career against Temple (3/4)... Will see time as a pinch runner and a sub in the outfield. GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs One (three times) last vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Hits One (twice) last vs. Temple March 4, 2007 CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 22

.. Added two hits in OU s 7-3 win over Central Arkansas (3/28)... Recorded a pinch-hit single against No. 10 Texas (3/24)... Added RBI single in OU s victory over Texas Tech (3/22).

23 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #30 STACIA ALEMAN UTILITY R/R 5-5 SENIOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. MUSTANG HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Academic All-Big 12 selection was recognized for a 4.0 GPA... Recognized as the Student-Athlete of the month of April by the OU Athletic Department... Added two hits in OU s 7-3 win over Central Arkansas (3/28)... Recorded a pinch-hit single against No. 10 Texas (3/24)... Added RBI single in OU s victory over Texas Tech (3/22)... Pounded second double of the season in OU s run rule of Cal (2/24)... Added a hit and RBI in Sooner route of Loyola Marymount (2/23)... The senior recorded a.438 batting average in the OU/Nike Classic while also pounding a grand slam, the third of her career, in the tournament opener against Northwestern Louisiana State (2/16)... Added to OU s rally in the top of the seventh against No. 20 Louisville after pounding an RBI single (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at Texas Mar 25, 2007 at Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Missouri May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 19, 2007 UMASS Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Four vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 18, 2007 Hits Two (15 times) last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 Triples One vs. Kent State May 19, 2006 Total Bases Five (twice) last vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 16, 2007 RBI Four (twice) last vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 16, 2007 Stolen Bases Two vs. Iowa State May 1, 2004 Walks Two (twice) last vs. Creighton Feb. 19, 2005 CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. Went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer in Big 12 Championship title game against Texas Tech (5/12)... Pounded two-run homer to give OU the lead in its 7-4 win over No. 7 Baylor (4/18).

24 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #43 TRACI DICKENSON 2B R/R 5-4 SOPHOMORE PLACENTIA, CALIF. EL DORADO HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES All-Midwest Region second team... All-Big 12 second team... Sparked offense against UMass with two hits and an RBI in OU s 2-0 victory (5/19)... Went 2-for-2 with a three-run homer in Big 12 Championship title game against Texas Tech (5/12)... Pounded two-run homer to give OU the lead in its 7-4 win over No. 7 Baylor (4/18).. Won game in the 10th inning with RBI sacrifice fly in OU s 3-2 win over Iowa State (4/6)... Tied school record after pounding two home runs in first game of doubleheader against Iowa State (4/6)... Ripped ninth home run of the year, a solo shot, in Texas A&M series finale (4/1)... Recorded key single in OU s fifth-inning rally to beat No. 2 Texas A&M (3/31)... Her eighth home run of the year, a two-run blast, sparked the Sooner offense against No. 10 Texas as OU went on to win 7-0 (3/24)... Recorded two home runs and eight RBI at Judi Garman Classic, including a two-run blast against No. 5 Arizona (3/16)... Moved from third-base to second base this season... Added three RBI with fifth home run of the season against Centenary (3/9)... Pounded a key RBI double in OU s 4-0 win over Wichita State (3/4)... Ended game against Arkansas with walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to give OU the run-rule victory (2/28)... The nine-hole hitter recorded a.375 batting average in the Palm Springs Classic with four RBI... Blasted third home run of the year against Cal (2/24)... Pounded first grand slam of her career against Birmingham-Southern (2/18)... Earned all-tournament honors at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic after recording a.750 slugging percentage with two doubles, a home run and four RBI... Delivered a crushing three-run homer against Florida International for her first homer of the season (2/10)... Added an RBI double against Illinois (2/10)... Ignited Sooner rally against No. 16 Louisville after leading off the top of the seventh with a double. GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three (twice) last vs. Utah Valley State March 12, 2006 Hits Four vs. Utah Valley State March 11, 2006 Doubles One (12 times) last vs. Nebraska Apr. 21, 2007 Total Bases Seven (two times) last vs. Missouri March 25, 2006 RBI Five vs. Pacific March 15, 2007 Walks Two vs. Nebraska Apr. 22, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 24

.. Earned first start of the season against Central Arkansas (3/28)... Made the most of starting opportunity as she added two hits, including a double against the UCA Bears.

25 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #44 JESSICA LEGENDRE INFIELD R/R 5-7 SOPHOMORE JEFFERSON, N. Y. VANDERMEULEN HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Added an RBI against Kansas (4/29)... Started second game of the year against Missouri where she added a single (4/15)... Earned first start of the season against Central Arkansas (3/28)... Made the most of starting opportunity as she added two hits, including a double against the UCA Bears... Added second double of the season against Centenary (3/10)... Pounded a pinch-hit RBI single against Temple (3/4)... Recorded second double of her career in 14-0 route of Arkansas and added a single in the 10-2 win in second game of the twin bill (2/28)... Saw first action of the year as a pinch hitter against Florida International (2/10). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Two (twice) last vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Hits Two (twice) vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 Doubles One (three times) last vs. Centenary March 10, 2007 Total Bases Three last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 RBI Two (twice) last vs. Oklahoma State April 5, 2006 Walks Two vs. Temple March 4, 2007 CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. Added three RBI on a 2-for-3 outing against Arkansas in game one (2/28)... Recorded eventual game-winning hit with two-rbi triple against no. 6 Oregon State in the seventh inning (2/24).

26 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #99 AMBER SPAULDING OUTFIELD R/R 5-6 SENIOR FONTANA, CALIF. ETIWANDA HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Added an RBI in OU s win over UCA (3/28)... Hit.417 in OU Worth Invitational with two RBI... Led team with four RBI off of two doubles against Temple (3/4)... Added three RBI on a 2-for-3 outing against Arkansas in game one (2/28)... Recorded eventual game-winning hit with two-rbi triple against no. 6 Oregon State in the seventh inning (2/24)... Made diving catch over center field fence to save a home run against Cal (2/24)... Returned to field against Tulsa after missing five games due to shoulder injury... Did not play in OU/Nike Classic due to injury... Opened season on fire with three hits, including a double, and an RBI in OU s come-from-behind win against No. 16 Louisville (2/9) in the season opener. GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at Texas Mar 25, 2007 at Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 18, 2007 Baylor Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas May 11, 2007 vs Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 20, 2007 at UMASS Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Four vs. Utah Valley State March 11, 2006 Hits Four vs. Oklahoma State May 11, 2006 Doubles Two vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Total Bases Six last vs. Utah Valley State March 12, 2006 RBI Five vs. Oklahoma State May 11, 2006 Stolen Bases Two North Texas March 22, 2006 Walks Four vs. Temple March 3, 2007 CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 26

.. One of only two freshmen starting for the Sooners... Recorded career-high three hits against Kansas with one RBI (4/29)... Had career-best nine-game hitting streak snapped against Kansas (4/28).

27 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #4 AMBER FLORES OUTFIELD R/R 5-4 FRESHMAN CALEXICO, CALIF. SOUTHWEST HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES All-Midwest Region first team... All-Big 12 first team... Starting in left field for the Sooners... Scored three runs for the Sooners in the Amherst Regional... One of only two freshmen starting for the Sooners... Recorded career-high three hits against Kansas with one RBI (4/29)... Had career-best nine-game hitting streak snapped against Kansas (4/28)... Lone Sooner to record multiple hits in OU s 2-1 win over Oklahoma State (4/25)... Scored career-high three runs against Nebraska (4/21)... Keyed OU victory with two-run homer against No. 7 Baylor (4/18)... Recorded a 2-for-3 outing with two RBI in OU s 8-0 shut out of Iowa State (4/6)... Went 2-for-2 with an RBI in OU s 4-2 victory over No. 2 Texas A&M (3/31)... One of eight Sooners to have a hit in OU s 7-0 shut out over No. 10 Texas (3/24)... Went 2-for-4 in first Big 12 game of her career against Texas Tech (3/22)... Rookie added fifth home run of the year against Pacific and also added a double on a 3-for-4 outing with three RBI (3/16)... Broke out of hitting slump with home run against Centenary (3/10)... Put together a.500 batting average with four RBI in OU/Residence Inn Invitational... The slugger hit.364 at the Palm Springs Classic... Recorded two hits in each game against Arkansas, including a triple in game two (2/28)... Added a double and two RBI as every Sooner recorded a hit against Cal (2/24)... Sat out game against Loyola Marymount after being hit by a pitch in game against Notre Dame (2/23)... The rookie was impressive at the OU/Nike Classic where she hit.667 with a double, triple, home run and 10 RBI... Pounded second home run of her career, an inside the parker, against Northwestern Louisiana State (2/17)... Came up huge in championship game against Illinois State after pounding first home run of her career, a two-run shot over the center field wall... Recorded first career hit, a double, in a Sooner uniform against Illinois State (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville-1 * Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St.-1 * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College * Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three (twice) last vs. Nebraska Apr. 21, 2007 Hits Three vs. Kansas April 29, 2007 Doubles One (four times) last vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Total Bases Seven vs. Northwestern La. St. Feb. 17, 2007 RBI Five vs. Northwestern La. St. Feb. 17, 2007 Walks Three vs. Nebraska Apr. 21, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. Big 12 Tournament MVP... Three-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection...went 3-0 at Amherst Regional with a 0.67 ERA and only allowed one walk while striking out 19 batters in 21 innings.

28 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #5 LAUREN ECKERMANN PITCHER R/R 5-9 JUNIOR-TRANSFER BRENHAM, TEXAS TEMPLE JC 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES All-Midwest Region first team... Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year... Big 12 Tournament MVP... Three-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection...went 3-0 at Amherst Regional with a 0.67 ERA and only allowed one walk while striking out 19 batters in 21 innings... Earned Big 12 Tournament MVP honors after throwing 20.2 innings in less than 24 hours and owning a 0.68 ERA through three games... Threw 24th complete game of the season in 5-1 win over Nebraska as she held the Huskers to three hits and one run (4/22)... Gave No. 7 Baylor its first Big 12 loss of the season as she held the Bears to only four hits and one earned run in OU s 3-2 victory in eight innings (4/18)... Came in for relief in second game against Missouri to earn the win after throwing the final 5.1 innings and only allowing two hits and zero runs (4/15)... Earned win in second game of doubleheader against Iowa State after coming in for final 4.2 innings of relief and striking out nine Cyclones and only allowing one hit in the extra-innings contest (4/6)... Notched 10th shutout of the year in OU s 8-0 victory over Iowa State (4/6)... Recorded 10 strikeouts in shut out of Oklahoma State (4/4)... Notched fifth win over a ranked team after throwing the complete game against No. 2 Texas A&M and only gave up one earned run on seven hits (3/31)... Threw eighth shut out of the season against No. 10 Texas and only allowed four hits against the Horns (3/24)... Struck out a season-high 12 batters against Texas Tech (3/22)... Earned second Big 12 Player of the Week honors for games March after leading the Sooners to the Judi Garman Classic title with four wins in the tournament... Threw third no-hitter of the season in OU s run rule over Northridge (3/17)... Struck out eight in OU s 6-2 victory over No. 5 Arizona (3/15)... Big 12 Player of the Week for games Feb. 26-March 4 after throwing two consecutive no-hitters... Came in for relief against UMKC and earned the win after throwing eight strikeouts against UMKC (3/10)... Threw shut out against Evansville in complete-game win (3/9)... Paired with D. J. Mathis to become the first Sooner pair to record three no-hitters in one week (Feb. 28-March 4)... Was one error away from a perfect game as she recorded her second straight no-hitter in OU s win over Wichita State (3/4)... Tallied first no-hitter of her career against Temple as she struck out four and walked two in the five-inning run-rule contest (3/3)... Earned MVP honors at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic after recording a 4-0 record and owning a 0.60 ERA on the weekend... Led Sooners to tournament title with solid performance against Illinois State in championship game after allowing zero runs and only five hits in six innings of work. GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern * Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St.-2 * Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa * Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame * Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas * Mar 03, 2007 at Temple * Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville-1 * Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS PITCHING Innings Pitched Nine last vs. Texas March 25, 2007 Strikeouts 12 last vs. Texas Tech March 22, 2007 Hits Allowed _ Zero (three times)* last vs. Northridge March 17, 2007 *Must be complete game Totals CAREER STATS ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BF B/AVG WP HBP SFA SHA / TOTAL / NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL 28

.. Named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team after recording five RBI through three games, including a home run and two doubles... Has thrown out 14 baserunners on 28 attempts this season.

29 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #8 LINDSEY VANDEVER CATCHER R/R 5-6 FRESHMAN DAVENPORT, OKLA. DAVENPORT HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES Big 12 All-Tournament Team... One of the top offensive contributors for the Sooners in Amherst Regional with a.333 batting average and one RBI... Named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team after recording five RBI through three games, including a home run and two doubles... Has thrown out 14 baserunners on 28 attempts this season... Pounded fourth home run of the year against Kansas (4/29)... Added key sacrifice fly in OU s 3-2 extra-innings victory against No. 7 Baylor (4/18)... Recorded two RBI and two hits in OU s 8-3 win over Missouri (4/15)... Added an RBI in OU s 8-0 run rule of Oklahoma State (4/4)... Threw out both base runners that attempted steals and picked off a runner in Texas A&M series (3/31-4/1)... Added an RBI in OU s 5-4 loss to No. 10 Texas in extra innings (3/25)... Recorded two RBI on a 2-for-4 outing against Texas Tech (3/22)... Pounded two home runs in OU s route to the Judi Garman Classic title... Added third homer of the season in championship game against No. 5 Arizona (3/18)... Set career highs after going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI against Evansville (3/8)... Added third double of the season against Arkansas (2/28)... The rookie started final three games in Palm Springs and threw out all three runners that attempted to steal... Hit.400 in Palm Springs... Recorded double in OU s come-from-behind win over then-no. 6 Oregon State (2/24)... Went 2-for-4 against then-no. 16 Cal (2/24)... Showed her promise in the OU/Nike Classic where she hit Pounded first home run of her career against Minnesota (2/17)... Started three games at catcher at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic... Pounded first hit of career against Florida International (2/10)... Earned first start of her Sooner career against Illinois State (2/9). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State-2 * Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois * Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa * Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota-2 * Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern-1 * Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California * Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State * Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas-1 * Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 01, 2007 North Texas * Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State-1 * Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State * Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa * Mar 08, 2007 Evansville * Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific-1 * Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge * Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul-1 * Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-1 * Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech-2 * Mar 24, 2007 at Texas * Mar 25, 2007 at Texas * Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Mar 31, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M * Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-1 * Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State-2 * Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-1 * Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri-2 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-1 * Apr 18, 2007 Baylor-2 * Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska * Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State * Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas * Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas * May 11, 2007 vs Kansas * May 12, 2007 vs Missouri * May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech * May 18, 2007 vs Colgate * May 19, 2007 UMASS * May 20, 2007 at UMASS * SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Three vs. Kansas March 29, 2007 Hits Two (Six times) last vs. UMASS May 20, 2007 Doubles One (five times) last vs. Texas Tech March 22, 2007 Total Bases Five last vs. Missouri May 12, 2007 RBI Three vs. Northridge March 17, 2007 Walks Two vs. Kansas April 29, 2007 Totals CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

.. Scored a run and added eighth stolen base of the year in OU s 9-4 loss to No. 2 Texas A&M (4/1)... Stole two bases in doubleheader against Texas Tech (3/22).

30 OKLAHOMA - NO. 3 NATIONAL SEED RANKED NO. 1/3 (ESPN.COM/NFCA) 55-6 OVERALL, 14-4 BIG 12 #18 IVER MCDONALD UTILITY R/R 5-3 FRESHMAN HOUSTON, TEXAS J. FRANK DOBIE HS 2007 HIGHLIGHTS AND NOTES The speedy outfielder will serve mainly as a pinch runner this season... Sister, Sharonda, is a senior on the Texas A&M softball team... Scored a run and added eighth stolen base of the year in OU s 9-4 loss to No. 2 Texas A&M (4/1)... Stole two bases in doubleheader against Texas Tech (3/22)... Added third hit of the year against Centenary (3/10)... Pounded second hit of the year, a single, against Temple (3/4)... Recorded first hit of her career against Birmingham-Southern (2/18). GAME BY GAME Date Opponent GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Apr 01, 2007 Texas A&M Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri Apr 18, 2007 Baylor Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas May 11, 2007 vs Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 18, 2007 vs Colgate May 20, 2007 at UMASS Totals SINGLE GAME BESTS Runs Two vs. Temple March 4, 2007 Hits One (three times) last vs. Centenary March 10, 2007 Doubles One vs. Birmingham-Southern Feb. 18, 2007 Total Bases One (three times) last vs. Centenary March 10, 2007 RBI Stolen Bases Two vs. Illinois Feb. 10, 2007 Walks One (six times) last vs. Central Arkansas March 28, 2007 CAREER STATS AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT TOTAL NORMAN SUPER REGIONAL

31 Oklahoma Softball Overall Statistics for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games Sorted by Batting avg) Record: 55-6 Home: 27-1 Away: 10-4 Neutral: 18-1 BIG 12: 14-4 Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 15 Dickson, Norrelle Ricketts, Samanth Ogden, Susan Flores, Amber Fox, Jamie Dickenson, Traci Vandever, Lindsey Mena, Mariee Aleman, Stacia Spaulding, Amber Long, Savannah Prather, Jade Legendre, Jessica McDonald, Iver Douglas, Jeannie Totals Opponents LOB - Team (415), Opp (280). DPs turned - Team (14), Opp (13). CI - Team (0), Opp (1). IBB - Team (9), Ricketts 8, Dickson 1, Opp (1). Picked off - Long 1. (All games Sorted by Earned run avg) Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA 14 Hudsonpillar, Mor / Smith, Jadyn / Eckermann, Lauren / Mathis, D.J / Totals / Opponents / PB - Team (12), Vandever 10, Ogden 2, Opp (18). Pickoffs - Team (7), Ogden 3, Vandever 3, Eckermann 1, Opp (1). SBA/ATT - Vandever (14-29), Eckermann (12-23), Mathis (4-11), Ogden (6-10), Hudsonpillar (3-4), Smith (1-2).

32 Oklahoma Softball Conference statistics for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (BIG 12 games only Sorted by Batting avg) Record: 14-4 Home: 8-1 Away: 6-3 BIG 12: 14-4 Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 15 Dickson, Norrelle Ricketts, Samanth Flores, Amber Ogden, Susan Fox, Jamie Dickenson, Traci Vandever, Lindsey Mena, Mariee Long, Savannah Aleman, Stacia Legendre, Jessica Spaulding, Amber McDonald, Iver Prather, Jade Totals Opponents LOB - Team (121), Opp (88). DPs turned - Team (2), Opp (5). IBB - Team (3), Ricketts 3. Picked off - Long 1. (BIG 12 games only Sorted by Earned run avg) Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA 5 Eckermann, Lauren / Mathis, D.J / Totals / Opponents / PB - Team (4), Vandever 4, Opp (2). Pickoffs - Team (2), Vandever 2, Opp (1). SBA/ATT - Vandever (7-15), Eckermann (5-11), Mathis (2-5).

33 Oklahoma Softball Overall Statistics for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (Postseason Stats (NCAA & Big 12 Tourney Sorted by Batting avg) Record: 6-0 Home: 0-0 Away: 2-0 Neutral: 4-0 BIG 12: 0-0 Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 8 Vandever, Lindsey Ricketts, Samanth Dickenson, Traci Fox, Jamie Dickson, Norrelle Ogden, Susan Long, Savannah Flores, Amber Mena, Mariee Aleman, Stacia Spaulding, Amber Prather, Jade McDonald, Iver Totals Opponents LOB - Team (43), Opp (26). DPs turned - Team (2), Opp (1). IBB - Team (1), Ricketts 1. (Postseason Stats (NCAA & Big 12 Tourney Sorted by Earned run avg) Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA 5 Eckermann, Lauren / Mathis, D.J / Totals / Opponents / PB - Team (3), Vandever 3, Opp (2). SBA/ATT - Eckermann (2-3), Vandever (2-3).

34 Oklahoma Softball Overall Statistics for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (Amherst Regional Sorted by Batting avg) Record: 3-0 Home: 0-0 Away: 2-0 Neutral: 1-0 BIG 12: 0-0 Player AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 1 Fox, Jamie Ricketts, Samanth Dickenson, Traci Vandever, Lindsey Mena, Mariee Ogden, Susan Flores, Amber Dickson, Norrelle Long, Savannah Aleman, Stacia Spaulding, Amber McDonald, Iver Prather, Jade Totals Opponents LOB - Team (23), Opp (7). DPs turned - Team (2), Opp (1). IBB - Team (1), Ricketts 1. (Amherst Regional Sorted by Earned run avg) Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA 5 Eckermann, Lauren / Totals / Opponents / PB - Team (1), Vandever 1, Opp (1). SBA/ATT - Vandever (0-1), Eckermann (0-1).

35 Oklahoma Softball Game Results for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games) Game date Opposing team Score r h e/ r h e Inns Overall BIG 12 Pitcher of record Attend Time / !Feb 09, 2007 vs #16 Louisville W / Eckermann (W 1-0) 147 2:20!Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State W / Eckermann (W 2-0) 133 1:30!Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois W / Eckermann (W 3-0) 212 2:05!Feb 10, 2007 vs Florida Internationa W / Mathis (W 1-0) 330 1:44!Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State W / Eckermann (W 4-0) 207 1:45 #Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern W / Eckermann (W 5-0) 356 1:30 #Feb 17, 2007 vs Northwestern La. St. W / Mathis (W 2-0) - 2:10 #Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota W / Smith (W 1-0) 485 1:50 #Feb 18, 2007 vs Birmingham-Southern W / Hudsonpillar (W 1-0) - 1:25 #Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St. W / Eckermann (W 6-0) 502 1:35 Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa W / Eckermann (W 7-0) 463 2:25 $Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame W / Eckermann (W 8-0) 210 1:53 $Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount W / Hudsonpillar (W 2-0) 250 1:30 $Feb 24, 2007 vs #16 California W / Eckermann (W 9-0) 514 1:53 $Feb 24, 2007 vs #6 Oregon State W / Mathis (W 3-0) 804 2:03 $Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State W / Mathis (W 4-0) 337 2:09 Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas W / Mathis (W 5-0) - 1:40 Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas W / Eckermann (W 10-0) 605 1:44 Mar 01, 2007 North Texas W / Hudsonpillar (W 2-0) 365 1:51 %Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State W / Mathis (W 6-0) - 2:10 %Mar 03, 2007 vs Temple W / Eckermann (W 11-0) 451 1:40 %Mar 04, 2007 Temple W / Hudsonpillar (W 4-0) 0 1:40 %Mar 04, 2007 vs Wichita State W / Eckermann (W 12-0) 485 1:40 Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa 0-2 L 0 0 0/ Mathis (L 6-1) :38 Mar 08, 2007 Evansville W / Eckermann (W 13-0) 358 2:02 ^Mar 09, 2007 vs Evansville W / Eckermann (W 14-0) - 2:00 ^Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College W / Mathis (W 7-1) 459 1:50 ^Mar 10, 2007 vs Centenary College W / Hudsonpillar (W 5-0) - 1:45 ^Mar 10, 2007 UMKC W / Eckermann (W 15-0) 532 1:30 &Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific W / Eckermann (W 16-0) - 2:15 &Mar 15, 2007 vs #5 Arizona W / Eckermann (W 17-0) :53 &Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State 0-7 L 0 0 0/ Mathis (L 7-2) :45 &Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge W / Eckermann (W 18-0) :30 &Mar 18, 2007 vs #21 DePaul W / ( 8) Eckermann (W 19-0) - 2:02 &Mar 18, 2007 vs #5 Arizona W / Mathis (W 8-2) 816 1:51 *Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech W / Eckermann (W 20-0) - 8:11 *Mar 22, 2007 at Texas Tech W / Mathis (W 9-2) 352 2:30 *Mar 24, 2007 at #10 Texas W / Eckermann (W 21-0) 934 2:20 *Mar 25, 2007 at #10 Texas 4-5 L / (10) Eckermann (L 21-1) 854 2:51 Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas W / Mathis (W 10-2) 527 1:56 *Mar 31, 2007 #2 Texas A&M W / Eckermann (W 22-1) :01 *Apr 01, 2007 #2 Texas A&M 4-9 L 4 9 3/ Mathis (L 10-3) 852 2:33 *Apr 04, 2007 Oklahoma State W / Eckermann (W 23-1) :17 *Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State W / Eckermann (W 24-1) - 1:27 *Apr 06, 2007 Iowa State W / (10) Eckermann (W 25-1) 429 2:50 Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas W / Eckermann (W 26-1) 470 2:34 *Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri 1-5 L 1 5 0/ Eckermann (L 26-2) - 1:30 *Apr 15, 2007 at Missouri W / Eckermann (W 27-2) 383 2:01 *Apr 18, 2007 #7 Baylor W / ( 8) Eckermann (W 28-2) - 1:52 *Apr 18, 2007 #7 Baylor W / Mathis (W 11-3) 870 2:00 *Apr 21, 2007 Nebraska W / Mathis (W 12-3) :17 *Apr 22, 2007 Nebraska W / Eckermann (W 29-2) 821 2:09 *Apr 25, 2007 at Oklahoma State W / Eckermann (W 30-2) 657 1:45 *Apr 28, 2007 at Kansas 0-2 L 0 2 2/ Eckermann (L 30-3) 652 1:46 *Apr 29, 2007 at Kansas W / Eckermann (W 31-3) 735 2:24 +May 11, 2007 vs Kansas W / Eckermann (W 32-3) :00 +May 12, 2007 vs #18 Missouri W / Eckermann (W 33-3) :39 +May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech W / Eckermann (W 34-3) :00 ~May 18, 2007 vs Colgate W / Eckermann (W 35-3) 306 1:42 ~May 19, 2007 vs UMASS W / Eckermann (W 36-3) 549 1:51 ~May 20, 2007 at UMASS W / Eckermann (W 37-3) 415 2:05 = Conference game = Diamond Fun and Sun Classic (Miami, Fla.) = OU/Nike Classic (Norman, Okla.) = Palm Springs Classic (Palm Springs, Calif.) = OU Residence Inn Invitational (Norman, Okla.) = OU Worth Invitational (Norman, Okla.) = Judi Garman Classic (Fullerton, Calif.) = Big 12 Championship (Oklahoma City, Okla.) = NCAA Regional (Amherst, Mass.) ) extra inning game

36 Oklahoma Softball Team Game-by-Game for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) Batting (All games) Date Opponent AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB CS HBP SAC SF GDP K PO A E Avg Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 01, 2007 North Texas Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at *Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at *Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at *Texas Mar 25, 2007 at *Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Mar 31, 2007 *Texas A&M Apr 01, 2007 *Texas A&M Apr 04, 2007 *Oklahoma State Apr 06, 2007 *Iowa State Apr 06, 2007 *Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at *Missouri Apr 15, 2007 at *Missouri Apr 18, 2007 *Baylor Apr 18, 2007 *Baylor Apr 21, 2007 *Nebraska Apr 22, 2007 *Nebraska Apr 25, 2007 at *Oklahoma State Apr 28, 2007 at *Kansas Apr 29, 2007 at *Kansas May 11, 2007 vs Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Missouri May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 18, 2007 vs Colgate May 19, 2007 UMASS May 20, 2007 at UMASS otals

37 Oklahoma Softball Team Game-by-Game for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) Pitching (All games) Date Opponent IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR WP BK HBP DP IBB Score W-L SV ERA Feb 09, 2007 vs Louisville Feb 09, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 10, 2007 vs Illinois Feb 10, 2007 Florida Internationa Feb 11, 2007 vs Illinois State Feb 16, 2007 Birmingham-Southern Feb 17, 2007 at Northwestern La. St Feb 17, 2007 Minnesota Feb 18, 2007 at Birmingham-Southern Feb 18, 2007 Northwestern La. St Feb 20, 2007 Tulsa Feb 23, 2007 vs Notre Dame Feb 23, 2007 vs Loyola Marymount Feb 24, 2007 vs California Feb 24, 2007 vs Oregon State Feb 25, 2007 vs Ohio State Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Feb 28, 2007 Arkansas Mar 01, 2007 North Texas Mar 03, 2007 Wichita State Mar 03, 2007 at Temple Mar 04, 2007 Temple Mar 04, 2007 at Wichita State Mar 07, 2007 at Tulsa Mar 08, 2007 Evansville Mar 09, 2007 at Evansville Mar 09, 2007 Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 at Centenary College Mar 10, 2007 UMKC Mar 15, 2007 vs Pacific Mar 15, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 16, 2007 vs NC State Mar 17, 2007 vs Northridge Mar 18, 2007 vs DePaul Mar 18, 2007 vs Arizona Mar 22, 2007 at *Texas Tech Mar 22, 2007 at *Texas Tech Mar 24, 2007 at *Texas Mar 25, 2007 at *Texas Mar 28, 2007 Central Arkansas Mar 31, 2007 *Texas A&M Apr 01, 2007 *Texas A&M Apr 04, 2007 *Oklahoma State Apr 06, 2007 *Iowa State Apr 06, 2007 *Iowa State Apr 11, 2007 at North Texas Apr 15, 2007 at *Missouri Apr 15, 2007 at *Missouri Apr 18, 2007 *Baylor Apr 18, 2007 *Baylor Apr 21, 2007 *Nebraska Apr 22, 2007 *Nebraska Apr 25, 2007 at *Oklahoma State Apr 28, 2007 at *Kansas Apr 29, 2007 at *Kansas May 11, 2007 vs Kansas May 12, 2007 vs Missouri May 12, 2007 vs Texas Tech May 18, 2007 vs Colgate May 19, 2007 UMASS May 20, 2007 at UMASS otals = BIG 12 game

38 Oklahoma Softball Games Summary for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games) Inning-by-inning EX Total Oklahoma Opponents Win-Loss Record When verall After 4 leading onference trailing Non-Conference tied ome games After 5 leading Away games trailing Neutral site tied ay games After 6 leading Night games trailing s Left starter tied s Right starter Run games Hit 0 home runs Run games home run Run games home runs xtra innings hutouts Opponent 0 home runs home run coring 0-2 runs HRs runs runs Made 0 errors runs error errors pponent 0-2 runs runs Opp. made 0 errors runs error runs errors cored in 1st inning 26-2 Out-hit opponent pp. scored in 1st Out-hit by opponent. 6-5 cores first Hits are tied pp. scores first ecord when team scores: uns W-L ecord when opponent scores: uns W-L ecord when leading after: nn W-L ecord when trailing after: nn W-L ecord when tied after: nn W-L urrent winning streak : 7 ongest winning streak : 23 ongest losing streak : 1 ome attendance : ( 20 dates avg = 599 ) Away attendance : ( 29 dates avg = 671 ) otal attendance: ( 49 dates avg = 642 )

39 Oklahoma Softball BATTING ANALYSIS for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games Sorted by Player Name) vs Left vs Right w/runners On w/bases Empty w/bases Loaded Rch as Leadoff Fly Gnd Fly/ Player H AB Avg H AB Avg H AB Avg H AB Avg H AB Avg Rch Ops Pct Out Out Gnd Aleman, Stacia Dickenson, Traci Dickson, Norrelle Douglas, Jeannie Flores, Amber Fox, Jamie Legendre, Jessica Long, Savannah McDonald, Iver Mena, Mariee Ogden, Susan Prather, Jade Ricketts, Samanth Spaulding, Amber Vandever, Lindsey Totals Opponents With Runners w/rnr on 3rd 2- Success #Rnrs Pinch Hitting In Scoring Pos And LT 2 Out With 2 Out Out Advancing Rnrs Adv Rnrs Rch Rch Player H AB Avg H AB Avg RBI Ops Pct H AB Avg RBI Adv Ops Pct w/out LOB Err FC KL Aleman, Stacia Dickenson, Traci Dickson, Norrelle Douglas, Jeannie Flores, Amber Fox, Jamie Legendre, Jessica Long, Savannah McDonald, Iver Mena, Mariee Ogden, Susan Prather, Jade Ricketts, Samanth Spaulding, Amber Vandever, Lindsey Totals Opponents Success Advancing Runners = percentage of times the batter advanced at least one runner during a plate appearance #Rnrs Adv w/out = TOTAL number of runners advanced when the player made an out

40 Oklahoma Softball PITCHING ANALYSIS for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games Sorted by Player Name) vs Left vs Right w/runners On w/bases Empty Rch by Leadoff with 2 Outs Fly Gnd Fly/ Player H AB Avg H AB Avg H AB Avg H AB Avg Rch Ops Pct H AB Avg Out Out Gnd Eckermann, Lauren Hudsonpillar, Mor Mathis, D.J Smith, Jadyn Totals Opponents IP/ K/BB Stolen Bases Player App-GS App *H/g *R/g *ER/g *BB/g *SO/g Ratio *2B/g *3B/g *HR/g *FO/g *GO/g *BF/g SBA ATT Pct Eckermann, Lauren Hudsonpillar, Mor Mathis, D.J Smith, Jadyn Totals Opponents * = average based on 7-inning game

41 Oklahoma Softball Miscellaneous Stats for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games) MULTIPLE HIT GAMES Tot MULTIPLE RBI GAMES Tot Dickson, Norrelle Ricketts, Samanth Ricketts, Samanth Dickenson, Traci Flores, Amber Fox, Jamie Ogden, Susan Flores, Amber Mena, Mariee Long, Savannah Fox, Jamie Ogden, Susan Dickenson, Traci Dickson, Norrelle Vandever, Lindsey Spaulding, Amber Long, Savannah Vandever, Lindsey Spaulding, Amber Mena, Mariee Aleman, Stacia Aleman, Stacia Legendre, Jessica TEAM TEAM HITTING STREAKS Longest Current Dickson, Norrelle Ogden, Susan Mena, Mariee Flores, Amber Ricketts, Samanth Dickenson, Traci. 6-1 Fox, Jamie Long, Savannah Vandever, Lindsey Aleman, Stacia Prather, Jade Legendre, Jessica 3-99 Spaulding, Amber McDonald, Iver Douglas, Jeannie. 1 -

42 Oklahoma Softball Miscellaneous Stats for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games) STARTING LINEUP BY POSITION STARTING LINEUP BY LINEUP SPOT (Team W-L record when starter) (Team W-L record when starter) PITCHER: LEADOFF: 5 Eckermann, Lauren 39 (36-3) 15 Dickson, Norrelle 61 (55-6) 11 Mathis, D.J (12-3) 2ND SPOT: 14 Hudsonpillar, Mor 6 (6-0) 7 Mena, Mariee (21-4) 2 Smith, Jadyn... 1 (1-0) 99 Spaulding, Amber. 19 (19-0) CATCHER: 12 Long, Savannah (12-1) 8 Vandever, Lindsey 44 (39-5) 1 Fox, Jamie... 4 (3-1) 23 Ogden, Susan (16-1) 3RD SPOT: FIRST BASE: 4 Flores, Amber (54-5) 10 Ricketts, Samanth 61 (55-6) 7 Mena, Mariee... 2 (1-1) SECOND BASE: CLEANUP: 43 Dickenson, Traci. 61 (55-6) 10 Ricketts, Samanth 61 (55-6) THIRD BASE: 5TH SPOT: 15 Dickson, Norrelle 61 (55-6) 23 Ogden, Susan (32-5) SHORTSTOP: 7 Mena, Mariee (13-1) 12 Long, Savannah (53-6) 1 Fox, Jamie... 9 (9-0) 44 Legendre, Jessica 2 (2-0) 8 Vandever, Lindsey 1 (1-0) LEFT FIELD: 6TH SPOT: 4 Flores, Amber (51-5) 1 Fox, Jamie (27-5) 1 Fox, Jamie... 4 (3-1) 12 Long, Savannah... 8 (8-0) 7 Mena, Mariee... 1 (1-0) 30 Aleman, Stacia... 6 (6-0) CENTER FIELD: 8 Vandever, Lindsey 5 (5-0) 1 Fox, Jamie (28-5) 23 Ogden, Susan... 5 (4-1) 99 Spaulding, Amber. 28 (27-1) 7 Mena, Mariee... 4 (4-0) RIGHT FIELD: 99 Spaulding, Amber. 1 (1-0) 7 Mena, Mariee (25-5) 7TH SPOT: 30 Aleman, Stacia (15-1) 8 Vandever, Lindsey 25 (20-5) 1 Fox, Jamie (15-0) 30 Aleman, Stacia... 9 (9-0) DESIGNATED HITTER: 99 Spaulding, Amber. 7 (6-1) 23 Ogden, Susan (27-5) 23 Ogden, Susan... 5 (5-0) 7 Mena, Mariee (20-1) 7 Mena, Mariee... 5 (5-0) 30 Aleman, Stacia... 5 (5-0) 12 Long, Savannah... 5 (5-0) 4 Flores, Amber... 3 (3-0) 1 Fox, Jamie... 5 (5-0) 8TH SPOT: 12 Long, Savannah (28-5) 8 Vandever, Lindsey 13 (13-0) 30 Aleman, Stacia... 6 (5-1) 1 Fox, Jamie... 2 (2-0) 7 Mena, Mariee... 2 (2-0) 44 Legendre, Jessica 2 (2-0) 23 Ogden, Susan... 2 (2-0) 99 Spaulding, Amber. 1 (1-0) 9TH SPOT: 43 Dickenson, Traci. 61 (55-6)

43 Oklahoma Softball Miscellaneous Stats for Oklahoma (as of May 23, 2007) (All games) STARTERS SUMMARY Position Batting Order Player GS p c 1b 2b 3b ss lf cf rf of dh 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10 Ricketts, Samanth Dickson, Norrelle Dickenson, Traci Flores, Amber Long, Savannah Fox, Jamie Mena, Mariee Ogden, Susan Vandever, Lindsey Eckermann, Lauren Spaulding, Amber Aleman, Stacia Mathis, D.J Hudsonpillar, Mor Legendre, Jessica Smith, Jadyn

44 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics Through Games of May 24 (All games) TEAM BATTING G Avg OBpct Slug AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB SBA S SF Oklahoma Baylor Texas A&M Missouri Texas Tech Texas Oklahoma State Nebraska Kansas Iowa State TEAM PITCHING G ERA BAvg W L IP H R ER BB SO CG HR ShO SV BB/7 SO/ Texas A&M Nebraska Oklahoma Texas Baylor Kansas Missouri Texas Tech Iowa State Oklahoma State INDIVIDUAL BATTING Min 2.0 AB/Team game CL G Avg OBpct Slug AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB SBA S SF Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Ogden, Susan OU... JR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Micaela Minner MU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Corkin,Jennifer TTU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Flores, Amber OU... FR Thomas, Shannon UT... SO Thrasher, Tallie UT... FR Hinshaw, Jamie TAMU... JR Johnson, Alex ISU... FR Amanda Renth MU... JR INDIVIDUAL PITCHING Min 1.0 IP/Team game CL G GS ERA BAvg W-L IP H R ER BB SO CG HR ShO SV BB/7 SO/ Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Hill, Molly NU... SO Tresselt, Erin UT... FR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR George, Valerie KU... SO Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Mathis, D.J. OU... SO Jen Bruck MU... JR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Vertelka, Sarah KU... FR Jana Hainey MU... FR Carlin, Charissa ISU... FR Whiddon, Anna OSU... FR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR

45 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics Through Games of May 24 (All games) HITS CL G H H/G RUNS SCORED CL G R R/G Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Wesley, Tiffany BU... FR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Leanne Bowers MU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Flores, Amber OU... FR Micaela Minner MU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Johnson, Alex ISU... FR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR tied with 60 hit(s) 2 tied with 41 run(s) scored HOME RUNS CL G HR HR/G DOUBLES CL G 2B 2B/G Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Micaela Minner MU... JR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Amanda Renth MU... JR Carwile, Crystal NU... SO Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Julie Silver MU... FR Thrasher, Tallie UT... FR Reichling, Katie ISU... SR Gaskin, Kacie UT... SO Johnson, Alex ISU... FR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO tied with 10 home run(s) Leanne Bowers MU... SR Kaye, Kim OSU... JR TRIPLES CL G 3B 3B/G RUNS BATTED IN CL G RBI RBI/G Thomas, Shannon UT... SO Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Kathy Masterson MU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Amanda Renth MU... JR Wesley, Nicole BU... FR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Lake, Chelsi BU... SR tied with 2 triple(s) 7. Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Hinshaw, Jamie TAMU... JR Flores, Amber OU... FR STOLEN BASES CL G SB SB/G TOTAL BASES CL G TB TB/G Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Thomas, Shannon UT... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Wesley, Tiffany BU... FR Amanda Renth MU... JR Wesley, Nicole BU... FR Micaela Minner MU... JR Leanne Bowers MU... SR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Hinshaw, Jamie TAMU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR tied with 17 stolen base(s) 10.Lake, Chelsi BU... SR WALKS CL G BB BB/G ON BASE PERCENTAGE CL G AB H BB HBP SF OB% Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Micaela Minner MU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Amanda Renth MU... JR Ogden, Susan OU... JR Jobe, Amanda KU... FR Micaela Minner MU... JR Pascale, Brittany NU... SO Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Leanne Bowers MU... SR Flores, Amber OU... FR SLUGGING PERCENTAGE CL G AB H 2B 3B HR SLUG% Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Thrasher, Tallie UT... FR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Corkin,Jennifer TTU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Amanda Renth MU... JR

46 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics Through Games of May 24 (All games) WINS CL G W-L INNINGS PITCHED CL G IP IP/G Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Jen Bruck MU... JR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR tied with 17 victory(s) 8. Jen Bruck MU... JR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR STRIKEOUTS CL G SO SO/G APPEARANCES CL App GS W L Sv Denny, Meagan UT... JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Hill, Molly NU... SO Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Jana Hainey MU... FR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR SAVES CL G Sv GAMES STARTED CL App GS W L Sv Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Tresselt, Erin UT... FR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Jen Bruck MU... JR Jana Hainey MU... FR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR George, Valerie KU... SO 29 3 Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Jen Bruck MU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Carlin, Charissa ISU... FR 31 2 Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Megan Dennis MU... SO Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR tied with 1 save(s) 10.DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR SHUTOUTS CL G ShO COMPLETE GAMES CL App GS CG W L Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Hill, Molly NU... SO Jen Bruck MU... JR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Hill, Molly NU... SO Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR 35 5 Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR 40 4 Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR OPP. BATTING AVERAGE CL G AB H AVG. TEAM FIELDING PO A E Pct DP SBA-ATT Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Oklahoma Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Texas A&M DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Baylor Denny, Meagan UT... JR Nebraska Hill, Molly NU... SO Texas Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Kansas Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Missouri Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Oklahoma State Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Texas Tech Tresselt, Erin UT... FR Iowa State

47 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics - FINAL (Big 12 games only) TEAM BATTING G Avg OBpct Slug AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB SBA S SF Oklahoma Baylor Texas A&M Texas Oklahoma State Missouri Texas Tech Nebraska Kansas Iowa State TEAM PITCHING G ERA BAvg W L IP H R ER BB SO CG HR ShO SV BB/7 SO/ Texas A&M Missouri Nebraska Baylor Oklahoma Texas Kansas Texas Tech Oklahoma State Iowa State INDIVIDUAL BATTING Min 2.0 AB/Team game CL G Avg OBpct Slug AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB SBA S SF Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Flores, Amber OU... FR Ogden, Susan OU... JR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Lake, Chelsi BU... SR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Corkin,Jennifer TTU... JR Julie Silver MU... FR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Fox, Jamie OU... SR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Romero, Miriam BU... SR Thomas, Shannon UT... SO Kathy Masterson MU... SR INDIVIDUAL PITCHING Min 1.0 IP/Team game CL G GS ERA BAvg W-L IP H R ER BB SO CG HR ShO SV BB/7 SO/ Jana Hainey MU... FR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Hill, Molly NU... SO Jen Bruck MU... JR Tresselt, Erin UT... FR Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR George, Valerie KU... SO Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Losleben,Sarah TTU... JR Mathis, D.J. OU... SO Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Whiddon, Anna OSU... FR Barclay, Chelsey OSU... SR

48 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics - FINAL (Big 12 games only) HITS CL G H H/G RUNS SCORED CL G R R/G Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Flores, Amber OU... FR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Ogden, Susan OU... JR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Flores, Amber OU... FR McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR tied with 18 hit(s) Wesley, Tiffany BU... FR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR HOME RUNS CL G HR HR/G DOUBLES CL G 2B 2B/G Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Carwile, Crystal NU... SO Reagan, Brette BU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Ramirez, Sara KU... FR tied with 4 double(s) Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Long, Savannah OU... JR tied with 3 home run(s) TRIPLES CL G 3B 3B/G RUNS BATTED IN CL G RBI RBI/G Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Porter, Devin NU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Gegen, Mandy TAMU... FR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Melone, Kelly UT... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Kaye, Kim OSU... JR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Ogden, Susan OU... JR Davis, Joy TAMU... SR Lake, Chelsi BU... SR Padilla, MicKayla UT... JR tied with 12 RBI(s) Harmison, Jenna OSU... JR Romero, Miriam BU... SR STOLEN BASES CL G SB SB/G TOTAL BASES CL G TB TB/G Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR Reagan, Brette BU... SO McDonald, Sharonda TAMU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Thomas, Shannon UT... SO Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Wesley, Tiffany BU... FR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Leanne Bowers MU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR tied with 5 stolen base(s) 8. Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Fox, Jamie OU... SR tied with 27 total base(s) WALKS CL G BB BB/G ON BASE PERCENTAGE CL G AB H BB HBP SF OB% Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Reagan, Brette BU... SO Reagan, Brette BU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Jen Bruck MU... JR Flores, Amber OU... FR Jobe, Amanda KU... FR Scott, Shanel OSU... SR Flores, Amber OU... FR Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Corkin,Jennifer TTU... JR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Corkin,Jennifer TTU... JR tied with 9 walk(s) 9. Thrasher, Tallie UT... FR Parker,Ashley TTU... SR SLUGGING PERCENTAGE CL G AB H 2B 3B HR SLUG% Reagan, Brette BU... SO Monceaux, Ashley BU... SR Ricketts, Samantha OU... SO Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Totte, Courtney OSU... SR Dickenson, Traci OU... SO Dickson, Norrelle OU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Fox, Jamie OU... SR Reynolds, Alex TAMU... FR

49 2007 BIG 12 CONFERENCE Softball Statistics - FINAL (Big 12 games only) WINS CL G W-L INNINGS PITCHED CL G IP IP/G Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Hill, Molly NU... SO Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR tied with 4 victory(s) 10.Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR STRIKEOUTS CL G SO SO/G APPEARANCES CL App GS W L Sv Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Jen Bruck MU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Hoppock, Jessica OSU... SR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR tied with 11 appearance(s) SAVES CL G Sv GAMES STARTED CL App GS W L Sv DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Denny, Meagan UT... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Jen Bruck MU... JR Jana Hainey MU... FR 9 2 Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Carlin, Charissa ISU... FR 6 1 Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR George, Valerie KU... SO Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Jacobs,Ashly TTU... FR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR tied with 9 game(s) started SHUTOUTS CL G ShO COMPLETE GAMES CL App GS CG W L Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Ransom, Alyssa ISU... SR Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Jen Bruck MU... JR DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR 13 3 Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR 15 2 Denny, Meagan UT... JR Denny, Meagan UT... JR 16 2 Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Jana Hainey MU... FR Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Ferguson, Lisa BU... SR 15 2 Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR tied with 1 shutout(s) 3 tied with 5 complete game(s) OPP. BATTING AVERAGE CL G AB H AVG. TEAM FIELDING PO A E Pct DP SBA-ATT DeBuhr, Ashley NU... SR Baylor Scarborough, Amanda TAMU.. JR Nebraska Shortridge, Kirsten BU... FR Oklahoma Humphreys, Kassie KU... SR Texas A&M Hill, Molly NU... SO Missouri Jana Hainey MU... FR Texas Gibson, Megan TAMU... JR Kansas Denny, Meagan UT... JR Oklahoma State Eckermann, Lauren OU... JR Iowa State Jen Bruck MU... JR Texas Tech

50 Softball Team Stacked for Deep 07 Run By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Jan 24, 2007 Softball team stacked for deep 07 run Some teams have to rebuild. Some reload. This season s OU softball team just returns. OU freshman Amber Flores, shown here batting a fall 2006 game, and the OU softball team begin their season Feb. 9 at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami, Fla. With eight position starters returning, the Sooners are now a complete opposite of last year s team experienced. Last year we only had two seniors and this year we are coming full force because now there are six of us, senior Norelle Dickson said. The team opens play Feb. 9 in Miami, Fla., at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic against Louisville. The Sooners were extremely young last season but still managed to produce their 13th straight 40-win season. The young, inexperienced team dramatically improved as the season wore on. If last season s finish is any indication, the sky is the limit for this year s squad. Last year the Sooners made a strong postseason run by winning 12 of their last 15 games and finishing second in the Big 12 championships. Two-time All-American Dickson, Savannah Long and Samantha Ricketts return to a lineup that topped the Big 12 in nine offensive categories last season and finished 10th nationally with a.311 batting average. Dickson will return to her lead-off spot where she finished fifth nationally in batting average and won the Big 12 batting title, hitting at a.429 clip. A preseason player of the year candidate, Dickson provides the Sooners with a potent bat and a spark at the top of the order. A big role of mine is to get on base, Dickson said. Instead of just bunting and slapping I really want to be a threat to be a power hitter this year. Complementing the impressive lineup will be sophomore hurler D.J. Mathis. Just a freshman last season, Mathis improved as the season went along and led the Sooners in wins and ERA. Having such a strong lineup behind her takes some of the pressure off. It s always nice to know that you don t have to go out and shut everybody out, Mathis said. It s nice to know that if you make a mistake and give up a run that we are going to put three or four on the board. On the flip side, having a more seasoned pitcher in the circle will take some of the pressure off the offense. Having D.J. along with Lauren to take the pressure off her, it s a lot more laid back and gives the team more confidence, said Ricketts, a sophomore catcher. The team was picked in a preseason coaches poll to finish fourth in the Big 12. Coach Patty Gasso said the lower-than-expected ranking will only serve as extra incentive. These polls are great to use for motivation, but the preseason poll means nothing because it just matters where you finish at the end of the season, Gasso said in a statement released by the university. These polls are usually based on how well a team does in the prior season and every team is different from year to year. I m excited to see what our team does this year. One hole that needs to be filled was left by All- American Kristin Vesely. Senior outfielder Amber Spaulding will most likely be moving over from right field to replace Vesely. It s big shoes to fill, Spaulding said. I am just a different type of player. She is better at some things that I don t have and the other way around. The Sooners have all the necessary pieces to return to the Women s College World Series, but will need players that produced last season to improve on that production. The team has a fiery, talented ace in Mathis and also has some depth in the bullpen with the recent addition of two-time juco All-American Lauren Eckermann. Eckermann should complement Mathis well with her differing style and the two will rotate as the top two pitchers on the staff. Lauren is a great pitcher and it s definitely going to be nice having her here, Mathis said.

51 The Athletic Long Family By Brentt Eads StudentSportsSoftball.com Publisher Jan. 31, 2006 There are families who play sports and then there s the Long family from Oklahoma. Jim Long, the patriarch and only male in the family, played football at Duke and then transferred to Oklahoma State to play baseball. His wife, Kari, was a standout basketball and softball player in high school and says Jim, She was a very good athlete. I remember, way back when, going to her games between mine and watching her play. The girls and I talk and sometimes say she might have been the best of all of us. The Jones ladies (top, l-r): Karolyne, Kari, Savananah; (front) Madisyn. Savannah, the oldest of the three girls, is a junior softball player at the University of Oklahoma and will be followed there in a few years by Karolyne, a junior shortstop for the Oklahoma Babes, the club team headed by Steve Bachman for which her father is an assistant. Karolyne committed to OU last June (more on that shortly) and is four years older than the youngest of the three daughter, Madisyn, who is 12 but plays on a 14-U team. That s the nuclear family, but if you look at the mother s side, you ll also discover that her father played basketball at Oklahoma State for legendary coach Hank Iba and Kari s brothers are Mike Gundy, who s the head coach at Oklahoma State, and Cale Gundy, the running back coach at in-state rival Oklahoma. Their Mom won t even go to the games when they play, laughs Jim. Karolyne committed to Oklahoma last June, but the news went largely unannounced which wasn t by accident. She was getting a lot of letters from Big 12 and SEC schools, remembers the athlete s father, but we (the Oklahoma Babes) hadn t qualified yet and there were some seniors who hadn t committed, so when the offer came in from Oklahoma to me, her mother and I chose to keep it under our hat and didn t even tell her for a couple weeks. We didn t want it to be a distraction for the team and for her, to be honest with you, but finally we as her parents sat down and decided she deserved to know this. When Savannah heard about the offer, she insisted on coming home so she could be part of us telling Karolyne. We sat Karolyne down and explained what happened, that it was early and the pros and cons of committing early. Savannah is a junior at Oklahoma. The two sisters went outside and walked around our property for about a half hour and then Karolyne came in and called Coach (Patty) Gasso. I got on the phone and Patty said, Well, we got our first commitment of 08. Even with the verbal finalized, the news was slow to get out simply, as the family father says, Because Karolyne s not boastful. All of our girls realize it s a team-oriented game and not to get too concerned with individual accomplishments. Another factor helping make the situation easier is Jim Long and Steve Bachman have been friends since the seventh grade and now have daughters who are both juniors. While Jim has the athletic background, Steve has the coaching ties and connections. It s a partnership that s helped the Babes become one of the top teams in Oklahoma. Of course, it helps to have talent like Karolyne s. As Steve told you last week, the father begins, Karolyne is a five-tool player and has led her club and high school teams in home runs and steals, which is unique from that standpoint. But it wasn t always like that: when she was in 10-U, she couldn t hit the ball out of the infield and we had her bunt for the whole year! She went through a quirky funk and now she s one of the best bunters on the team. So how do the three girls compare? Savannah is the best natural athlete, Jim states. She played three sports in high school, where Karolyne has concentrated exclusively on softball, including speed and strength conditioning. Madisyn is a hybrid of the two; she has Savannah s hand-eye coordination and Karolyne s raw abilities of speed and power. Savannah and I were talking that Madisyn might be the best of all three of them.

52 Sooners like their chances By Jeff Johncox Norman Transcript Feb. 9, 2007 It s all about pitching. Last season, Oklahoma struggled in the circle, especially at the start of Big 12 play. Kami Keiter had graduated, and the Sooners were looking for someone on the staff to step up and fill her shoes. Well, it took a while, but freshman D.J. Mathis figured things out toward the end of the year, and led the Sooners to the Big 12 Tournament championship game and two near upsets on the road at Michigan in an NCAA Regional. Jadyn Smith and Morgan Hudsonpillar rejoin Mathis this season. And there s a newcomer, too. Lauren Eckermann, a junior college transfer from Temple Junior College in Temple, Texas, has already impressed coaches and her teammates with what she can do in the circle. As the No. 16 Sooners season starts today against No. 20 Louisville in the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami, Fla., the pitching staff is eager to go. I think we re a lot more confident this year as a staff, Mathis said. We were two freshmen and a couple of pitchers who didn t have a lot of experience last year. But we re much more prepared (going into) this season. Mathis led the Sooners in the circle in 2006, going 15-9 with a 2.24 earned run average and striking out 103 batters in innings pitched. Eckermann is the wild card of the staff. The Sooners early-season success could depend largely on how she adapts to Division I hitters. She dominated the National Junior College Athletics Association last year, leading all pitchers with a 0.17 ERA and striking out 310 batters while walking just 29. I feel really good coming in, Eckermann said. I was kind of nervous coming in, but we re really close as a staff. I think we have a healthy competition that makes us all better. And Eckermann is winning over her teammates already. I ve never met someone so nice as Lauren, Hudsonpillar said. OU s lineup is mostly intact from a year ago. The only person missing is leading hitter Kristin Vesely. So there s a lot of experience coming back for this year s Sooners, and coach Patty Gasso feels a lot better about opening up 2007 than she did I definitely feel a lot more secure, Gasso said. I really like the way they ve held their own in the scrimmages we ve been holding against hitters that see them every day. I feel really good. I think last year if you asked me how I thought we were going to do, I said I don t know. This year I m feeling very confident that these pitchers will do their job in the circle. The Sooners and Cardinals begin at 9 this morning. Hudsonpillar and Smith saw more limited action. Smith finished 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 23 innings. Hudsonpillar was 6-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 71.2 innings and 11 starts. I feel a lot more comfortable than I did last season, Smith said. I think all of us do. We have more time under our belts and we know what we need to do out there. When we came in here as freshmen, you don t really know what you re doing, Hudsonpillar said. Now, D.J. and I can tell you, we ve seen it all and we know what to expect. Jadyn s been here for three years now, so she s a lot more experienced, too.

53 Softball wins Florida tourney By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb 12, 2007 A fast start was one of the goals for the OU softball team. Consider that goal met. Behind timely hitting and outstanding starting pitching, OU got off to a roaring start as the Sooners powered their way to a season-opening tournament championship. I thought this weekend was huge for us because we opened the season with a great come-from-behind victory against No. 20 Louisville and I believe that shows the kind of team we are going to be this season, head coach Patty Gasso said in a press release. After preliminary round wins over the Cardinals, Illinois, Illinois State and Florida International, OU defeated Illinois State 4-2 Sunday morning in a rematch to win the Diamond Sun and Fun Classic in Miami. and junior Jadyn Smith pitched the final inning, closing out the win for the Sooners. Freshman Amber Flores gave the Sooners an offensive lift by blasting a two-run home run over the center field wall. Flores two-run bomb scored Preseason All-American Norrelle Dickson, who reached on a single, and the Sooners grabbed a 2-0 lead. I just want to get on base because I had been struggling a little, Flores said. I got a good pitch to drive and it went over. It was probably the best hit of my life. OU returns to Norman next weekend to host the OU/ Nike Classic at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners will take on Minnesota at 2:30 p.m. on Friday for its home opener. The 16th-ranked Sooners ran the table, winning all five games by a combined score of OU was led to four wins by junior Lauren Eckermann and one by sophomore lefty D.J. Mathis. Eckermann was named tournament MVP with her 4-0 record and 0.60 ERA. I just wanted to execute the game plan we worked up with coach [Melissa] Lombardi, Eckermann said. We had great defense to back it up. OU s dominant offense was on full display at the invitational. Last year s home run leader sophomore Samantha Ricketts was named to the All-tournament team. She led the team offensively in the tournament hitting at a.462 clip. For me, it was to do whatever I could do get the RBIs and help the team win, Ricketts. I know my role is if Norelle [Dickson] gets on in, I have to try and drive her in. Also making the all-tourney team was sophomore infielder Traci Dickenson. She hit.333 with two doubles and a home run in the tournament. In the championship game Sunday morning, the Sooners got another dominant performance turned in by Eckermann. The junior hurler went six strong innings, giving up five hits and striking out four. Mathis

54 Sooner players remember first women to break color barrier By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb 14, 2007 Tradition is an imperative aspect of any athletic program. It helps bring in highly touted recruits and is vital in building a winner. Norrelle Dickson, a preseason All-American, is one of two black players on OU s softball team. For two OU softball players, a different kind of tradition is a significant part of their game. February is recognized as Black History Month and Sooners Iver McDonald and Norrelle Dickson said it gives them a chance to reflect on their history and heritage. I think it is really important, McDonald, a freshman, said. As athletes, we have a big role in this school and we can be role models like that. I don t think there is enough focus on it, McDonald said. It takes people that actually care to bring out the fact that people don t make a big deal about it. Dickson, a senior and pre-season All-American, echoed McDonald s remarks. She said softball is a sport in which black Americans are not widely represented a reason it is even more important to acknowledge the month. It is important to recognize it, especially in softball because you don t see many African-Americans playing this sport, Dickson said. She said it is important for black Americans like her and McDonald to represent not only their school, but also their race. It is important to present yourself well and conduct yourself in a respectful manner, Dickson said. You re representing even though there are only a few African-Americans in the Big 12. One piece of history that means a lot to the two players is the woman who made it all possible. Betty Chapman is credited as the first woman to break the color barrier in professional softball in She played as an outfielder on the Admiral Music Maids of the National Girls Baseball League out of Chicago. put on the cleats and play here. McDonald agreed with Dickson s sentiments. It definitely gave us a chance to come in and do something, the freshman said. I still think there is a lack of African-Americans in softball. Chapman broke the color line in softball four years after Jackie Robinson did it in professional baseball. Jackie Robinson is someone everybody knows and he is one of my biggest idols, McDonald said. He didn t care and did what he loved, and that is what we do, do what we love. He is an inspiration to us. Robinson took extreme criticism but persevered to change professional sports. Dickson said Robinson leveled the playing field for all. He blazed the trail and started something amazing, Dickson said. Most of our athletes here are African- Americans. We have a lot of African-American athletes. He was the pioneer. You got to give credit where credit is due. Prentice Gautt was the first black football player at OU and was honored last season at halftime during a home game against Colorado. In his honor, Gautt s former number, 38, was not issued to any other player. It is awesome that our university recognized him in that way, Dickson said. They dedicated the whole academic center for athletes in his honor. Dickson said she won t ever take for granted those who came before her and gave her the opportunity to play at OU. There are great memorials that we walk by and probably many of the athletes take for granted and don t know about, the senior said. They always say remember where you came from, and you have recognize and to give credit to those who made the path for you. I d love to meet her, Dickson said. If she didn t take those risks, I wouldn t have had the chance to get to

55 Sooners hot start meets cold weather By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb 15, 2007 Coming off a 5-0 start in warm, sunny Miami last weekend, the OU softball team returns home to host the OU/Nike Classic Friday through Sunday. The team will be greeted with playing circumstances they haven t seen yet this year. Cold weather. Our tans are going to be gone very quickly, head coach Patty Gasso said. We ve been out in this weather for the last month and a half, so it s not going to affect us. This is actually what we re more accustomed to right now. Whatever is put out there is going to be competition, Gasso continued. We re going to play them like we would play anybody. The Sooners kick off their home schedule today at 3:30 p.m. against Minnesota at the OU Softball Complex and then at 5:45 p.m. against Birmingham Southern. Saturday will be a doubleheader with OU hosting Northwestern State at 12:15 p.m. and Minnesota again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday will round out the Classic with games against Birmingham Southern at 12:15 p.m. and Northwestern State at 2:30 p.m. If we re in the 40s, we re feeling at home, which is really sad, she continued. But that s the way it is. With its tournament win in Miami, OU moved up four spots in the polls to No. 12. The Sooners bolted out of the gate to start this season, pounding out 28 runs in five games. Gasso saw room to improve offensively heading into this weekend s games. One thing we could have done much better was scoring runs in RBI opportunities, Gasso said. We left too many runners on in scoring position. Six games in three days will give the Sooners an opportunity to showcase their deep pitching staff. Junior and last week s tournament MVP Lauren Eckermann, sophomore D.J. Mathis and junior Jadyn Smith provide OU with a bevy of solid arms in the circle. The three of them right now are better than any staff out there, Gasso said. It is just getting them on the mound, getting them comfortable and getting them in the groove. Participating in the Classic will be Minnesota, Birmingham Southern and Northwestern State. Gasso said this weekend s competition would benefit the Sooners. It s going to be good for us, she said. We need innings, and we need teams with other colored uniforms out there. We need reps; we need to see live pitching.

56 Strong in the circle By Jeff Johncox Norman Transcript Feb. 16, 2007 Even Lauren Eckermann was surprised at her first official Division I pitch. Coming into the game last Friday in relief of Oklahoma starter D.J. Mathis against No. 20 Louisville, Eckermann put her first ball behind the hitter. I think I may have still had some nerves there I didn t know I had, she said. I think she was surprised, like Did that really happen just now? The inauspicious start turned into Eckermann s first career victory, which were followed by three more victories during the Sooners championship run at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami last week. Eckermann was named the tournament MVP and now carries a 0.60 earned run average over her first 231/3 innings of the season. I m really excited, Eckermann said. I wouldn t say I m relaxed, but I m feeling very confident in what I ve learned and what I m still learning. It doesn t hurt to have that great defense of ours behind me. Our defense got some action, but it wasn t hard-hit balls or things like that. Hitters never really dug in on Lauren. It kind of took me back to the Jennifer Stewart days. That s the kind of pitcher she was. One of the secrets to Eckermann s success has been the lineup she has to practice against every day. OU is perennially one of the better offensive teams in the country, and this year s squad includes eight returning starters. I think that helped me a lot. We have such a great offensive lineup, that it really helped me, she said. Coming from the junior college level and facing OU batters, it was a real eye-opener for me. But that s something that taught me a lot, and I was able to learn from those experiences. Eckermann and the Sooners (5-0) open at home today when they host the OU-Nike Classic at Marita Hynes Field. OU will take on Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. and Birmingham Southern at 5:45. Eckermann s quick start isn t a complete surprise. She came to OU last fall sporting some of the best junior college stats in the country. Last season, at Temple (Texas) Junior College, she was near perfect, going 31-0 while allowing five earned runs in 205 innings, making for an ERA of She s pretty seasoned from being a junior college transfer, and she pitched in some pretty big games there, Gasso said. I knew she had the background to pitch well. Sometimes you worry about how quickly players will adapt to the new level of play, but going from junior college to Division I isn t as big a jump as from high school, so I think that helps her a lot, too. What has impressed Gasso thus far is Eckermann s ability to control the count. The way she gets in front of hitters has her coach making a pretty bold comparison. It s a coach s dream the way her strike to ball ratio was (last week), Gasso said. She was always 0-and-2 or 1-and-2. Maybe she didn t get a strikeout every time, but it sets her up for making hitters chase things out of the strike zone just to protect the plate.

57 Grand opening By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript Feb. 17, 2007 After a rocky start, the Oklahoma softball team opened its home schedule with a bang Friday at Marita Hynes Field. Make that two bangs. The No. 12 Sooners (6-0) received grand slams from Stacia Aleman and Samantha Ricketts as they runruled Birmingham-Southern 14-1 in five innings. OU scored seven runs in the second and fourth innings while piling up 11 hits. Lauren Eckermann picked up her fifth victory of the season for the Sooners, allowing one run on four hits over four innings. Our offense got hot today, OU coach Patty Gasso said. I thought we had great at-bats all the way down the lineup. But it didn t start out that way for the Sooners. Traci Dickenson brought home OU s first run on an error by Birmingham Southern shortstop Brooke Reed. Norrelle Dickson followed with a run-scoring single, and Amber Flores infield single plated another run. That brought up Ricketts, who lined into the rightfield bleachers, putting OU up 7-1. We started off slow, but Mariee Mena got us going in the second with her single and our offense took off from there, Gasso said. Our offense, combined with our defense, which owns a great.993 fielding average, has really been a great combination for us and I m really pleased with the way we played today. In the fourth inning, the Sooner bats got loud again. Dickson led off with a walk, Flores added another infield single, and Ricketts brought both in on an RBI double. Mena brought her home two batters later and OU was up Savannah Long singled to center to load the bases up for Aleman, who put her home run over the left-field fence. Eckermann was replaced by Jadyn Smith in the fifth inning. The junior struck out one and retired the side in order. The Sooners are back in action today at 1:30 p.m. against Northwestern State and 3:30 p.m. against Minnesota. Panthers starter Bethney Reynoldson kept OU hitters handcuffed in the first inning, and Eckermann s fifth start as a Sooner didn t look anything like her first three. Birmingham-Southern touched home first. Blaes Schmissrauter and Brooke Reed hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the first inning. Eckermann looked like she might get out of trouble, striking out Heather Fox, but Melissa Taunton doubled, bringing Schmissrauter home and shocking the Sooner faithful who braved the cold weather to watch bundled up in the stands. But the Panthers lead wouldn t last long. Mariee Mena opened the floodgates for the Sooners in the bottom of the second inning. Her single started an OU rally that saw the Sooners bat around the lineup and bring home seven runs.

58 Bats come around in time From Transcript Staff The Norman Transcript Feb. 18, 2007 The Oklahoma softball team won both its games Saturday at the OU-Nike Classic. The No. 12 Sooners improved to 8-0 on the season thanks to a 6-5 victory over Minnesota and a 12-0 run-rule victory over Northwestern State at Marita Hynes Field. Jamie Fox added a two-run homer of her own over the right field fence with two outs in the third inning and Ricketts, who leads the Sooners in batting average and RBIs, hit her second home run of the weekend with a three-run shot over the right-center field wall. The Sooners are back in action today. They take on Birmingham Southern at 12:15 p.m. and follow up with their tourney finale against Northwestern State. The victory over the Golden Gophers, the Sooners second of the day, wasn t nearly as easy as the day s earlier blowout of the Demons. The Sooners needed a four-run sixth inning to top Minnesota. Gopher hitters got to junior-college transfer Lauren Eckermann for four runs on five hits in the first 31/3 innings. Jadyn Smith came in and shut down Minnesota, while the OU offense struggled. Jadyn was our MVP tonight, OU coach Patty Gasso said. Her job was to come in and spark the defense and that is exactly what she did. It s great to have a pitcher that can come in and pick up where another left off. And in the sixth inning, OU s bats came alive. With one out, Samantha Ricketts walked and pinch hitter Susan Ogden singled to right field, advancing pinch runner Jade Prather to third base. Stacia Aleman brought Prather home with a double, and Jamie Fox tied the game with a two-run double to center field. The Sooners took the lead when Lindsey Vandever reached second base on an error, allowing Fox to score. It was all OU in the opener. Sophomore starter D.J. Mathis pitched 42/3 innings, only giving up four hits. Smith came in for the final out. The Sooner bats combined for eight hits and was led by freshman Amber Flores three-run inside-the-park home run. Flores was 2-for-2 with five RBIs.

59 OU dominates softball Classic By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb. 18, 2007 With a weekend full of explosive offense and solid pitching, the No. 12 Sooner softball team improved its record to 10-0 after five games at home in the OU/Nike Classic. Powering its way through the weekend competition, OU blasted nine home runs, including three grand slams. Eight different Sooners hit round-trippers, and the Sooners outscored their opponents 63-6 over the five game span. The guys did what they were supposed to do offensively, head coach Patty Gasso said. They ve got it working together. Kicking off the home schedule, OU took on Birmingham Southern Friday afternoon. The Sooners mashed out 11 hits, with home runs coming from Samantha Ricketts and Stacia Aleman in a 14-1 run-rule victory. together. Gasso said the mentality to rally and win is something that separates this team from year s past. I don t know [if], in the last couple years, we ve had the actual belief that we could do this [come from behind], the coach said. Rounding out the classic on Sunday, the Sooners took on Birmingham Southern and Northwestern State again. The Sooners run-ruled Southern 17-0 in the first game with Morgan Hudsonpillar picking up the win. Catcher Susan Ogden bombed a grand slam and center fielder Jamie Fox drove in four to power OU to the win. The second game saw another Sooner run-rule with OU taking the game Senior Norrelle Dickson and Fox had three hits each with Fox driving in three. Ricketts continued her hot hitting over the weekend, hitting two home runs, driving in eight and pushing her batting average to.462. We feel like our offense is really clicking, Ricketts said. If one person doesn t come through the next person probably will. Saturday saw the Sooners in action twice with wins over Northwestern State and Minnesota. Sophomore D.J. Mathis picked up her second win of the season as OU run-ruled Northwestern State Freshman Amber Flores had a home run and five RBI. I think the first couple of game I was a little nervous and made a few mistakes, Flores said. Now, as time goes [on] I am kind of getting used to it. In the second game, a four-run, sixth-inning rally gave the Sooners their first lead of the game and was enough to beat Minnesota 6-5. Junior Jadyn Smith relieved starter Lauren Eckermann (6-0) and picked up the win for OU. One thing that I like besides all these big numbers is that 6-5 come-from-behind win, Gasso said. It s something that is probably most valuable to us. That s what we remember from this, Gasso continued. We had to come from behind and find ways to get through some tough situations and rally

60 Sooners stay hot at the plate By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript Feb. 19, 2007 More doubles, more grand slams and more run-rules. That was the order of the day at Marita Hynes Field Sunday as Oklahoma completed an OU-Nike Classic sweep with a 17-0 victory over Birmingham Southern and a 15-0 victory over Northwestern State, both in five-inning run-rules. (Our offense) has it working right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. Up and down the lineup, they ve got it working and they ve got it working together. The Sooners (10-0) bounced back from nearly falling to Minnesota Saturday with two dominant performances. baseman Samantha Ricketts said. It s not just one person. OU hit four grand slams over the three-day event. Sunday s victory over Northwestern State saw Traci Dickenson and Susan Ogden clear the bases by going yard. Dickenson s cleared the left-field fence, and Ogden s liner bounced off the stadium fence just shy of the scoreboard in left-center. It was a great feeling, Ogden said of her first career grand slam. I ve been waiting for a hit, and that one just felt really good. The Sooners are back in action at 4 p.m. Tuesday when they host Tulsa. And it wasn t just at the plate. In her first action of the season, Morgan Hudsonpillar was solid in the circle, pitching three innings and giving up three hits to win her first game of the year against Birmingham Southern. D.J. Mathis replaced her and pitched two hitless innings. But the story in the circle was Lauren Eckermann. In Saturday s 6-5 victory over the Golden Gophers, Eckermann was knocked around. Sunday, though, she was back in form, striking out eight as she notched the shutout and her sixth victory of the season. (Saturday) I was just struggling with some things, and I didn t really know what it was, Eckermann said. Coach (Melissa) Lombardi and I watched some video and saw what I was doing wrong. We corrected some things and I think I did a lot better (Sunday). Sooner freshman left fielder Amber Flores was unstoppable at the plate throughout the weekend. Flores led the team with a.667 batting average in the Classic and had a double, a triple and a home run. She also drove in 10 runs. But she was hardly alone. Four Sooners drove in at least seven runs in the five games, and leadoff hitter Norrelle Dickson hit.533 and stole six bases. Everyone, one through nine, we re all hitting, first

61 OU softball team fends off rally in 5-3 win over Tulsa By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb. 20, 2007 OU softball team fends off rally in 5-3 win over Tulsa After 11 games, the OU softball team showed it can win games even when they aren t at their best. OU moved past Tulsa in a 5-3 win Tuesday. Head coach Patty Gasso said that s an encouraging development. I look at our performance today as being a little mediocre, Gasso said. The exciting thing is we are a team that, if we re mediocre, we re still good enough to beat teams. We hit the ball pretty well, but we were a little undisciplined at the plate which is not really characteristic of us, she said. Tulsa really made some outstanding plays in the outfield. As long as they re hitting the ball hard, things will break open for you, she continued. Eventually if you just stick with your game plan, things will start to erupt for you. Eckermann improved to 7-0 on the season with the win. She allowed only three hits and struck out four in a combined 5.2 innings of work. Staving off a late push by the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, the No. 10 Sooner softball team improved to 11-0 on the year with a 5-3 win. OU held a 5-0 lead heading into the top of the seventh, but TU scored three runs on five hits after sophomore pitcher D.J. Mathis replaced starter Lauren Eckermann in the sixth inning. TU pinch hitter Ashlee Lubniewski put the Golden Hurricane on the board with a solo shot over the left field wall to start the seventh. Following two singles, Mathis was replaced by junior Jadyn Smith. Smith s two inherited runners scored on two singles and cut OU s lead to 5-3. Starter Eckermann returned to the circle, replacing Smith, and induced a game-ending double play. She did a great job of getting that double play at the end of the game, Gasso said. Powering the OU offense was sophomore Samantha Ricketts and senior Jamie Fox, who both blasted their team-leading third home runs of the year. I think what s made them both so good this early is they re really battling at the plate, Gasso said. Those [kind of at-bats] are just infectious. OU s preseason All-American, Norrelle Dickson, extended her hit-streak to nine games with two hits and an RBI. The Sooners left a heap of runners on base and Gasso thought the team could ve done better in RBI situations.

62 Eckermann pulls double duty in victory By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript Feb. 21, 2007 Lauren Eckermann got to play a dual role in Oklahoma s 5-3 victory over Tulsa Tuesday night at Marita Hynes Field. The junior-college transfer pitched five innings and was in line to grab an easy victory when the Sooner bullpen allowed the Golden Hurricane back in the game. So, OU coach Patty Gasso got Eckermann back in the game, and if softball rules allowed for it, the new Sooner ace would have picked up the win and the save. I just went and warmed up again, threw a few pitches, Eckermann said. In that situation, you can t overthink things and let the nerves get the best of you. You just want to go out there and execute, do what you re supposed to do. Eckermann was humming along, blowing through the Tulsa lineup. She allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings before Gasso brought in D.J. Mathis in the top of the sixth inning to close things out with a 5-0 lead. get some things done. Unfortunately, her and Jadyn got hit and had some issues. We want to see our pitchers come out of the bullpen like bulldogs. We want them fired up and ready to go, and they weren t (Tuesday). They were getting 3-0 and 3-1 counts and that s not going to make you successful as a pitcher. Offensively, the Sooners just couldn t put the game away, despite having several opportunities early to do so. OU left the bases loaded twice. We just weren t getting the timely hitting that we needed, Gasso said. I think we were a little overanxious, and their center fielder made some really outstanding plays. I thought we hit the ball hard all day and had our chances to expand the lead, but we just didn t get the hits when we needed them. The Sooners are on the road this weekend for the Palm Springs Tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. They return to Marita Hynes Field Feb. 28 when they host a double-header with Arkansas and 3 and 5 p.m. After coasting through the sixth, Mathis ran into trouble. Ashlee Lubniewski pinch-hit for Westmoore grad Christian Timmons and got the Golden Hurricane on the board with a solo home run to left field to lead off the seventh. Lauren Lindsay then made it a 5-2 game with an RBI-single with one out. Jadyn Smith replaced Mathis, but didn t fare much better. Sara Dyer hit a run-scoring single through the left side of the infield to make it a 5-3 game. Gasso had seen enough, and brought Eckermann back in, who got Kelli McGlasson to hit into a gameending double play. Lauren threw really well, but I thought it almost looked like she was tiring a bit, Gasso said. I wanted to get D.J. a chance to get out there a little bit and

63 Softball team takes perfect record to Palm Springs By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb. 22, 2007 The No. 10 Sooner softball team carries its perfect 11-0 record to the West Coast this weekend to participate in the Palm Springs Tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. Head coach Patty Gasso sees this tournament as a chance to find out where this team stands. We re going to find out what our identity is out there, Gasso said. We ve taken care of our business thus far. But this is going to be a true test. She said she wants to see a team this weekend that is not afraid of anything. What I would like to see is a team that is fearless, Gasso said. Just go out and a team that is taking on all comers. Joining OU in the tournament will be nationally ranked Cal and Oregon State. Also in the tourney will be Ohio State, Notre Dame and Loyola-Marymount. Coach Gasso said the competition is potent. I think they re excited about the challenge, she said. They just have to remain disciplined. Whatever it is we re going to have to do to be successful; we re going to do it. They just have to trust the game plan and stick with it. Gasso said the main goal for the tournament is improvement in the circle, among other areas. I really would like to see our pitching staff stand tall and keep us in games, she said. I really would like to see some aggressive base running. I would like to see our offense come up with big opportunities, clutch RBIs and things like that. Most of all, she wants to see her team battle and scrap to do anything it takes to win against the solid field of teams. I just want to see these guys fight against tough competition, Gasso said. I know we re not afraid of it, but I really want them to toe up with these others. It s solid, the coach said. It s the best we have seen this season. We do not have an easy road. It s really going to be test of who we are and how we handle our adversities. The Sooners will go to Palm Springs with a few question marks, most notably in the pitcher s circle. Sophomore D.J. Mathis has struggled some in the early going of the year, but that doesn t concern Gasso. D.J. is going through a few mechanical things she needs to work out, she said. We ve had her going back and looking at some past games that she s been good at last year. I don t have worries about D.J. because she s already been there and she s established, Gasso continued. What s scary is the ones that are struggling with this and have not been established and don t have anything to fall back on. I know D.J. will get it. I m not concerned about this. The Sooner offense has been explosive so far this season, averaging almost nine runs per game. OU will be greeted with a more elite crop of pitchers in Palm Springs, and that excites the team.

64 No. 9 Sooner softball team still perfect By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Feb. 25, 2007 Five new opponents, five more wins. The No. 9 OU softball team added to its best start ever by winning all five of its games in Palm Springs, Calif., this weekend, pushing its record to a perfect OU is one of only three remaining teams that are undefeated in Division I softball. Highlighting the weekend were wins over nationally ranked Cal and Oregon State. They were ready for it, head coach Patty Gasso said. We faced some really outstanding pitchers and they elevated their game. Loyola-Marymount. The hot OU offense didn t cool off either. The Sooners scored 39 runs in the five-game set. Keying the offense was senior Mariee Mena, who mashed out nine hits and drove in eight runs. Basically it was a team effort, Mena said. I was just seeing the ball. It looked like a beach ball up there. Sophomore Samantha Ricketts continued to pound the ball, driving in 10 runs over the weekend on seven hits. Mena and Ricketts had a hand in almost half of the total Sooner offense in the five-game set, contributing on 18 of the 39 runs. Against No. 16 Cal, the Sooners got another strong pitching performance from junior Lauren Eckermann, but the OU bats were the story. The team scored 11 runs in the contest, run-ruling the Bears in five innings. Taking the circle against No. 6 Oregon St. was sophomore D.J. Mathis, and it was Mathis performance that spurred the Sooners to victory. Mathis struggled in the season s early going, but her play in the tournament was huge. Only surrendering one run on five hits, the sophomore dominated the Beavers en route to earning the 4-1 victory. Coming in, I knew I had some things I needed to work out, Mathis said. Having Lauren and all of them was a really big help keeping me up. Gasso said earlier in the week it was probably a mechanical issue with Mathis, and Mathis watched old film to work out the kink. Senior Amber Spaulding came up big for the Sooners against the Beavers, going 1 for 3 with two RBI. The way we re swinging the bats right now, its almost like you better step up and do something big if you want to stay in [the lineup], and Amber did that, Gasso said. In the opener on Friday, the Sooners took on Notre Dame, winning 7-3. The Sooners then run-ruled Loyola-Marymount 10-0 and beat Ohio State in the finale on Sunday 7-2. Leading OU in the tournament were Eckermann and Mathis, who led the Sooners to two wins each in the circle, while Morgan Hudsonpillar tallied the win over

65 Sooners still perfect Transcript Staff The Norman Transcript Feb 25, 2007 PALM SPRINGS, Calif. The No. 9 Oklahoma softball team kept its record start rolling Saturday with a double-header sweep over No. 16 California and No. 6 Oregon State at the Palm Springs Classic. 9-0 after allowing three runs on six hits. Traci Dickenson hit her third home run, expanding the Sooners home run streak to 12 games. The two victories improved OU to 15-0, the best start in school history. OU run-ruled the Bears 11-3 in five innings in the day s first game, then took down the Beavers 4-1 to complete the sweep. The Sooners scored all four runs against Oregon State in the top of the seventh inning for their biggest win of the season. OU has now beaten three ranked teams. The Sooners beat then-no. 20 Louisville two weeks ago at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami, Fla. I have said it all year, but this team has something very special about them because they have the ability to come back and keep themselves in games, OU coach Patty Gasso said. They have this never-quit attitude that you can t teach. Sophomore D.J. Mathis held the Beavers to one run on five hits while striking out three. Her only earned run came on a controversial home run in the bottom of the third inning. OU center fielder Amber Spaulding chased a ball and dove to make the catch. During her dive, Spaulding brought down the fence with her. After initially ruling it as an out, the umpires changed it to a home run. The Oregon State led 1-0 until the seventh, when the Sooners rallied to get the victory. Norrelle Dickson tied it with a run-scoring single, and Spaulding knocked in the winning runs with a tworun triple. Mariee Mena added an RBI ground out. The biggest thing we walked away with from this game was the fact that D.J. is back, Gasso said. She was a huge spark for us in the circle today and she deserved the win, so the fact that we were able to come back and get it for her was huge for her and our team. Against Cal, the Sooners collected 14 hits with every player in the lineup getting at least one. Lauren Eckermann earned the win and improved to

66 Softball: OU lefty throws no-hitter Associated Press The Dallas Morning News February 28, 2007 NORMAN, Okla. D.J. Mathis threw a five-inning no-hitter as Oklahoma beat Arkansas 14-0 using the run rule on Wednesday. Mathis, a sophomore left-hander, struck out seven and yielded her only baserunner when she walked pinch-hitter Hillary Freeman with one out in the fourth inning. It was Oklahoma s first no-hitter since Kami Keiter and Dana Askins combined to hold Tulsa hitless in an 8-0 win on April 22, 2003, that went the full seven innings. Samantha Ricketts homered and drove in five runs for Oklahoma (17-0), which is off to its best start in school history. Savannah Long added a two-run home run for the Sooners.

67 Hot start By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily March 1, 2007 With another win in the books, it s easy to assume the No. 6 OU softball team might become complacent. But that can t be happening, according to head coach Patty Gasso. One thing this team has been doing the past 18 games was playing with fire and with passion, Gasso said. I didn t feel that today. Complacency probably would be a word we could use today, but we better get rid of that word quickly or we re going to run into some trouble. The Sooners fought off a pesky North Texas squad Thursday afternoon 4-1 behind another strong pitching performance. Sophomore Morgan Hudsonpillar picked up the win, going six innings, surrendering one run on four hits. OU was put in a position they haven t seen much of this year playing a tight game. Gasso said her team didn t feel the importance of the game, but saw a bright spot in her team s lackluster performance. It was good for us to go through this, Gasso said. Things aren t going to be hunky-dory the rest of the way, so we needed to feel this. Their pitcher did an outstanding job, Gasso said. We did not make proper adjustments the way we should have. The Sooners remained perfect on the season, improving to 19-0 with the win. The 19-game winning streak is the third longest in school history behind a 29-game winning streak by the 2005 team and a 23-game run in Gasso said the winning streak doesn t put any pressure on her players to perform. I don t think it s so much the record, it s more of, I do not want that feeling of a loss, Gasso said of her team. Gasso said the Sooners aren t thinking about the momentum of Thursday s win and the 19-game streak to propel them into this weekend s OU Residence Inn Invitational in Norman. OU will play Wichita State and Temple twice each, with its first game against the Shockers on Saturday. I think we play one game at a time and each game is really important to us, Gasso said. I will bet you they will come out this weekend on fire and ready to go. The win streak is not in our minds. It s just one game at a time and taking care of business. After walking the leadoff batter in the seventh, Hudsonpillar was pulled and sophomore D.J. Mathis replaced her. Back-to-back Mean Green singles loaded the bases, and after their third straight single drove in a run, the go-ahead run came to the plate. If North Texas came back to tie us, we would score [later], Gasso said. They don t want to lose and I know that. They ll find ways to win. Mathis then struck out the next batter swinging and forced the final Mean Green hitter to ground out to secure the victory for the Sooners. This could be a 1-0 game with us walking away with a loss if some things got done on their side, Gasso said. We were pretty fortunate today. North Texas pitcher Ashley Lail kept the nation s leading offense off-balance, giving up four runs to the Sooners on four scattered hits.

68 Sooners roll to 19th straight victory By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 2, 2007 It wasn t pretty, but Oklahoma extended its perfect record to 19-0 thanks to a 4-1 victory over North Texas Thursday at Marita Hynes Field. OU returns to the diamond Saturday for thhe OU- Residence Inn Invitational. The Sooners play Wichita State at 2:30 p.m. and Temple at 4:45 p.m. OU s bats were strangely silent, at least compared to the 24 runs in two run-rules the Sooners scored Wednesday against Arkansas. But Morgan Hudsonpillar was solid in the circle and picked up her second victory of the season, giving up one run on four hits while striking out five in six innings of work. We were fortunate to come away with the win tonight, OU coach Patty Gasso said. I thought their pitcher did a great job tonight, but we just didn t make the correct adjustments. Both teams missed some prime scoring opportunities. OU had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, but only scored two runs when Norrelle Dickson s bouncer to first base bounced off the fielder s glove and over to the fence along right field. For the Mean Green, Purcell grad Sarah Jones doubled off Hudsonpillar to lead off the third inning, but she was stranded at third base as the Sooner pitcher was able to get out of trouble. We didn t have the spark we ve had all year, but I know they will have it again when they play this weekend, Gasso said. We re just glad to get this one behind us and get ready for our home tournament this weekend. Savannah Long brought in the Sooners other two runs on a bloop single in the first inning. The Mean Green didn t get on the board until the seventh inning, when D.J. Mathis relieved Hudsonpillar with runners on and nobody out. Mathis gave up three straight hits after a strikeout, and Monica Garcia s bases-loaded single gave North Texas its only run. The Sooners came into the game as the national leader with 8.5 runs per game. But they could only manage four hits against Mean Green starter Ashley Lail, who fell to 2-4 on the season.

69 Sooners still perfect By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 4, 2007 Oklahoma kept its school-record season-opening winning streak going Saturday thanks to timely hitting and two strong pitching performances. OU (21-0) beat Wichita State 4-0, then took down Temple in a five-inning run-rule 10-0 during the first day of the OU-Residence Inn Invitational at Marita Hynes Field. After going almost four years without a no-hitter, Lauren Eckermann gave the Sooners their second in four days. D.J. Mathis no-hit Arkansas Wednesday, and in the nightcap against the Owls, Eckermann matched her. Eckermann threw all five innings, striking out four and walking two, and picked up her first Division I no-no. The cold temperature and heavy wind didn t help her any, but Eckermann never allowed a well-hit ball. It feels awesome, Eckermann said. It was pretty chilly out there. We have a heat pad that we use between innings, and the heater in the dugout was going, so that helped. It was nice just to have quick innings out there so I could get back to the heater. It works both ways, though. When the offense comes out and scores runs for us, it really helps us out, Eckermann said. Everything is going great right now. In the first game, Mathis improved to 6-0 and picked up her second shutout of the season. She gave up four hits and walked four while striking out five in the complete-game victory. Wichita State starter Ashly Bright walked four straight Sooners to put OU up 1-0 in the first inning. Amber Spaulding had a two-run triple, driving home Iver McDonald and Norrelle Dickson in the second inning. OU rounded out its scoring in the third inning when freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever singled in Jamie Fox. Today s story was pitching, especially in elements that were very difficult, Gasso said. The Sooners play Temple at 12:15 p.m. today and Wichita State at 2:30 as the OU-Residence Inn Invitational concludes. Like Mathis four days ago, Eckermann lost her chance at a perfect game when she walked a batter with two outs in the fourth inning. The Sooner bats were mostly quiet, leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, but managing three runs in the second and one in the third. In the top of the fifth inning, OU loaded the bases for the fourth time, and the hitters took advantage. Stacia Aleman, Mariee Mena, Savannah Long and Susan Ogden all had RBI singles in the inning as the Sooners pushed it to a run-rule. Right now, our pitchers are allowing our hitters to really relax, OU coach Patty Gasso said. Last year, our offense was always pressed. There was always that pressure that they would have to win the game for us. This year, they know they don t have to come from behind and battle back to get a win. There s a lot less pressure on them and it shows.

70 Untouchable By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 4, 2007 Lauren Eckermann was trying not to pay attention to the scoreboard. But everyone else at Marita Hynes Field Sunday couldn t stop staring at the 0 in the hit column inning to inning. Eckermann, who picked up her first Division I no-hitter in a five-inning run-rule over Temple Saturday night, followed up the performance by going all seven innings without allowing a hit in a 4-0 victory over Wichita State in the final game of the OU-Residence Inn Invitational. After the Sooners opened the afternoon with a school-record 21-0 victory over the Owls, the Sooner offense looked like it would be the talk of the day. But Eckermann came out in the finale and wowed the crowd with OU s third no-hit performance in five days. It s been 13 innings since she allowed a base hit. It s there in the back of your head when you re out there, Eckermann said. But you really don t want to think about it. If you do, that just adds more pressure to it. D.J. Mathis held Arkansas hitless last Wednesday. Throwing three no-hitters in one week is a first for OU, and no Sooner pitcher has held teams hitless in two straight starts. There s a little good-natured competition between Lauren and D.J. right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. They re really trying to out-do each other. I ve never seen something like it here. I m loving it. Eckermann struck out six in seven innings of work, and would have had a perfect game had second baseman Traci Dickenson not dropped a pop-up in the first inning. But the no-hitter was saved at least twice by the Sooner defense. nice play on a short-hopped ball to keep the no-hitter alive. (Fox s catch) was an awesome catch, Eckermann said. There were so many good defensive plays in that game. Savannah Long made a really nice play on a couple of balls. OU used small ball to create a run in the first inning, and Fox added her 24th career homer to lead off the top of the fourth inning for OU s first hit off Wichita State starter Margo Pruis. Dickenson made up for the first-inning error with a lined double off the left-field wall to bring home Long with two outs in the fourth inning to make it 3-0. Norrelle Dickson rounded out the scoring when she doubled in Long with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. In the first game, OU got started early with an eight-run first inning. Susan Ogden and Samantha Ricketts had home runs for the Sooners as they set a school-record for runs scored in a single game. Dickson was 4-for-5 with four runs, three RBIs and a stolen base. Junior-college transfer picks up second straight no-hitter By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer Lauren Eckermann was trying not to pay attention to the scoreboard. But everyone else at Marita Hynes Field Sunday couldn t stop staring at the 0 in the hit column inning to inning. Eckermann, who picked up her first Division I no-hitter in a five-inning run-rule over Temple Saturday night, followed up the performance by going all seven innings without allowing a hit in a 4-0 victory over Wichita State in the final game of the OU-Residence Inn Invitational. After the Sooners opened the afternoon with a school-record 21-0 victory over the Owls, the Sooner offense looked like it would be the talk of the day. But Eckermann came out in the finale and wowed the crowd with OU s third no-hit performance in five days. It s been 13 innings since she allowed a base hit. It s there in the back of your head when you re out there, Eckermann said. But you really don t want to think about it. If you do, that just adds more pressure to it. D.J. Mathis held Arkansas hitless last Wednesday. Throwing three no-hitters in one week is a first for OU, and no Sooner pitcher has held teams hitless in two straight starts. There s a little good-natured competition between Lauren and D.J. right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. They re real- See SOFTBALL Page B3 Norelle s been a good spark for us, Gasso said. And I really like what Susan Ogden has done at the plate. I like what everyone s done on offense. It s hard to find room to put them all in the lineup. I feel like I ve got such a good problem, not knowing who to put in, because they re all hot right now. I ve got so many options, so much depth, it s wonderful. The Sooners are at Tulsa Wednesday before starting the OU-Worth Invitational Thursday against Evansville. Sports OU Softball: Eckermann no-hits WSU Untouchable Oklahoma pitcher Lauren Eckermann delivers to the plate against Wichita State Sunday. Eckermann no-hit the Shockers for her second no-hitter in as many starts. Transcript Photo by Kevin Ellis Shortstop Savannah Long made a great backhanded pick-up and throw and right fielder Jamie Fox laid out to catch a ball hit to the gap. Long also made a

71 Eckermann hurls two no-hitters as OU rolls By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily March 5, 2007 During a four-game set that saw OU set a school record for runs scored in a game, it would be easy to assume OU s offense was the story of the weekend. But junior pitcher Lauren Eckermann s back-to-back no-hitters stole the show from the bats. After nearly four years between Sooner no-hitters, OU pitchers have tossed three in five days, including two straight by Eckermann. Overall, the Sooners went 4-0 with a pair of wins over Wichita State and Temple, improving their record to 23-0 this season. We had so many good defensive plays, Eckermann said. Scoring the runs took so much pressure off. In the bottom of the second inning during OU s game Sunday against Wichita State, a hot-shot to the right of shortstop Savannah Long looked like it would get through the hole. The junior speared the ball backhanded and fired a bullet across the infield, just beating the runner. second no-hitter. The pitchers are working diligently with coach [Melyssa] Lombardi in the bullpen, and I don t think sometimes we observe that, Gasso said. Finally they are getting their just due. Now the offense gets to exhale because they know these pitchers are holding down the fort. Gasso said this club is as complete a team as she has coached in her 13 years at OU. I feel like I ve such a wonderful problem in looking at my lineup and not knowing who to put in and what day because they re all hot and hitting well, the coach said. In Sunday s first game, the Sooners set a school record for runs scored with a 21-0 win over Temple. Amber Spaulding and Samantha Ricketts led the charge with four RBI each, with Ricketts smashing her team-leading seventh home run. The no-no was saved a second time when senior Jamie Fox made a diving play on a line drive headed for the gap in right center. That was an awesome catch, Eckermann said. Her and Savanah Long made great plays that definitely got the momentum going. A dropped routine pop-up to second in the bottom of the first is all that kept Eckermann from a perfect game. Even with the eye-popping stats and scores, head coach Patty Gasso said this team really doesn t pay attention to any of that. What s funny about these guys is they re not really big into stats, she said. They are not cognizant of what s going on sometimes. Which is a great thing. With four more wins this weekend, the No. 6 Sooner softball team tied the second longest winning streak in school history. Sophomore D.J. Mathis kicked off OU s string of four shutouts with a 4-0 win over the Shockers. Eckermann then followed with a no-hit effort against the Owls, Morgan Hudsonpillar blanked Temple again and Eckermann capped the four-game set with her

72 Sooners softball win streak stopped at 23 From Staff Reports The Oklahoman March 8, 2007 TULSA Oklahoma s 23-game win streak came to an end on Wednesday and the fifth-ranked Sooners had a taste of their own medicine at the same time. Jackie Lawrence threw her first career no-hitter, helping Tulsa beat the previously high-flying Sooners 2-0 at the Hardesty Softball Complex. Lawrence walked one and struck out five in seven innings to end OU s best start to a season in school history. OU, which had pitchers throw three no-hitters a week ago, fell to Tulsa improved to 12-10, while getting two solo homers from Ashlee Lubniewski. Eventually, our win streak was going to come to an end, and this might be the best medicine for us right now, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said. The most disappointing thing was it was a no-hitter. The Sooners blew a scoring opportunity in the fifth inning. Susan Ogden was hit by a pitch with two out. OU loaded the bases when Lindsey Vandever walked, and Savannah Long was hit by a Lawrence pitch. But Lawrence ended the threat by getting Traci Dickenson to ground out to second base. D.J. Mathis pitched all six inning for Oklahoma. She gave up four hits, walked one and struck out four. OU next plays at 6 p.m. today against Evansville at the OU Softball Complex.

73 OU softball team completes perfect weekend, now 28-1 By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily March 11, 2007 OU softball coach Patty Gasso wanted to use this past weekend s four games to get closer to having a solidified lineup. She said she is getting there. I feel closer for sure, Gasso said. It was their opportunity to show me that they deserved to be in the lineup, and one person that absolutely did that was Susan Ogden. Ogden hit.750 over the weekend drove in four as the Sooners went 4-0, improving to Gasso is faced with a terrific dilemma of trying to get all of her solid hitters at-bats in the nation s top-ranked offense. In the four-game set alone, the powerful Sooner offense scored 33 runs. We ve got so many of them that want this, she said. It s a great problem to have. The Sooners dominated the OU/Worth Invitational in convincing fashion. OU kicked off the string of wins with a 6-0 victory Friday over Evansville. Starter Lauren Eckermann stymied the nation s No. 2 offense for the second straight night, only allowing five hits en route to the shutout. OU beat Evansville on Thursday in a primer for the invitational. runs to win I m giving them a little slack because I know what we ve been through with a lot of games in short amount of time, Gasso said. They re road-weary, they re home-weary and just weary itself. I think the greatest medicine for this team is the two days off from softball. The Sooners were aided by four UMKC errors, which lead to five OU runs. Seniors Jamie Fox and Norrelle Dickson both went deep for OU. Eckermann struck out eight and picked up her second win of the weekend, moving her record to Next weekend marks the last tournament before the Sooners start conference play. OU is headed to the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., for five games in three days. With a showdown against No. 2 Arizona looming in the tourney, Gasso said her team is excited about the opportunity on the West Coast. It s always exciting for me and the team to play a team that is that highly ranked, she said. It is a great measuring stick to see where you are in the grand equation of postseason. Can you play with these guys; do you have what it takes to beat them? I believe the answer is yes. I really liked what she did against Evansville the second time around, Gasso said. I challenged her and she stood up to that. She is so confident right now and we really feed off of that. Sophomore D.J. Mathis followed Eckermann s dominant performance with one of the best in her young career. The lefty hurler allowed one unearned run to Centenary on one hit while striking out a career-best nine hitters. Sophomore Traci Dickenson provided the offense with her fifth home run, driving in three in OU s 6-1 win Friday in the nightcap. Sophomore Samantha Ricketts and freshman Amber Flores combined to drive in seven in a rematch against Centenary on Saturday. Ricketts, Flores and junior Savannah Long all hit round-trippers in the 11-1 run-rule victory. In the final game Saturday, OU had trouble shaking pesky UMKC before pouring on seven unanswered

74 Sooner softballers have tough tests in California By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Mar 15, 2007 Sooner softballers have tough tests in California Even after compiling a 28-1 record and rising to a No. 6 ranking, the OU softball team feels like it has something to prove. Mariee Mena and OU are one of five top-10 teams in a West Coast tournament. Photo by: Jonathan Stapleton The Oklahoma Daily And the Sooners will get that opportunity this weekend as they face a series of tough opponents, including No. 5 Arizona. The Sooners traveled to Fullerton, Calif., today to participate in the Judi Garman Classic. The stout 20-team field includes eight ranked teams, with five in the top 10. This is a good preparation to start Big 12 for us, she said. It s also momentum. If we win against Arizona that gives us a lot of momentum going into the Big 12. It s a good challenge that we need before we start conference. Before the Sooners get a crack at the Wildcats, they will play Pacific and Long said the team is not looking past the Tigers. We try not to look ahead, she said. We try to take one game at a time. Pacific is a pretty good team that coach has talked to us about and they ve beaten some top-ranked teams and we re definitely looking forward to playing them. Everyone s been beating ranked teams and I feel that beating the No. 5 team would be a really big statement for us, senior Amber Spaulding said. The previous marquee wins for the Sooners were over then-no. 6 Oregon State and then-no. 14 Cal. Both those teams have lost multiple games since playing OU and fallen significantly in the polls. At the time those were top-ranked teams and we did what we needed to do against them, junior shortstop Savannah Long said. We run-ruled Cal and we played a good game against Oregon State. Even though Cal and Oregon State. have lost to other people, I think that those are still good wins for us. We re still one of the top teams in the nation is hard to do and I think we ve been doing a good job. Playing such a batch of highly ranked teams could put a lot of pressure on some teams, but not OU, say the Sooners. We have so much more chemistry than other teams, Spaulding said. I really don t feel like this team ever feels a lot of pressure. I feel like everyone is so relaxed. We play like nobody knows us, like we re not a big dog. We just play blue-collar and don t put that extra pressure on ourselves. The Pac-10 has a reputation for traditionally being the best softball conference in the country, but the Big 12 is catching up quickly. The Big 12 has four ranked teams, with three of those in the top 10. Long said the tournament this weekend will be excellent to prepare them for a tough conference schedule.

75 Sooners solid in the circle By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 15, 2007 There s a reason Oklahoma is ranked No. 6 in the country. Not only have the Sooner bats come alive, like they seem to do every year, but the pitching staff has also established itself as one of the nation s best. I m really excited with how well our pitchers are doing right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. They re working diligently with coach (Melyssa) Lombardi and they re getting their just due. The Sooners lead the Big 12 in hitting with a.357 average. They ve also hit seven more home runs than second-place Baylor, and driven in 75 more runs than the Bears. But as good as the hitters have been, it s the resurgence in the circle that s allowed the Sooners to start the season Our pitchers have been great this year, OU catcher Susan Ogden said. I mean, they ve just been working really hard and doing such a great job. They re confident, they re hitting their spots and they re only getting better. I think they tried too hard too fast, Lombardi said. Last year they came in and tried to be someone they weren t. Now, I think they ve started to realize they just need to be themselves, be the pitchers they are rather than trying to be someone else. Eckermann s arrival can t be overestimated. Mathis got hot at the right time at the end of last season, and she s bounced back from fall surgery with a 7-1 record and a 1.81 ERA. Eckermann leads all conference pitchers with a 15-0 mark and is fifth with a 1.15 ERA. Lauren has done such a great job for us, Hudsonpillar said. She s come in and has pitched so well, taken a lot of the pressure off. Right now we re all just supportive of one another and trying to do the best job we can. The OU hurlers have quite a chore ahead of them this week. They begin play today at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. against a field that features No. 5 Arizona, No. 7 Michigan and No. 13 Washington. The Sooners take on Pacific at 3:30 p.m. and Arizona at 10:30. OU pitchers lead conference teams with a 1.22 earned run average over 178 innings pitched. And while they may not get the strikeouts (OU ranks eighth in the conference K count), Lauren Eckermann and D.J. Mathis have turned into an outstanding combination. After Mathis no-hit Arkansas two weeks ago, Eckermann followed it up with back-to-back no-hitters against Temple and Wichita State. After going almost four years withoug a no-hitter, the Sooners threw three in a week. In addition to Mathis and Eckermann, Morgan Hudsonpillar and Jadyn Smith have been solid when given the chance. It s a far cry from this time last year, when the entire staff struggled to replace Kami Keiter. I think we just came in nervous, Hudsonpillar said. D.J. and I came in as freshmen, and you started to think about replacing Kami, and those are pretty big shoes to fill.

76 Sooners surprise field at Judi Garman Classic By Graham Hays ESPN.com March 19, 2007 A few tournaments remain on the schedule, including a good field in Louisville next weekend, but the Judi Garman Classic at host Cal State Fullerton Sunday brought an unofficial close to the weeks of pool play and bracket play at the major nonconference get-togethers. D.J. Mathis came up big for the Sooners this weekend. And it was a fitting close to a time of year when logic fares about as well as a free-swinging freshman against Monica Abbott. It started out simply enough in Fullerton. Maybe it wasn t an entirely logical progression, but it left little more than a dull ache at the back of the head. No. 5 Arizona opened the first full day of the tournament by blanking NC State 2-0. Just before that game got started on one field in Fullerton, Arizona State s Katie Burkhart hurled a perfect game as the No. 4 Sun Devils scored a 3-0 win against Notre Dame. Soon thereafter, No. 7 Michigan beat No. 13 Washington 6-3, handing the Huskies the second of what would become three consecutive losses. Finally, as the first day came to a close, No. 6 Oklahoma knocked off Arizona 6-2. Still following? Good. Nothing too confusing in all of that, even with a big win for the Sooners and a bad day for the Huskies. But keep the aspirin handy. Friday, the second full day of play, began with Fresno State upsetting Arizona State. Then Fresno State lost to Notre Dame, the same team that hadn t managed to get a runner on base against Arizona State the day before. Not too long after that, No. 16 Louisiana- Lafayette handed Arizona State its second loss of the day, and NC State, which started all of this by losing to Arizona on Thursday, shut out Oklahoma. All of which somehow left Penn State and DePaul alive in the championship bracket, while Arizona State, Washington and No. 8 Texas slunk off to the consolation bracket. And we haven t even gotten to Saturday, when DePaul knocked off Fresno State to move within a win of the championship game, and Penn State, after losing a 6-5 thriller against Louisiana-Lafayette, rebounded to beat conference rival Michigan 5-2. The crib sheet version of the tournament begins with the Sooners, who rallied from that loss against NC State to beat DePaul and Arizona on Sunday to claim the overall championship. Patty Gasso s team went out in style, getting its second win of the weekend against the Wildcats by an 11-0 margin that included a pair of home runs and six RBIs from Samantha Ricketts. It s no surprise that the Sooners scored runs, even runs at the expense of the defending national champions, but a five-inning shutout for D.J. Mathis in the finale ought to scare everyone outside of Norman. The Sooners are counting on junior-college transfer Lauren Eckermann (who went the distance in an eight-inning win against DePaul earlier Sunday) to give them just enough of an ace to allow their bats to get the job done. If Mathis turns in a few more performances like Sunday, the Sooners suddenly have a great deal more depth at their supposedly weak spot. Sarah Akamine took the loss in the circle for Arizona in the championship game, getting the call after Taryne Mowatt threw a gem to beat Louisiana-Lafayette earlier in the day. But if the struggle to find consistent innings behind Mowatt continues, Akamine put on a display with her bat against Lousiana-Lafayette that reminded everyone of what her role was supposed to be on this team, hitting a pair of grand slams and driving in eight runs in the game. When the season began, Akamine was in the mix for at-bats, but an afterthought in Arizona s pitching plans, expected to fill in when Mowatt and fellow freshman Amanda Williams needed a break. Instead, she s thrown more than 50 innings while registering just 22 at-bats. Perhaps she can t provide the same kind of production in the circle that Mowatt provided behind Alicia Hollowell last season, but she might be able to bring the same kind of midseason run production to the batting order that Mowatt did as a frequent designated player on the road to the national championship. As for the other finalists, it s time to start paying attention to the Ragin Cajuns. Their dismantling at the hands of Mowatt and Akamine aside, the Sun Belt powerhouses continue to prove themselves against a tough nonconference schedule. Louisiana-Lafayette lost some power from the lineup after last season, but freshman pitcher Brittany Cuevas had been performing brilliantly as the ace before hitting trouble against Arizona.

Sooners enter Big 12 play hot at the plate By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 22, 2007 One would think Oklahoma wouldn t want to see the non-conference season come to an end.

As they head to Lubbock, Texas today to start Big 12 Conference play, they do so as one of the hottest teams in the country. No.

77 Sooners enter Big 12 play hot at the plate By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 22, 2007 One would think Oklahoma wouldn t want to see the non-conference season come to an end. The Sooners (33-2) have rolled through early-season competition, with only a couple of speed bumps slowing them down. As they head to Lubbock, Texas today to start Big 12 Conference play, they do so as one of the hottest teams in the country. No. 3 OU won the championship at one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country last Sunday, the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. To do it they had to beat No. 5 Arizona twice. In the championship game the Sooners run-ruled the Wildcats, showing just how powerful their offense has been this season. We re really hitting well right now as a team, first baseman Samantha Ricketts said. We ve been working hard with coach (Howard) Dobson and it s paying off for us. Ricketts has led the way at the plate. She leads all Big 12 hitters with 12 home runs and is tied with Oklahoma State s Courtney Totte with 50 runs batted in. Nebraska has just 70 RBIs as a team through 28 games. Ricketts is also on pace to pass Lisa Carey s OU record for RBIs in a season. Carey drove in 77 runs in 2000, something Ricketts could reach before the end of April. Ricketts was named the conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week after hitting.471 and racking up a slugging percentage in Fullerton. It s not just about Ricketts, though. What makes OU so dangerous is how spread out its offensive success has been. Norrelle Dickson leads conference hitters with a.454 batting average and 42 runs scored. Freshman Amber Flores is hitting.348 with five home runs and 29 RBI and sophomore Traci Dickenson has gone yard seven times. The Sooners are one of just three conference teams hitting over.300 for the season. At.345, they re 21 points ahead of second-place Baylor. They ve scored 35 more runs than Missouri, which has played three more games, and they ve driven in 29 more runs than the Tigers. I m really proud of the way we re hitting right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. But our players know that going into conference play is a whole different kind of thing. We ve got to know how to hit whatever kind of pitcher is out there. If there s a knock on the Sooner hitters, it s consistency. Both of OU s losses this season were no-hitters: at Tulsa and against North Carolina State last Saturday in Fullerton. But, maybe that s just what the Sooners needed. I think maybe we were feeling invincible there when we were winning all those games in a row, Ricketts said. I think we needed that, maybe. I mean, you d rather it didn t happen, but it was a wake-up call for us. Those two losses taught us a lot. We know we have to be ready for anything, and we need to be able to execute. How many more wake-up calls do the Sooners need? Hopefully none, Ricketts said. Hopefully we ve learned and now we can just go on from there. OU and Texas Tech open conference play with a double-header today at 5 p.m. Sooners go into Big 12 swinging Tech pitching must cope with.345 team batting average By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer OU SOFTBALL One would think Oklahoma wouldn t want to see the non-conference season come to an end. The Sooners (33-2) have rolled through early-season competition, with only a couple of speed bumps slowing them down. As they head to Lubbock, Texas today to start Big 12 Conference play, they do so as one of the hottest teams in the country. No. 3 OU won the championship at one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country last Sunday, the Judi Garman Classic in Tonight Fullerton, Calif. To do it they had to beat No. 5 Arizona twice. In the championship game the Sooners run-ruled the Wildcats, showing just how powerful their offense has been this season. We re really hitting well right now as a team, first baseman Samantha What: Oklahoma at Texas Tech When: 5 p.m. Where: Lubbock, Texas Ricketts said. We ve been working hard with coach (Howard) Dobson and it s paying off for us. Ricketts has led the way at the plate. She leads all Big 12 hitters with 12 home runs and See SOFTBALL Page B3 Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure Oklahoma first baseman Samantha Ricketts celebrates with teammates after scoring earlier this season.

78 Dobson a big part of OU softball run By Van Wade The Orange Leader March 22, 2007 Without question, Howard Dobson is certainly a strong influence on the Oklahoma Sooners softball program. Dobson, a West Orange-Stark graduate, is in his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Lady Sooners and long-time head coach Patty Gasso and has been instrumental in continuing with the Lady Sooners national reputation as an offensive firepower. How much of an offensive firepower do the ladies from Norman, Okla. have? The Sooners, ranked No. 6 in the nation, have compiled a 33-2 mark as they headed into Big 12 Conference play this week at Texas Tech and Texas. Oklahoma leads the Big 12 Conference in batting percentage (.345), runs scored (280), home runs (42) and runs batted in (253). We ve shown a lot of firepower from the plate all season, Dobson said. Every player brings something unique to the table. You hate to brag sometimes but there isn t really what you can call a hole in the lineup. All of them take so much pride in what they re trying to accomplish. Lady Sooner senior Norrelle Dickson leads the conference with a.454 average while teammate Samantha Ricketts is hitting.418 with great power numbers that includes 12 home runs and 50 RBI. Norelle is so amazing in the leadoff spot, Dobson said. She s a two-time All-American third baseman. She s closing in on the all-time records in hits, runs scored and stolen bases. Sam (Ricketts) has been such a tremendous power hitter as a sophomore. She just seems to improve week after week and has made a major leap since her freshman year. The Lady Sooners certainly have an ace on the hill as well in Lauren Eckermann, who sports a perfect 19-0 record with a 1.39 earned run average. She has allowed just 79 hits in 116 innings of work. On the national softball scene, many of the West Coast teams receive much of the glory, programs like UCLA and Arizona. The Lady Sooners have made a major statement by defeating the likes of Loyola Marymount (10-0), California (11-3), Oregon State (4-1), Cal-State Northridge (8-0) and Arizona twice (6-2, and 11-0 last Sunday). Arizona is the defending national champion. West Coast softball has established itself over the years and it s always a great feeling when you have success against teams from that area, Dobson said. We have several girls on the team that come from that part of the country that weren t heavily recruited there. I think they play with a little chip on their shoulders when we take on those teams. Dobson doesn t want to take a lot of credit for the Lady Sooners hitting prowess. Our kids, they just have amazing work habits, Dobson said. One thing about our program, we always seem to get blue-collar players. They spent countless hours in the cages every week. They re all so patient at the plate and they study opposing pitchers so well. Since Dobson arrived in Norman in 2003, the Lady Sooners have consistently been one of the top two teams in the conference in hitting percentage and have topped the conference in scoring every season. Dobson has had the pleasure of coaching seven players to All-American honors and has worked with 15 NFCA All-Midwest Region performers and 20 All-Big 12 players during his four-year stint with the OU softball program. Without a doubt, the Lady Sooners have put a stamp on success in the NCAA ranks. Gasso has notched a remarkable mark at the Big 12 school. The Lady Sooners have advanced to the College Softball World Series in five of the last seven years, winning the national championship in They have had 13 straight 40-win seasons. Under Gasso, the Lady Sooners have finished second or higher in the Big 12 eight times and have won three Big 12 titles. The Lady Sooners went last year, falling to Michigan twice at regionals after going to the Softball World Series in Oklahoma City the previous five campaigns. Without question, our goal is to get back to Oklahoma City, Dobson said. This team feels like it has a lot to prove and they ve been special to watch this season. We re kinda starting a new season this week with the Big 12 starting up and we re opening it up with big road tests at Tech and Texas. The Big 12 is so deep and talented and nothing is going to come easy. So how easy has it been working for Coach Gasso? Coach Gasso, she s an amazing person, Dobson said. Not only is she a tremendous coach but she s an even better person off the field. She s a person of character and is such a Christian woman. She s been so inspirational to my wife and I. To be able to work with such a class individual makes this job the best assistant coaching job around. Prior to Oklahoma, Dobson helped start up the University of Houston s softball program in The 2002 Lady Cougar team led Conference USA in hits, runs scored, slugging percentage, RBI and home runs. Dobson served as an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana for two years before joining the Houston staff. Dobson, a McNeese State graduate, began his college softball coaching career at McNeese as a volunteer assistant coach and prior to that he was an assistant at Lake Charles Barbe High School. Dobson and his wife, Katharine, reside in Norman along with their kiddo Tripp, who will turn 2 in May. Will Tripp follow in his Dad s footsteps. Dobson was a standout quarterback and baseball player in his Mustang playing days and was an All-Conference baseball performer at Panola Junior College? I don t know whether Tripp will be a great athlete or not, but I like his chances, Dobson said. He s swinging the bat great off a tee already. I can work with him on that, if it was chess, that would be another story.

79 Sooners Mena eager for return to spotlight By John Maffei North County Times March 22, 2007 Mariee Mena has sat at the big table, and now she s hungry again. Mena, an Escondido High graduate now playing softball for Oklahoma, helped the Sooners reach the College World Series in 2004 and Now, she and the team s other five seniors are determined to lead the team back to the World Series this season. We re so hungry to get back there, said Mena. We can just taste it. Coach (Patty Grasso) pulled the seniors aside and told us the kids on the team will follow us, that it was up to us to pull our weight and lead this team. So far, Mena has been pulling hard. The Sooners, ranked No. 6 in the nation, are 32-2 after beating No. 5 Arizona 11-0 on Sunday to win the Judi Garman Classic at Cal State Fullerton. Mena is hitting.382 with three homers and 17 RBIs. In late February, she was named the USA Softball National Player of the Week after hitting a home run and driving in eight as the Sooners won the Palm Springs Classic. It was really important to come to California and play well, Mena said I was shocked when they told me I was the national player of the week. I had struggled a little at the start of the season, but I found it again that week. I ve played some in the outfield, but being the DP gives me a lot of time to work on my hitting, Mena said. I worked really hard in the fall, breaking down my swing with the coaches. We did a lot of physical stuff. I don t have those little skinny arms anymore. I actually have some muscle now. We were up at 6 every morning, lifting weights, running, hitting. The girls on the team, especially the seniors, feed off each other. When we went to the World Series, we had great chemistry on the team. I feel that chemistry again. There is a lot of pride on this team. And for me as a fifth-year senior, this is it. I don t want to leave here with any regrets. I m giving it everything I have this season, on and off the field. Off the field, Mena will graduate this summer with a degree in human relations. She won t, however, be coming home to stay any time soon ---- she plans to stay in Norman and work on her master s degree. Since I play for the Sooners, I m pretty well-known in Oklahoma, Mena said. I ve had some offers to coach high school back here as an assistant. I d like to do that while working on my master s. My goal, though, beside the World Series, is to either be a head coach at the high school level or coach in college. That s why I want the master s degree. I d love to get home and coach at Escondido High or Palomar College. I definitely want to get back home to California. But we have some unfinished business to take care of back here first. Mena has found it again, she says, because she s as close to 100 percent healthy as she has been since tearing up her knee during the volleyball playoffs her senior season at Escondido. It s still a little weak, but it s stronger than it has been in a long time, and I m moving faster and better than I have in years, Mena said. We ve worked hard to get it better, and it s to the point now that I don t even notice it. Mena is playing mostly as the designated player, softball s version of the designated hitter. And she s fine with that.

80 Sooners enter Big 12 play hot at the plate By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 22, 2007 One would think Oklahoma wouldn t want to see the non-conference season come to an end. The Sooners (33-2) have rolled through early-season competition, with only a couple of speed bumps slowing them down. As they head to Lubbock, Texas today to start Big 12 Conference play, they do so as one of the hottest teams in the country. No. 3 OU won the championship at one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country last Sunday, the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. To do it they had to beat No. 5 Arizona twice. In the championship game the Sooners run-ruled the Wildcats, showing just how powerful their offense has been this season. We re really hitting well right now as a team, first baseman Samantha Ricketts said. We ve been working hard with coach (Howard) Dobson and it s paying off for us. Ricketts has led the way at the plate. She leads all Big 12 hitters with 12 home runs and is tied with Oklahoma State s Courtney Totte with 50 runs batted in. Nebraska has just 70 RBIs as a team through 28 games. Ricketts is also on pace to pass Lisa Carey s OU record for RBIs in a season. Carey drove in 77 runs in 2000, something Ricketts could reach before the end of April. Ricketts was named the conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week after hitting.471 and racking up a slugging percentage in Fullerton. hitting over.300 for the season. At.345, they re 21 points ahead of second-place Baylor. They ve scored 35 more runs than Missouri, which has played three more games, and they ve driven in 29 more runs than the Tigers. I m really proud of the way we re hitting right now, OU coach Patty Gasso said. But our players know that going into conference play is a whole different kind of thing. We ve got to know how to hit whatever kind of pitcher is out there. If there s a knock on the Sooner hitters, it s consistency. Both of OU s losses this season were no-hitters: at Tulsa and against North Carolina State last Saturday in Fullerton. But, maybe that s just what the Sooners needed. I think maybe we were feeling invincible there when we were winning all those games in a row, Ricketts said. I think we needed that, maybe. I mean, you d rather it didn t happen, but it was a wake-up call for us. Those two losses taught us a lot. We know we have to be ready for anything, and we need to be able to execute. How many more wake-up calls do the Sooners need? Hopefully none, Ricketts said. Hopefully we ve learned and now we can just go on from there. OU and Texas Tech open conference play with a double-header today at 5 p.m. It s not just about Ricketts, though. What makes OU so dangerous is how spread out its offensive success has been. Norrelle Dickson leads conference hitters with a.454 batting average and 42 runs scored. Freshman Amber Flores is hitting.348 with five home runs and 29 RBI and sophomore Traci Dickenson has gone yard seven times. The Sooners are one of just three conference teams

81 Softball: OU rolls over Texas Tech Staff Reports Norman Transcript Mar 24, 2007 LUBBOCK, Texas Oklahoma improved its 2007 record to 35-2 after a 7-3 win over Texas Tech in game two of a double header Thursday. The Sooners won the first game 7-0. In the contest, senior Norrelle Dickson became OU s career runs scored leader as she went 4-5 with a run batted in. Dickson is also only three hits shy of tying former Sooner Kristin Vesely s career hit record at OU of 293. Powered by Dickson and a big five-run fifth inning, the Sooners offense recorded 11 hits in the second game. Jamie Fox was the only other Sooner to record multiple hits as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. OU travels south to Austin to take on Texas Today at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon. OSU opens with Kansas Oklahoma State hosts defending Big 12 tournament champion Kansas at 2 p.m. Saturday in its conference opener. Last year, OSU defeated the Jayhawks in its Big 12 opener in a 1-0, eight-inning thriller. OSU is coming off a 13-4 win over Tulsa Thursday and stands at on the season.

82 No. 4 Oklahoma shuts out Texas 7-0 By Mark Swanson AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT March 25, 2007 Somehow, someway, the 10th-ranked Texas softball team and starting pitcher Megan Denny kept No. 4 Oklahoma at bay through the first four innings of Saturday s Big 12 opener. After starting the season 22-3 and rising to as high as No. 8 in the rankings, the Longhorns have lost four of six. They play the Sooners again at noon today before No. 3 Texas A&M visits McCombs Field on Wednesday. In the fifth inning, the Longhorns ran out of escape routes. Traci Dickenson s two-run homer in the top of the fifth started a four-run OU burst that doomed Texas in a 7-0 defeat at McCombs Field. Denny and Oklahoma starter Lauren Eckerman have been the Big 12 s most dominant starters during non-conference play, but Oklahoma (36-2, 3-0 Big 12) lived up to its reputation as the conference s best hitting team. Jamie Fox walked to open the Sooners fifth, the third straight inning Denny walked the leadoff hitter. After striking out Savannah Long, Denny worked Dickenson, the No. 9 hitter, to a 1-2 count. Dickenson fouled one pitch deep down the left-field line, and two pitches later she deposited a Denny fastball over the left-field wall. They re a great hitting team, Denny said. I felt like I had good control, but (Dickenson) got a good swing on a bad pitch. After the home run, Norrelle Dickson walked and Mariee Mena singled to chase Denny (15-6). Sooners Samantha Ricketts and Susan Ogden added RBI singles off Erin Tresselt. Oklahoma added one more run in the fifth, as Dickson singled and came around to score on two Texas throwing errors on the play. Ogden closed the scoring with a two-run homer in the seventh. They re a hot ball club, probably the hottest in the country right now, said Longhorns coach Connie Clark said. I talked to Megan, and we re going to a few things different (today). We re not going to go away from her strengths, but you ll see a different Megan Denny. Texas (24-7, 0-1) managed only four hits off Eckerman (21-0), who struck out five. Only two Longhorns reached second base.

83 OU softball shuts out Texas Transcript Staff AUSTIN, Texas March 25, 2007 No more Cat Osterman, no more problems for Oklahoma against the Texas Longhorns. ended up taking the loss after 41?3 innings, falling to 15-6 on the season. The Sooners go for the series sweep in Austin today at noon. Texas superstar hurler graduated last year after four seasons of domination over the Sooners. What a difference a year makes. The last time OU and Texas met, Osterman no-hit the Sooners at Marita Hynes Field. Saturday, it went the other way in a 7-0 OU victory that improved the No. 3 Sooners to 36-2 on the season and 3-0 in Big 12 play. While Lauren Eckermann didn t no-hit the Longhorns, she improved her record to 21-0 while allowing four hits in the complete game. It was Eckermann s eighth shutout of the year, and her earned run average improved to Lauren did a good job of establishing a good mound presence early in the game, OU coach Patty Gasso said. She was ahead of hitters the whole game and never really allowed them to threaten. The Longhorns, ranked No. 10, couldn t stop the OU hitters. The Sooners combined for 11 hits and got home runs from Traci Dickenson and Susan Ogden. The duo combined for five of OU s hits and six RBIs. Norrelle Dickson and Mariee Mena each added two hits. Dickson moved within one hit of Kristin Vesely for the Sooner career record. I really liked how Norrelle came out and set the tone for us offensively in the first inning, Gasso said. We needed to do a better job executing in the first couple innings, but Traci Dickenson s home run to give us the lead allowed us to exhale a little. It was new for some of our younger ones to play in front of a big crowd like there was today, but we settled down and got the job done. Mariee, Norrelle, Susan and Traci were all very clutch for us today. The Longhorns (24-7, 0-1 Big 12) sent three pitchers to the circle to try to slow down the OU bats. But it didn t work, and Texas ace Meagan Denny

84 OU all business during break Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Mar 26, 2007 OU all business during break While some students were sunbathing on the beach or skiing the slopes, the No. 3 OU softball team was taking care of business. Winning the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., and starting off Big 12 play 3-1, the Sooners pushed their record to OU went 8-2 over the past week. In Fullerton, the Sooners took on multiple ranked foes and beat defending national champion Arizona twice, including an 11-0 victory in the tournament final. It was almost like a College World Series matchup, head coach Patty Gasso said. We re very legitimate. I just loved the way the guys responded to that. Our mission was accomplished. OU kicked off conference play as well, sweeping Texas Tech and splitting a two-game set with No. 10 Texas. The Sooners lost to the Longhorns 5-4 in extra frames Sunday on an error by third baseman Norrelle Dickson that allowed the winning run to score in the bottom of the tenth. and RBI (55). Both have been incredible all season long, Gasso said. Norrelle was absolutely on fire this week and a total catalyst of our offense. And you have Sam in there right behind her, who is also seeing the ball well and coming up with clutch RBI. The two of them make us go. In the circle, the Sooners got strong pitching performances from both junior Lauren Eckermann and sophomore D.J. Mathis. Eckermann (21-1) went 6-1 over the break with her lone loss to the Longhorns. She shouldered the majority of the load pitching 52 innings over the 10-game set. Mathis (9-2) went 2-1 during the break and tallied the win against Arizona in the tournament championship. Really proud of them both, Gasso said. Especially excited for Lauren because she has handled things very well, and a lot of innings well. The two of them together feed off of each other because they are so contrasting. The goal is to just keep them both as fresh and as ready to go as possible. It was hard-fought, and we stayed in it and we battled, Gasso said. The hardest thing of it all was knowing we had every opportunity to win. It s alarming because in order to win the Big 12 you have to come up with the clutch hits. Gasso said the team would use the tough loss as a motivator to push them into a grueling conference schedule. It stung and it s made them more determined and I think our practices this week will be great, she said. I think they know that they aren t untouchable and have a long way to get better. Dickson became OU s all-time hits leader earlier in the game, passing Kristin Vesely s previous mark of 293. Dickson currently stands at 297. In the 10 games over the break, Dickson and sophomore Samantha Ricketts paced the OU offense. Dickson hit an impressive.594, with 19 hits in the ten games. Ricketts was named national player of the week as she hit.467 with five home runs and 15 RBI. Ricketts leads the conference in both home runs (13)

85 Firestarter By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 27, 2007 When Norrelle Dickson passed Kristin Vesely as the all-time hits leader at Oklahoma Sunday, she didn t even realize it. I didn t even know about anything, Dickson said. After my mom was like Sweetie, you broke the hits record. And though it was another in a series of milestone moments for the Sooners senior third baseman, she was in no mood to celebrate. I was like, Mom, we lost, don t even talk to me (about records), Dickson said. Dickson s competetive spirit has been a major spark for OU since she arrived on campus 3 1/2 years ago. A highly-touted recruit coming out of El Modena High School in Orange, Calif., Dickson immediately showed how good of an athlete she was. But over the past two seasons, she s become not only one of the best players in OU history, but in NCAA history. With three more hits and three more stolen bases, which will likely come at home tonight against Central Arkansas or this weekend against Texas A&M, Dickson will become the 11th player in the NCAA Division I history to accumulate 300 hits, 200 runs scored and 100 stolen bases. What she s been able to do here, especially the last two seasons, has just been amazing, OU coach Patty Gasso said. She s really just become such a great player for us. Dickson is OU s career leader in hits (297), runs (211) and stolen bases (97), and the Sooners storied program has had plenty of great hitters along the way. This season she s leading the team in all three categories, hitting.496 with 56 hits, 48 runs and 24 steals. It s such an honor to be on top of all those stats, to have all those records, Dickson said. It s pretty cool. I think I ll look back on it more when I m done here, though. Dickson hasn t had much time to appreciate how well she s been playing, or the records she s been breaking. She didn t even realize she was passing Vesely during her 5-for-5 performance in Sunday s extra-innings loss at Texas. I knew I was close because one of our fans, he holds up a sign every time I get a hit that keeps track, Dickson said. But last time I checked there were like four names above me. The Sooners lead-off hitter is the catalyst for the offense. When she starts off an inning with a base hit or a walk, the hitters behind her are likely to bring her around to score. A trip for Dickson to first base usually turns into at least an appearance at second base. She gets things started. It s everything I ve been working on since I was seven years old, Dickson said. It s just been great to see the growth of Norrelle and what she s done since she s been here, Gasso said. I think last year and then this year she s just elevated herself to another level. There s some great pitchers that come along every 10 years or so, and you can definitely say that about Norrelle. I don t know if we re going to have a lead-off batter that can do the things she s done any time soon. They just don t come along that often. Sunday s big day was marred for Dickson thanks to a 10th-inning error that allowed Texas winning run to cross the plate. Fielding a ground ball, Dickson threw it to first, where second baseman Traci Dickenson was running over to cover. Dickenson and the ball got to the bag at the same time, and the ball got past the Sooner sophomore. I haven t been sleeping much since (Sunday), Dickson said. I know it was a good day. I was 5-for-5, and I ve never done that before. I should have been happy about it, but I just can t stop thinking about how we lost. It really wouldn t have mattered if it was my error or something else. It s just the fact that we lost that bothers me the most. Dickson and No. 3 OU (36-3) have a chance to put the Texas loss behind them when they host Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. tonight.

86 No match By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily March 29, 2007 The No. 3-ranked Sooners returned home after a lengthy road trip and ran their record to an impressive 37-3 with a 7-3 win over Central Arkansas (8-25) Wednesday night. One thing I was trying to do tonight more than anything was execution, head coach Patty Gasso said. Amber Flores laid down a bunt and I need to know, for one, if she knows the signal. Stacia [Aleman] had a great hit and run. A lot of things like that, that maybe I wouldn t normally call, and the score might have been a little bit higher if I would have let them stand in there in swing. It was a good call to focus. Reigning national player of the week Norrelle Dickson threw out the first pitch against Central Arkansas after becoming the all-time hits leader at OU. I always pretend that I m a pitcher at practice so my teammates were like, give them the screwball! the senior said. I just wanted to get it across the plate. But it was an honor. I don t go up there trying to hit, Ricketts said. I just see Norrelle on base and I think, OK, hit Norrelle in. [I] really want to just bring in any runner in scoring position. Back-to-back home runs in the top of the third by the Bears cut the Sooner lead to three. The two home runs were the first long balls starting pitcher Morgan Hudsonpillar has surrendered this year. Honestly, my expectations for Morgan were a little bit higher, Gasso said. Morgan had an opportunity tonight to say I m ready for Big 12, and I didn t feel that. Sophomore D.J. Mathis (10-2) replaced Hudsonpillar in the top of the fourth and didn t give up a hit, picking up the win after pitching four scoreless innings. D.J. wasn t her sharpest, but she hasn t thrown for a while, Gasso said. It was good to get her out on the mound and get her arm back. We got accomplished what we wanted to with D.J. Dickson went 3-3, raised her batting average to.509 and recorded her 300th hit. It was all in a day s work for the All-American. I wanted to wave, Dickson said. But I had to play it cool. Dickson has had a hit in 10 straight at-bats and is within one of the NCAA record, set by Lindsey Cameron of Florida. OU kicked off the game by scoring four runs. Dickson singled to start the game, promptly stole second and senior Mariee Mena drove her in with a hard single up the middle. First baseman Samantha Ricketts grounded out to second to plate Mena, and Amber Spaulding singled to score catcher Susan Ogden, who had singled. Ricketts bombed her 14th homer over the centerfield wall in the bottom of the second that drove in Dickson, who had singled in front of her. Ricketts leads the Big 12 in home runs and RBI (59). She also moved into second place in the conference in hitting and with her.425 average, only trailing league-leader Dickson. Batting average is the only triple-crown category Ricketts does not lead in the Big 12.

87 It s a very big series By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript March 31, 2007 When Texas A&M invades Marita Hynes Field today for a two-game series, the meeting between the No. 2 Aggies and No. 3 Sooners will count as the biggest matchup to date this college softball season. OU has already faced tough competition this season. The Sooners beat No. 5 Arizona twice, two weekends ago, to win the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. They also took down then-no. 6 Oregon State earlier in the season. But this is bigger for OU than any meeting so far this season. It s more important because it s conference play, second baseman Traci Dickenson said. We know this series will be important for how we finish in the Big 12, and even how we re seeded for regionals and things like that down the line. But we re just looking at this for how important it is to win as far as our conference is concerned. Both squads enter the game with similar losses. Last weekend, OU (37-3) split a series at Texas, falling in extra innings Sunday in Austin. While the Sooners rebounded with a victory Tuesday at home against Central Arkansas, A&M (28-4) was falling to the Longhorns, too. Sooners this season and sports a 10-2 record with a 1.77 ERA. Gibson is 12-1 with a 1.44 ERA and Scarborough is 13-3 with a 1.30 ERA. Both are great hitters, too. Gibson leads the Aggies with a.414 average and has eight home runs and 21 RBIs. Scarborough is hitting.310 with five homers and 28 RBIs. Both teams are in the top 10 in the nation in scoring, too. OU leads the at 7.80 runs per game and A&M is 10th at They re a lot like us, Dickenson said. We know we re going to have to be focused and ready to play a really tough team this weekend. And while they re evenly matched on paper, the Sooners have the home-field edge. They ve won 24 straight at Marita Hynes Field. It s going to be nice to play these games at home, and in front of our fans, third baseman Norrelle Dickson said. It s a big series, and I m just glad we re here for it. The Sooners and Aggies hit the field at 2 p.m. today and noon Sunday. But the similarities don t end there. The Aggies have built their program the last few years in the OU mold. Unlike the dominating Texas teams with Cat Osterman, which had a weak-hitting offense and depended on the Olympian to handcuff opposing hitters, A&M has followed in the Sooners footsteps, putting together a team with strong pitching, and complementing it with strong hitting. It s very much like looking at a mirror image, OU coach Patty Gasso said. They re a lot like us. With (Amanda) Scarborough and (Megan) Gibson, they have two great starting pitchers. And they have some great hitters, too. I really think this is a series that can be decided by defense. OU s ace is Lauren Eckermann, who enters the series with a 21-1 record and a 1.39 earned run average. D.J. Mathis has also been strong in the circle for the

Sooners draw first blood By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 1, 2007 With over 1,200 fans crowded into Marita Hynes Field, and the nation watching on ESPN 2, Oklahoma came from behind to beat

88 Sooners draw first blood By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 1, 2007 With over 1,200 fans crowded into Marita Hynes Field, and the nation watching on ESPN 2, Oklahoma came from behind to beat Texas A&M 4-2 Saturday in the first game of college softball s biggest series of the season. The second-ranked Aggies came in sporting top-10 victories over Arizona and UCLA, and the thirdranked Sooners had wins over the Wildcats, Oregon State and Texas. The stage was set for an important top-5, and Big 12 battle. And it didn t disappoint. Two of the best hitting teams in the country, A&M and OU combined for 16 hits while aces Lauren Eckermann and Megan Gibson both struggled. Eckermann struggled early, though, getting stronger toward the end of the game when the Sooners needed her most. Gibson s struggles came later, when OU scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Aggies scored first; once in the first inning and gain in the fourth, but Eckermann hung in and shut A&M hitters down after that. Then it just came down to clutch hitting. I think it was just settling in and trusting in my pitches rather than just overthinking it and trying too hard to pinpoint my location, Eckermann said. After we got the lead there, I just settled in, and I knew I didn t want to give them a second life. In the fifth, OU put together four consecutive singles, tying it on RBI hits from Mariee Mena and Amber Flores. For us, it only takes one hit. We know if we get someone on second base, we know everyone on our team can score from there on a base hit. It s frustrating when you have the bases loaded like we did early and you don t come through, but that s why we didn t stress. We knew all we needed was that one big hit, and Jamie Fox got it for us today. The Sooners have made a habit of coming from behind and relying on clutch hitting, especially in big games. We believe in everybody, Fox said. Everyone is fighting for the person at the plate back in our dugout. Would we want to jump out ahead 7-0? Of course. If Coach (Patty) Gasso didn t go a little bit crazy, though, we d kind of worry. We re sticking together and we re going to win a ballgame. We ll find a way to do it. The Aggies, picked in the preseason to finish first in the conference, fell to 28-5 and 2-2 in Big 12 play. The victory opens the Big 12 up for the Sooners (38-3, 4-1.) If OU can pick up the series sweep today at noon, it has a decided edge in the conference. But Gasso would like to see her players play a bit better today. Honestly, I don t think we had our best stuff today, Gasso said. We left too many on base early and we were swinging at stuff we shouldn t have been swinging at, trying to be heroes. But we kept fighting and came through. OU draws first blood Sooners come from behind to win top-5 battle By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer With over 1,200 fans crowded into Marita Hynes Field, and the nation watching on ESPN 2, Oklahoma came from behind to beat Texas A&M 4-2 Saturday in the first game of college softball s biggest series of the season. The second-ranked Aggies came in sporting top- 10 victories over Arizona and UCLA, and the thirdranked Sooners had wins over the Wildcats, Oregon State and Texas. The stage was set for an important top-5, and Big 12 battle. And it didn t disappoint. Two of the best hitting teams in the country, A&M and OU combined for 16 hits while aces Lauren Eckermann and Megan Gibson both struggled. Eckermann struggled early, though, getting stronger toward the end of the game when the Sooners needed her most. Gibson s struggles came later, when OU OU 4 A&M 2 Boxscore, Extra Frames, Page C8 scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Aggies scored first; once in the first inning and gain in the fourth, but Eckermann hung in and shut See SOFTBALL Page C8 After OU s RBI leader, Samantha Ricketts, and pinch hitter Stacia Aleman struck out, center fielder Jamie Fox came through with a two-run single up the middle to give the Sooners the edge. All we want to do is get the leadoff on, third baseman Norrelle Dickson said. We practice that every day. Oklahoma s Mariee Mena and Amber Flores (4) celebrate scoring the Sooners go-ahead runs. Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure

89 No. 3 Sooners ax No. 2 Texas A&M By Jenni Carlson The OKlahoman April 1, 2007 NORMAN Oklahoma stranded runners in scoring position each of the first three innings against Texas A&M, the second-ranked softball team in all the land. Frustrating? opener against Louisville. From that point on, it felt like this team could always come back. We have not let that feeling go. Fox said, Would we want to jump out 7-0? Of course. But one through nine, we believe. Nah, the Sooners said. Encouraging. We knew we were on it, Sooner star Norrelle Dickson said of getting runners on base even though they failed to push them across. We had good at-bats. That s why we didn t panic. That attitude paid off Saturday when the thirdranked Sooners finally rallied in the fifth inning. They scored four runs, erasing an Aggie lead and blowing open the nationally televised showdown of top-five teams. OU defeated A&M 4-2. The fifth inning started with a lead-off single by Traci Dickenson, who moved to third with an Aggie error on Dickson s bunt. Then the meat of OU s lineup came through, Mariee Mena and Amber Flores each driving in a run. But after clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts and Stacia Aleman struck out the Sooners managed only a single out of their four- and five-hole hitters Saturday Jamie Fox stepped to the plate with runners at second and third with two outs. Would more runners be left on base? I saw the eyes of Jamie Fox... really wanting, Sooner coach Patti Gasso said. She responded. She smacked a two-run single into center, and the Sooners had a two-run lead. It was all the cushion pitcher Lauren Eckermann needed, retiring the Aggies in order the last two innings. After struggling early she trailed by a run after facing only two batters Eckermann improved to 22-1 while the Sooners moved to These guys have been in this position playing other teams, Gasso said of playing from behind, adding that her team erased a big deficit in the season

90 Sooners give up season-high 9 runs, lose By Jenni Carlson The Oklahoman April 2, 2007 NORMAN The first word on Patti Gasso s game notes spelled out what felled her Oklahoma softball team Sunday afternoon. Spark. There was no spark, the Sooner coach said. No fire against the nation s No. 2-ranked team? Texas A&M throttled OU 9-4, scoring the most runs by a Sooner opponent this season. Only one other team had scored more than five runs. Heck, when the Aggies scored four runs in the first inning, they became only the fifth team to score that many on the Sooners. It was the meltdowns in the field, including a misplayed ball in the left-field corner and a dropped pop fly, that troubled Gasso most. Really, you can put a lot of blame in all kinds of places, said Gasso, who even admitted she struggled making adjustments and searching for something to spark her squad. You can t blame it all on one part of the game. It was definitely a collective loss. We threw in the towel, and I was disappointed with that. Gasso opted to start D.J. Mathis instead of staff ace Lauren Eckermann, who defeated Texas A&M on Saturday. D.J. s had success against these guys, Gasso said of Mathis s 2-1 mark against the Aggies last season. She knows them like the back of her hand. Instead, the Aggies (29-5 overall, 3-2 Big 12) looked like the ones with the book on Mathis. After a leadoff infield single and a walk, Megan Gibson blasted a home run to center field. That big hit by Gibson kind of took any kind of air out of us, though we didn t have much air to start with, Gasso said. After that first inning, (Mathis) held her own. It was shameful that we didn t step up behind D.J. and do more offensively for her. The Sooners (38-4, 4-2) did little to cut that early deficit. In four innings, they pushed only one base runner to third and scratched out just four singles. But even after the offense came alive in the fifth inning, scoring four runs and cutting the Aggies lead to one, the defense faltered again. Eckermann, who replaced Mathis in the fourth, gave up a run in the sixth inning. Then in the seventh, three multi-base hits and two Sooner errors gave the Aggies three insurance runs. Traci Dickenson, who started OU s fifth-inning rally with a homer, said: We were getting momentum; we were losing it. We were getting it; we were losing it. It kind of felt like a domino game.

91 More questions than answers after weekend By Graham Hays ESPN.com April 4, 2007 Few television experiences are more annoying than becoming thoroughly engrossed in a program, only to look down at the clock as it creeps ever closer toward the end of the hour and realize there is no way things are going to be wrapped up satisfactorily in the remaining minutes. You ve been sucked in by the cliffhanger, and there s nothing you can do but wait a week for the action to continue. Well, as the hours ticked down on a weekend that included a pair of softball showdowns between top-10 teams, as well as the annual trip to Westwood for Arizona and Arizona State (UCLA lost to the Sun Devils, but split with Arizona), it became abundantly clear that the season s most intriguing drama wasn t going to resolve itself by the time the teams involved headed for home at the end of the day. A weekend that provided as many questions as answers left only one fact clear. We re going to have to stay tuned to know how this turns out. Texas A&M at Oklahoma The biggest series of a big weekend took place in Norman, where No. 2 Texas A&M squared off against No. 3 Oklahoma. And perhaps no series proved less despite providing bountiful entertainment. weekend, Eckermann remained composed after surrendering four early runs and gave her team a chance to rally from a manageable deficit before surrendering the winning run in the ninth inning. On the flip side, Sunday s game demonstrated exactly how much depth Texas A&M has in its lineup and what kind of punishment the Aggies can inflict on anything close to average pitching. Facing Oklahoma No. 2 D.J. Mathis -- who has had her moments this year, including a win against Arizona -- the Aggies jumped ahead early on Gibson s three-run home run in the first inning. And after the Sooners rallied to within a run as Amanda Scarborough finally proved vulnerable in the middle innings, the Aggies responded by putting the game away with four more runs in the sixth and seventh. She might not be the sole reason for the success, but there is no denying the impact freshman shortstop Macie Morrow has on the Aggies. With Morrow hitting.350 with three home runs and 25 RBIs, the Aggies have a tremendous bridge between a healthy Sharona McDonald at the top of the order and a potent heart of the order in Gibson, Scarborough and Jamie Hinshaw. As two of the nation s best teams took turns proving on back-to-back days, it s a very thin line between success and failure at the top of the rankings this season. Oklahoma tops Texas A&M Oklahoma took Saturday s opener 4-2, just as they had taken the opener from Texas the weekend before. Lauren Eckermann shut down the Aggies, allowing seven hits and one earned run while striking out five. The win moved the junior to 22-1 this season, her first with the Sooners after transferring from Temple Junior College in Texas. Trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning, Oklahoma s potent bats came to life, stringing together four runs on five hits against Megan Gibson, including four consecutive singles. All things considered, it was exactly the kind of game the Sooners will need to win in the postseason and evidence of exactly how important Eckermann is in giving the team an ace. Even if Eckermann perhaps isn t quite as dominant in the circle as her record suggests, she s been extremely consistent and reliable for Patty Gasso s team. Even in her lone loss of the season in the second game against Texas last

92 Sooner Dickenson surprises pitchers By Scott Wright The Oklahoman April 4, 2007 NORMAN When Norrelle Dickson and her.504 batting average come out of the Oklahoma dugout and into the on-deck circle, it s not rare for an opposing pitcher to be thinking ahead rather than focusing on the person in the batter s box. That s part of what makes Traci Dickenson, the Sooners No. 9 hitter, so successful that, and the fact that Dickenson is pretty darn good herself. People are starting to know who she is, Gasso said. She gets to see some pretty good pitches, just because she s got the best hitter in America behind her. Traci is always very relaxed. She doesn t get too high or too low. She always knows what we re asking her to do. It has really worked out well for us. It normally seems that when we get down to the bottom of the order, something big is needed, said OU coach Patty Gasso, whose second-ranked Sooners (38-4 overall, 4-2 Big 12) host Oklahoma State (24-19, 2-2) tonight at 7 at Marita Hynes Field. With your typical No. 9 hitter, you may not feel as confident as you would with Traci. Some pitchers relax when they get to the No. 9 hitter. If you have that mentality and you start thinking about how you re going to handle Norrelle, you re going to get shell-shocked. Dickenson is batting.295 for the season. She s second on the team and tied for sixth in the Big 12 Conference with nine home runs and ranks in the top 10 in the conference in both runs batted in (34) and slugging percentage (.653). No, she s not your typical nine-hole hitter. I take a lot of pride in not being an easy out, Dickenson said. We have a lot of strong hitters, one through nine, that are capable of hitting it out or doing whatever we need to do. Dickenson, who also plays soccer for OU, was a staple in the middle of the order at El Dorado High School in Orange County, Calif. She credits her mental approach for the easy transition to the ninth spot at OU. Softball is completely different than soccer. It s more mental, she said. Really, softball is 98 percent mental and 2 percent physical. Being mentally prepared has allowed me to perform to my capabilities physically. Gasso said Dickenson likes to be a surprise waiting for pitchers at the bottom of the lineup. But that might not last much longer.

93 Sooners need Bedlam to move forward By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 4, 2007 Tonight s Bedlam meeting at Marita Hynes Field means more to Oklahoma players and coaches than the rivalry. In fact, the rivalry between the No. 2 Sooners and the Cowgirls is almost an afterthought for OU coach Patty Gasso. Tonight s game gives the Sooners an opportunity to put Sunday s loss to Texas A&M behind them. It gives them a chance to move on, to prove they re a better team than the one that gave up 11 runs in two days and had almost everything imaginable go against it in the 9-4 series finale loss to the Aggies. Texas A&M before taking over in Stillwater. They re a lot better, Gasso said. They have a new coaching staff and a whole new look to them. They re having some success this year and they re going to come in here looking to win. Recent history is on the Sooners side, however. OU has won 23 of the past 24 Bedlam meetings, including nine straight. The Sooners and Cowgirls begin at 7 tonight. The Bedlam stuff, that s great for fans and for people around the state, but really this is just a Big 12 series for us, Gasso said. We want to go out and play more like ourselves. We haven t been doing that much lately. OU (38-4, 4-2 Big 12) struggled in every part of its game against A&M. The Sooners had only one extrabase hit in the two games, a solo home run by Traci Dickenson to lead off the fifth inning of Sunday s loss. That s unusual for the OU offense, which has Norrelle Dickson and Samantha Ricketts on top of five hitting categories in the Big 12. But it wasn t just the offense that had problems. The usually dependable D.J. Mathis and Lauren Eckermann both got roughed up in the circle. And, probably worst of all, the Sooners booted the ball around a defensively. We re going to be working on those things in practice, Gasso said before the team s Tuesday workout. We know we need to play better if we want to accomplish our goals. OSU (29-14, 2-2) comes into the game after an impressive sweep at Iowa State last weekend. Courtney Totte went 6-for-8 against the Cyclones and is hitting.500 in Big 12 play with two home runs and a slugging percentage. The Cowgirls are a much-improved team under firstyear coach Rich Wieligman, who was an assistant at

Sooners come out swinging By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 5, 2007 After Sunday s loss to Texas A&M, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was wondering where her team s fire went.

OU had it all working. I m proud of these guys. They came back after a tough loss against A&M and really bounced back well. Savannah Long and Jamie Fox both went deep for OU.

94 Sooners come out swinging By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 5, 2007 After Sunday s loss to Texas A&M, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was wondering where her team s fire went. The Sooners started both games of the weekend split with the Aggies fighting from behind. But the fire was back in Wednesday s first Bedlam meeting of the season at Marita Hynes Field. OU had it all working. I m proud of these guys. They came back after a tough loss against A&M and really bounced back well. Savannah Long and Jamie Fox both went deep for OU. Fox ended the game with a walk-off solo shot in the fifth inning, her sixth home run of the season. Long hit her solo homer in the third inning, and had an RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the first. The 1-for- 1 performance ended a long hitting drought for the Sooner shortstop. I ve just been pressing so much, and this was just a chance for me to exhale and go out and have more fun, Long said. When you re not trying so hard to do something and you just relax and let your abilities take over, good things happen. Ricketts, Ogden and Lindsey Vandever added RBIs for OU. The Sooners are at home Friday to begin a Big 12 series against Iowa State. The Sooners hustled, beat out infield hits, put their bunts on the ground, took advantage of Oklahoma State errors and hit two home runs in an 8-0 five-inning run rule victory over the Cowgirls (24-20, 2-3 Big 12). OU plated six runs and went through nine batters before making its first out in the bottom of the first inning. Bedlam Softball: No contest Smack Our goal yesterday at practice was coming out and attacking early, smothering and getting started quickly, Gasso said. It s been a while since we came out and took ownership of a game like that. The Sooners (39-4, 5-2) used four singles, three infield hits, two of those bunts, and one a squeeze from Susan Ogden, to bring in the six runs. It was a big turnaround from Sunday, when OU tried four times unsuccessfully to lay down a bunt. We talked about execution, that we don t have to count on (Samantha) Ricketts just hitting a three-run home run, Gasso said. We have not been executing that very well of late. They did it tonight, got done what they needed to do. That s a championship team. A championship team gets those things done. Lauren Eckermann rebounded from a rough outing against the Aggies, picking up her 23rd victory and striking out 10. She allowed three hits and walked two. Lauren looked really good tonight, Gasso said. She s back and has things under control. Oklahoma s Mariee Mena, left, and Susan Ogden celebrate one of the Sooners eight runs during their 8-0 Bedlam victory Wednesday night at Marita Hynes Field. Below: OU s Jamie Fox celebrates her fifth-inning home run. By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer After Sunday s loss to Texas A&M, Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was wondering where her team s fire went. The Sooners started both games of the weekend split with the Aggies fighting from behind. But the fire was back in Wednesday s first Bedlam meeting of the season at Marita Hynes Field. OU had it all working. The Sooners hustled, beat out infield hits, put their bunts on the ground, took advantage of Oklahoma State errors and hit two home runs in an 8-0 five-inning run rule victory over the Cowgirls (24-20, 2-3 Big 12). OU plated six runs and went through nine batters before making its first out in the bottom of the first inning. Transcript Photos by Kevin Ellis and Jerry Laizure Sooners come out swinging on the way to run-rule win OU 8 OSU 0 Boxscore Extra Frames Page B4 Our goal yesterday at practice was coming out and attacking early, smothering and getting started quickly, Gasso said. It s been a while since we came out and took ownership of a game like that. The Sooners (39-4, 5-2) used four singles, three infield hits, two of those bunts, and one a squeeze from Susan Ogden, to bring in the six runs. It was a big turnaround from Sunday, when OU tried four times unsuccessfully to lay See BEDLAM Page B4

95 Sooners ride fast start to win over Cowgirls By Scott Wright The Oklahoman April 5, 2007 NORMAN The Oklahoma softball team learned last Saturday just how hard it is to come from behind against a good team. On Wednesday night at Marita Hynes Field, the Sooners taught Oklahoma State the same lesson. Knowing her team s ultimate goals, Gasso was glad to see the Sooners perform well in multiple areas. Everything we needed to get done, we got done, Gasso said. A championship team gets those things done. It has to happen. No. 2-ranked OU scored six runs before OSU recorded an out and went on to an 8-0 run-rule victory in five innings, its 10th straight regular-season victory over the Cowgirls. The Sooners, better known for their power, got off to the fast start with small ball. Of their four first-inning hits, three were infield singles. I m proud of this group, because we talked about execution, OU coach Patty Gasso said. We don t have to depend on (Samantha) Ricketts hitting a three-run home run. We can work the short game, we can execute that, we can put pressure on the defense without hitting the ball through the infield. The Cowgirls helped by committing two errors in OU s first four at-bats before pitcher Jessica Hoppock put out the fire in relief of OSU starter Anna Whiddon. OU leadoff hitter Norrelle Dickson went 2-for-3, raising her Big 12 Conference-leading batting average to.508 and extending her hitting streak to 11 games. OU s big bats came out after the first inning. Savannah Long hit a solo home run in the third, and Jamie Fox ended the game with a homer to left field in the bottom of the fifth. Long, who had struggled both offensively and defensively at times this season, also drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and made a difficult play on a Shanel Scott grounder from her shortstop position in the third inning. I think I had just been pressing so much and wanting something so bad, Long said. We talked about a lot of things, and it was a chance for me to exhale and go out there and relax and play the game and have fun. Once I did that, everything kind of came around.

96 USA Softball names Player of the Year finalists By Staff Reports April 5, 2007 Bedlam was well represented when USA Softball released its 25 finalists for Collegiate Player of the Year on Wednesday. University of Oklahoma senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson and sophomore first baseman Samantha Ricketts are two of the candidates, along with Oklahoma State s Courtney Totte. Dickson, a two-time All-American, leads the Big 12 with a.504 batting average. She has already set school records for hits, runs scored and stolen bases. Ricketts is on pace to set single season records at OU in home runs (20) and RBIs (77). The left-hander leads the Big 12 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs (17 shy of the OU single-season mark). Totte, who earlier this week earned Big 12 and national player of the week awards, is batting.439 with 15 doubles, 11 homers and a school-record 60 RBIs. On May 9, a list of 10 finalists will be named. On May 23 the list will be cut to three and those final three players will travel to Oklahoma City for the announcement of the winner at the 2007 NCAA Women s College World Series.

97 OU wins two very different games By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 7, 2007 It was a weird day at Marita Hynes Field. No. 2 Oklahoma swept a chilly doubleheader against Iowa State, but did so in two very different games that had the Sooner faithful bundled up and putting up with intermittent snow flurries. The Sooners came out swinging and dominated the opener, run-ruling the Cyclones 8-0 in five innings. But things turned ugly in the nightcap, when a 2-0 lead evaporated in the fifth inning and the OU bats turned as cold as the weather. Traci Dickenson got the sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Sooners 3-2 victory, but only after OU squandered almost any opportunity it had to bring runners home. The Sooners stranded 14 base runners, and could only scratch across three runs on 10 hits. We lost a little bit of focus (in the second game), OU coach Patty Gasso said. We kind of didn t compete the way we should have. We didn t give them enough respect. We can t take anybody lightly who comes onto this field. We didn t take advantage of the opportunities we had and you just can t leave 14 on base. Championship teams can t do that. D.J. Mathis started the second game for the Sooners. She had a perfect game through 41 3 innings before the Cyclones rallied and scored two runs to tie, both with two outs. Lauren Eckermann replaced Mathis and was dominant in relief, striking out five straight batters at one point. That gave the Sooners their opening in the bottom of the 10th. Lindsey Vandever started on second, and Savannah Long fell behind 0-2 while trying to bunt her over. But Long turned from goat to hero when she moved Vandever to third on a ground ball to the right side of the infield. Dickenson then came up and drove in her fifth run of the day with the sacrifice fly to right field. She was 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs in the first game. I just wanted to put the ball in play, Dickenson said. They were pitching me outside the whole game because I suck at outside. I just had to make some adjustments and I was able to hit it to the right place. Eckermann allowed one hit and struck out nine batters in 42 3 innings. She pitched all five innings of the opener, allowing just three hits. The victories improved her record to I think you just go into one of those games thinking I just need to keep our team in it until they can score, Eckermann said. Samantha Ricketts and Dickenson provided most of the pop for the Sooners Friday. Ricketts was a perfect 6-for-6 on the day and hit her 15th home run of the season while driving in two runs and picking up two intentional walks. The rest of the Sooners will get a chance to heat up their bats when they travel to North Texas Wednesday before heading to Missouri next weekend. But her biggest strikeouts came in the 10th inning. After nine innings, softball rules dictate each team begins the inning with a runner on second base. The Cyclones bunted their runner over, moving the potential winning run to third base with one out. But Eckermann dug in, striking out Jessica Quade. She then hit Ariel Coburn, who stole second, but got Holly Jordan swinging to end the side.

98 Funny Girl By Jeff Johncox Sooner Spectator Amber Flores isn t just making a big impression on the softball field. The freshman from Calexico, Calif., has made her presence known in the clubhouse, too. And on the bus. And in the dugout. She s known for singing and cracking jokes, and she hasn t even been around a full year yet. She s a character, teammate Jaimie Fox said. But in a good way. She keeps us on our toes. Flores can t help it. Her laugh is infectious. An interview with Flores and Fox, whom Flores stayed with when she came to Norman on a recruiting trip, quickly turns into a laugh-filled, rapid-shot conversation. She keeps everything light, Fox said. If you re having a bad day individually, she makes you feel like a stud. She makes you feel like an All-American. She s just someone who makes you feel good about yourself. But even more impressive than her sense of humor is what Flores brings to the OU lineup. In the Sooners first home action this season, Flores led the team with a.667 batting average in the five OU-Nike Classic games. Through the team s first 10 games, Flores was second on the team in hitting (.423) and tied with Fox for the team lead in runs batted in (13). The numbers continue to prove coach Patty Gasso s decision to put Flores in the No. 3 spot was a good one, despite a shaky start at the Diamond Fun and Sun Classic in Miami, Fla. She came in with such great expectations, Gasso said. I think she was still adjusting a bit at the start. She wanted out of that 3-spot, but I wouldn t let her, and she s kept at it and it s paying off for her. Flores started the OU-Nike Classic in an inauspicious way: running out two infield singles that both traveled less than three feet. But the team cut-up just took it in stride. It was another opportunity to improve, and, Flores is quick to point out, she did reach base on the infield hits. I think just getting those kind of cheap hits, you know, that helped me at the plate, Flores said. Sometimes you just catch the breaks. During the Classic s second day, Flores finally got the big hit she was waiting for. While she can drive the ball over the fence thanks to one of the sweetest swings on the team, she also showed she has speed. After driving a ball into the gap, and as it rolled to the fence, Flores dug in and pushed herself around the bases, beating the throw home for an inside-the-park home run. The rest of the weekend, Flores was a hitting machine. I think when she got that inside-the-park homer, things changed for her, Gasso said. I think she started seeing the ball better and it opened things up for her. Wearing No. 4, the same number worn for four years by Fox s former roommate, Kristin Vesely OU s all-time hits leader Flores has embraced her role as one of the offensive leaders on the team. She s already proved she can get big hits in key situations, and she s as intense a player as anyone on the field. Already up big in a 15-0 victory over Northwestern State, Flores dinged herself up when she went in hard to home plate on a ground ball. The game was already well in-hand, and she could have slowed down as she ran home. But that s not her style. That type of intensity and drive have been evident since she took her first swings as a Sooner last fall. The first time we saw her hit, we were like Man, we don t know this girl, but she can rake, Fox said. The bar is set so high for her, as long as she keeps working hard and keeps improving, she s going to be a great player. While Flores is a completely different kind of hitter than Vesely, there are some similarities other than the uniform number. Vesely was a pure line-drive hitter who also had the speed to beat out ground balls to the left side of the infield. Flores just hits the ball hard all over the field. A pure hitter, she has Gasso excited about the future. Both (Vesely and Flores) are great hitters, Gasso said. I think that Flores name is going to be attached to No. 4 for a long time, just like Vesely. They re two different kinds of players, but (Flores) has that same great hitter s ability. Of course, it s not all intensity and hard work for Flores. After all, softball is a game. It s supposed to be fun, right? I just like to have fun when I m out there, Flores said. If everyone is tight, it s harder to play. I mean, this is Oklahoma softball, there s already enough pressure for us to play well and be one of the better teams in the country. If everyone is taking the game so serious, too, that just makes things even harder on us. That adds even more pressure. Flores is just part of a very young Oklahoma lineup. Last year s team-leading power hitter, first-baseman Samantha Ricketts, is a sophomore. So are second-baseman Traci Dickenson and starter D.J. Mathis. Freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever has also seen significant action in 2007, as has speedy, slap-hitting freshman outfielder Iver McDonald. But it s Flores who s made the most noise in the early part of the season. Each year, a leader is going to step out, Fox said. When my class were freshmen, we had people step up and fill that role for us. Amber has done that this year with this freshman class. Always vocal in practice, singing on the bus and making teammates laugh, Flores and Fox are two of a kind. One is a senior enjoying a breakout year so far and the other is a fresh face on the team who is becoming one of the fan favorites at Marita Hynes Field. From the beginning, we just clicked, Fox said. Teammates like Fox are part of the reason Flores decided to come to Norman from California. Calexico is on the border between the Sunshine State and Mexico, hence the name. And while she was recruited by Arizona State to play in the Pac 10 usually considered softball s power conference Flores chose to come to the Big 12. I think I chose OU for a lot of reasons, Flores said. You can t get the same experience in the Pac 10 that you can get here. You just kind of know when it s the right place for you, and when I met the people here, and who I would be playing with, I knew it was the right place. When Fox was asked about Flores future prospects, the freshman couldn t help but pipe in. Oh, she ll probably drop out, get kicked off the team, Flores said, causing both to erupt in laughter. No, she s going to be good, Fox said. If she stays positive, the sky s the limit. As a part of one of college softball s best programs, that s a pretty big compliment.

99 Sooner softballers off to chilly Missouri By Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily April 12, 2007 The No. 2 OU softball team is packing up its sweatshirts and ponchos as it prepares to travel to Columbia, Mo., for a weekend set against the Missouri Tigers. Forecasted weather in Columbia for the weekend looks to be poor softball conditions. Saturday s forecast shows bitter cold weather with high winds and a likely chance of snow. [OU head coach Patty Gasso is] just preparing us for it and we re going to have to dress appropriately and not let it affect us, sophomore Samantha Ricketts said. Just go out there with the approach, whether it is 90 degrees or 30 degrees, we re going to come out with the win. But if stats are any indication, the cold weather shouldn t chill the hot OU bats. The Sooners feature the nation s top offense, averaging better than seven runs per game and hitting at a.348 clip. On the flip side, Missouri is slotted last in the Big 12 in total pitching. The Tigers are allowing almost four runs a game, and are permitting their opponents a.302 average. The Tigers boast the third best offense in the Big 12, averaging just better than six runs a game. With two premier offenses highlighting a huge conference showdown, the outcome could literally rest on the shoulder of Sooner starter Lauren Eckermann. The junior improved her record to 26-1 Wednesday night with a win over North Texas. She is leading the Big 12 in victories and is in the top five in ERA. There s not really any added pressure, the junior said. For me, I just go out every game, my goal is to shut the offense down and not let them score. Coach (Melissa) Lombardi has done a great job of keeping the hitters off balance with the pitches she calls. Last year, the Tigers swept the Sooners in Norman and Ricketts said the team wants to even the score this weekend. We really want to go out there and show them that we re definitely not the same team from last year, she said. We expect to come out of there with the wins. Sooner sluggers like Ricketts are licking their chops at the opportunity this weekend. The sophomore is leading the nation in RBI (67) and leading the conference in round trippers (15). She is also second in the Big 12 in batting average (.444), behind fellow Sooner Norrelle Dickson. We ve been working a lot on what their pitcher throws and they pretty much only have the one, Ricketts said. So if we can get to her, I think we ll be good. Hopefully, we can get on the board early and knock her out of there. OU comes into the series owning an impressive 42-4 overall record and a 7-2 conference record. Missouri is a perfect 5-0 in league play and overall. The Sooners know they need to tame the Tigers to make up ground in the conference race. It s really big for us, because we want to try and knock them off and then we have Baylor next week, so two big series right in a row, Ricketts said. We basically need to sweep both of them if we want to stay in this race.

100 OU splits doubleheader with Missouri Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily Apr 15, 2007 The No. 2 Sooner softball team went to Missouri with a sweep in mind, but after dropping game one of a doubleheader, that goal had to change. OU earned a split with the Tigers on Sunday, running its record to 43-5 and 8-3 in the Big 12. Missouri (30-18, 6-1) lost its first conference game of the year. OU dropped game one 5-1 but countered with an 8-3 victory in the second game. We were disappointed because we thought we should ve and could ve come in here and got the sweep, head coach Patty Gasso said. But Missouri is swinging the bats real well and playing real well. We re relieved [to win game two] but actually a little disappointed. Gasso said the team challenged each other to respond after losing the first game. We needed to really pull this off, she said. They responded in game two. They knew the importance of trying to pull that off and walking away with at least a split. In the second game, the Sooners started hot, putting two runs on the board in the top of the first. The Tigers came back against starter D.J. Mathis with three in the bottom of the frame. Game one starter Lauren Eckermann replaced Mathis after the lefty loaded the bases. Eckermann, who took the loss in the opener, allowed two inherited runners to score on a bloop single but was solid from then on. fly to center field to plate Mena as OU regained the lead, 4-3. Ricketts, Lindsey Vandever and Susan Ogden powered the Sooner offense with two RBI apiece. Ricketts, the conference s RBI leader, is only eight RBI shy of breaking the single-season mark at OU of 77 held by Lisa Carey. In game one, the Tigers scored all five of their runs on three homers, beating the Sooners 5-1. The OU bats never got on track as MU pitcher Jen Bruck kept the nation s leading offense off balance all afternoon. OU starter Eckermann dropped only her second game of the season, giving up six scattered hits over six complete innings. She was solid, but three big flies got the best of her. She left a couple balls in the zone and they got hit hard, Gasso said. But Lauren came back and kept us in the game, we couldn t get any offensive spark at all. With the split, Gasso said the team is still in the Big 12 title race but might need a little helping hand. I think our destiny is still in our own hands, but we still need some help from others, she said. All we can do is work to win the rest of them. The junior went 5 1/3 innings, allowing no earned runs on only two hits. She picked up her 27th win as well, good for second in the nation. Lauren takes everything very hard when she s not successful, Gasso said. The best thing to do is to get her back out there. D.J. did everything we asked, we just felt like we had a better matchup with Lauren. The OU offense then got rolling, backing Eckermann s strong relief performance. The Sooners answered in the top of the third, putting together three straight hits. Following singles by Norrelle Dickson and Mariee Mena, freshman Amber Flores laced a double down the left field line to score Dickson. Cleanup hitter Samantha Ricketts then supplied a sacrifice

OU s pitching staff has been the biggest surprise this season. Led by junior-college transfer Lauren Eckermann, the Sooners have one of the best earned run averages in the country.

101 About-face at the plate Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 18, 2007 It s been a turnaround season for Oklahoma. The third-ranked Sooners have, once again, become one of the nation s top five programs, after a year in which making it to an NCAA regional was sometimes in doubt. OU s pitching staff has been the biggest surprise this season. Led by junior-college transfer Lauren Eckermann, the Sooners have one of the best earned run averages in the country. But the turnaround has also been felt on an individual level. No one is more indicative of that than junior designated player Susan Ogden. Ogden, who started 37 games last year and hit.266 with one home run and 14 RBIs, has broken out. The former catcher has embraced her new role, and is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. She s third on the team with a.427 batting average, behind Norrelle Dickson (.500) and Samantha Ricketts (.441), and has already started 36 games while hitting three home runs (including her first career grand slam) and driving in 29 runs. I think it all starts with her confidence at the plate, Oklahoma hitting coach Howard Dobson said. She s doing a good job of staying inside herself. I know it s a cliché, but last year it seemed like she was too aggressive, trying to do too much every at bat. Ogden has felt the change, too. She credits her confidence and the fact she can just concentrate on hitting this season, rather than splitting her time between catching and the plate. That s helped a lot, Ogden said. It s nice that I can just concentrate on one thing. I also feel, this year, that every time I step into the box it s like I know I m going to get a base hit. But it hasn t just been Ogden this season. Mariee Mena is hitting.359 and has won national player of the week honors a year after hitting.265. Freshman Amber Flores is hitting.344 with five home runs and 35 RBIs. Senior Jamie Fox is having a career year at the plate, hitting.291 with six home runs and 30 RBIs. She s also been clutch at the plate in game-winning situations. And sophomore Traci Dickenson, who hit.267 with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 2006, has become a power hitter. Dickenson is hitting.283 and has 11 round-trippers while driving in 41 runs. It all adds up to a.342 team batting average and 7.44 runs per game, both tops in the Big 12. It s just one of those things, that we re getting such good leadership from our older kids, it helps the collective group to respond, Dobson said. It s our leadership from our seniors and the fact that we ve had different people get hot and be clutch at different times. Norrelle and Ricketts are going to get their hits. But we re having people step up and get hot up and down the lineup. That s served the Sooners well so far. They re 43-5 overall and 8-3 in Big 12 play. But that 8-3 record is only good enough for third place in conference. Right now, Baylor sits on top at 9-0, while Missouri is right behind with one conference loss, to the Sooners in a series split in Columbia last Sunday. The Bears (39-9) come to Norman tonight for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Transcript Photo by Kevin Ellis Oklahoma s Susan Ogden, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against Oklahoma State April 4. About-face at the plate Ogden s hot bat indicative of Sooners offensive success By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer It s been a turnaround season for Oklahoma. The third-ranked Sooners have, once again, become one of the nation s top five programs, after a year in which making it to an NCAA regional was sometimes in doubt. OU s pitching staff has been the biggest surprise this season. Led by junior-college transfer Lauren Eckermann, the Sooners have one of the best earned run averages OU SOFTBALL in the country. But the turnaround has also been felt on an individual level. No one is more Today Baylor at OU, DH When: 5 p.m. Where: Marita Hines Field indicative of that than junior designated player Susan Ogden. Ogden, who started 37 games last year and hit.266 with one home run and 14 RBIs, has broken out. The former catcher has embraced her new role, and is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. See SOONERS Page B4

102 OU s ace a true survivor Jenni Carlson The Norman Transcript April 18, 2007 NORMAN The four-inch scar trails down Lauren Eckermann s back. There, she cannot see it. Still, she feels it. That scar drives Eckermann. For the emerging ace on Oklahoma s pitching staff, it is the thin line between winning and losing it all. Three springs ago, Eckermann developed a lung condition so severe that she could barely walk, much less play softball. Simple tasks became complicated. She struggled to breathe lying down or moving around. By the time doctors diagnosed the problem, only a third of her lung capacity remained. Had she gone untreated much longer, she could have died. A future without softball became a stark possibility. When I think about not playing, not having the chance to do that, Eckermann said, it really makes you appreciate what you have. And it made Eckermann take a different approach to softball. Always a hard worker, she doubled her workouts and focused on the smallest details. Her hip movement. Her footwork. Her intensity on the spin of a certain pitch. Now, the junior-college transfer has taken the Big 12 by storm. Entering tonight s doubleheader against league-leading Baylor, she leads the conference in four major categories, including wins. With 27 victories, she ranks nationally behind only Tennessee star Monica Abbott. She just brings a lot of maturity to the mound, Sooner pitching coach Melissa Lombardi said, attributing part of that to what she endured three years ago. People were talking that she wasn t going to play again. She had that second opportunity, and she took it, and she ran with it. She has that fight. You ll get over it The trouble started with a tickle. Eckermann had just begun her first season at Temple Junior College in Texas. Even though several Division I programs recruited her at Brenham (Texas) High School, none felt quite right. So, she opted for Temple, about 90 minutes from home. One weekend, she went back to visit family. She d been battling a sinus infection, and by that Sunday night, the tickle in her throat had worsened. Back at school Monday, Eckermann called her mother, who made an appointment for the next day with their family doctor. Eckermann was given antibiotics and told she d be better soon. But that night, her fever spiked so badly that she became delirious. By Friday, she could hardly breathe. Eckermann went to the emergency room twice in four days. Both times, she was given antibiotics and a hopeful prognosis: You ve got all this medicine. You should be getting better every day. But she wasn t. She saw a lung specialist in Houston the next week. He diagnosed double pneumonia but offered a familiar refrain. You ll get over it. Instead, someone began having to stay with Eckermann all the time. Only a few weeks earlier, she d been in the best shape of her life. Now, she couldn t make it to the bathroom by herself. I couldn t really walk, Eckermann said. I just couldn t catch my breath. X-rays revealed fluid on her lungs, but doctors couldn t seem to drain it. During another trip to the emergency room, the doctor decided do an X-ray with Eckermann laying on her side instead of standing up. The buildup remained at the bottom of her lungs even though she was on her side. If it was fluid on her lungs... it would just all drain, the doctor said. It s just sitting there, so it s bacteria. His diagnosis: empyema. Thick puss had accumulated between her lungs and her chest cavity. Antibiotics had failed because they couldn t reach the problem. The only way to remove buildup was surgery. The surgeon said it s like scraping orange rind off of a lung, her mother, Jennifer, said. It s that thick and attached. Back in Houston, surgeons made an incision in Eckermann s back, went in around her ribs and scraped off the build-up. The surgery kept her in the hospital for another 10 days. By the time she was discharged, she d lost 30 pounds, a semester of school and a season of softball. Would she lose softball forever? Lucky to be alive A few weeks after her surgery, Eckermann went back to Temple to see her teammates and coaches. Lauren came back... a different person, Temple coach Larry Hennig said. You had to look at her twice to even recognize her. Normally bubbly and bright, Eckermann seemed subdued and sad. It just scared the heck out of me, Hennig said. She was lucky to be alive. He had his doubts about her returning to softball. So did her father, Arlie. That summer, they discussed what she should do, but Eckermann quickly let her intentions be known. It hadn t really dawned on me that I d have to quit softball, she said. It just never was a thing in my head. Regaining her strength was a slow process. She would finish a 45-minute workout with the team, then do another 30 or 45 minutes on her own. She would work on three pitches when everyone else was focusing on one. She would do whatever it took. Even though she played the next season, Eckermann wasn t at full strength until last season, when she went 31-0 and allowed only five earned runs in 205 innings. This season, she has already mowed down the likes of Arizona and Texas A&M. As the schedule s gone on, she s faced tougher and tougher competition, said Lombardi, the pitching coach. She s seen, Hey, I can do this. Then again, Eckermann is driven, pushed by a force that she never sees but will forever feel.

103 BU softball swept at No. 4 OU John Werner Tribune-Herald staff writer Thursday, April 19, 2007 NORMAN, Okla. The sound of Baylor s bubblebursting could be heard throughout the Big 12. Traci Dickenson and Amber Flores blasted two-run homers in the sixth inning to lift No. 4 Oklahoma to a 7-4 win over No. 7 Baylor to complete a doubleheader sweep and force a virtual three-way tie in the Big 12 softball race. The Sooners pulled off a 3-2 win in the opener when Samantha Ricketts delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth. The Lady Bears (39-11) went into Wednesday s doubleheader with a 9-0 record and a two-game Big 12 cushion. Now, Missouri (8-1) leads Baylor (9-2) and Oklahoma (10-3) by percentage points. We re upset about tonight but we can still win the Big 12 if we win out, said Baylor pitcher Lisa Ferguson. We know we re a very good team. After winning her first six Big 12 games, Ferguson was the losing pitcher in both games against the Sooners (45-5). With a 3-3 tie in the sixth in the nightcap, Oklahoma s Savannah Long hit a one-out single before Dickenson powered a two-run shot over the center-field fence off Ferguson. Later in the inning, Flores drilled a tworun homer off Kirsten Shortridge. We had to sweep both games to get back into the race, said Dickenson, who hit her 12th homer of the season. This was a real battle between two top teams. But we expect to win at home and we strive for it. Oklahoma played like it was a must-win tonight, said Baylor coach Glenn Moore. They played like this meant a little more to them. We just didn t have the intensity you need against the No. 4 team in the country at their own park. The Lady Bears let a 3-0 lead slip away in the nightcap. After throwing a four-hitter in the opener, Oklahoma ace Lauren Eckermann (28-2) lasted just two innings. Baylor s Courtney Oberg blasted a three-run homer in the second inning that barely fell over the left-field fence. I hit the ball into the sun and I didn t know where it went, Oberg said. I was glad it went over, but I didn t get a very good swing on it. After D.J. Mathis (11-3) relieved in the third, Baylor didn t score again until the seventh. Mathis scattered five hits in her five-inning relief appearance. Starting the game for Baylor, Shortridge didn t allow a hit in the first three innings, but gave up a pair of singles in the fourth to Susan Ogden and Jamie Fox with one out. Ferguson relieved and gave up a sacrifice fly to Lindsey Vandever before Long ripped a two-run homer to give the Sooners a 3-3 tie. In retrospect, it didn t look like a very good decision, said Moore on his decision to relieve Shortridge in the fourth. Lisa wasn t as sharp as I hoped. Ferguson (18-6) went the distance in the opener, giving up the game-winning hit to Ricketts in the eighth. With the game tied 2-2, Ferguson opened the inning by hitting Dickenson with a pitch. Dickenson moved to second on Norrelle Dickson s bunt and took third on Flores single. After Flores moved to second on a wild pitch, Ferguson talked Moore out of intentionally walking the hot-hitting Ricketts with first base open. I wanted to go after her and I felt confident that I could get her out, Ferguson said. Instead, Ricketts hit the game-winning single to right. The Lady Bears scored the game s first run when Ashley Monceaux lifted a solo homer over the right-field fence in the first inning. But Oklahoma answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Ricketts drilled a leadoff double to the center-field wall and scored on Ogden s single. Vandever walked and scored on Dickenson s single. The Lady Bears tied the game in the sixth when Miriam Romero hit a two-out triple and scored on a passed ball.

104 Big sweep Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 19, 2007 No one had to tell Savannah Long she was struggling at the plate. In fact, last week Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso reiterated the shortstop was in the game because of her impressive defense, not her bat. Wednesday, Long s bat came up big in the second half of a Sooner sweep over No. 9 Baylor at Marita Hynes Field. No. 3 OU took the opener 3-2 in eight innings, and followed it with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Long, who entered the doubleheader hitting.191, took Baylor ace Lisa Ferguson over both fences in rightcenter field for a two-run shot to tie the game. It may take me a while, but if I keep fighting and fighting, eventually it s going to happen, Long said. Tonight felt really good. Even in the first game, I didn t get a hit, but I was hitting it harder and putting it in play. I was finally seeing the ball really well. Long then scored the winning run on a two-run homer by Traci Dickenson in the bottom of the sixth inning. Once someone does something big, we just keep feeding off of what they do and take it from there, Dickenson said. The two victories went a long way toward helping the Sooners Big 12 championship aspirations. OU (45-5, 10-3 Big 12) took a big step forward with the series sweep of the Bears (39-11, 9-2). The only team ahead of OU and Baylor in the conference standings is Missouri (32-18, 8-1), which the Bears play next week at home. The Sooners split a series with the Tigers last weekend in Columbia. These wins mean a lot because we knew we had to win these to have a chance at winning the Big 12, Gasso said. If we were going to sweep (a series), this would be the biggest. Texas A&M probably would have been as big, but this comes at a great time. D.J. Mathis entered the second game in relief of Lauren Eckermann in the second inning, picking up the victory. She pitched five innings, giving up one earned run on five hits while striking out six and pitching out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning. I ve been struggling a little bit, Mathis said. It was nice to go out and let loose and exhale. Long finished the second game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Amber Flores also drove in two runs and went 1-for-3. By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer OU Softball: Clutch hitting Big sweep No one had to tell Savannah Long she was struggling at the plate. In fact, last week Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso reiterated the shortstop was in the game because of her impressive defense, not her bat. Wednesday, Long s bat came up big in the second half of a Sooner sweep over No. 9 Baylor at Marita Hynes Field. No. 3 OU took the opener 3-2 in eight innings, and followed it with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Long, who entered the doubleheader hitting.191, took Baylor ace Lisa Ferguson over both fences in right-center field for a two-run shot to tie the game. It may take me a while, but if I keep fighting and fighting, eventually it s going to happen, Long said. Tonight felt really good. Even in the first game, I didn t get a hit, but I was hitting it harder and putting it in play. I was finally seeing the ball really well. Long then scored the winning run on a two-run homer by Traci Dickenson in the bottom of the sixth inning. Once someone does something big, we just keep feeding off of what they do and take it from there, Dickenson said. The two victories went a long way toward helping the Sooners Big 12 championship aspirations. OU (45-5, 10-3 Big 12) took a big step forward with the series sweep of the Bears (39-11, 9-2). The only team ahead of OU and Baylor in the conference standings is Missouri (32-18, 8-1), which the Bears play next week at home. The Sooners split a series with the Tigers last weekend in Columbia. These wins mean a lot Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure because we knew we had to win See SWEEP Page B3 Oklahoma s Samantha Ricketts turns on a pitch during the Sooners doubleheader sweep of Baylor. Ricketts got the game-winning hit in the eighth inning of the opener. In the opening game, Samantha Ricketts drove in the game-winning run with a single to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning. It looked like Baylor coach Glenn Moore was going to walk Ricketts and let Ferguson get a shot at red-hot Susan Ogden. But the Bears decided against it as Ricketts drove in her 70th run of the season. Everyone in front of me did a good job getting on, and Flores did a good job of keeping the rally going, Ricketts said. I knew I had to get that run in and I did. Now the Sooners have to set their sights on Nebraska (33-13, 6-4) which comes to Norman Saturday and Sunday. Sooners get what they need in time to take two from ninth-ranked Baylor This team is pretty mature, and they know that even though this is big right now, we ve got to turn around and be ready to play Nebraska this weekend, Gasso said.

105 No. 4 Sooners hand Bears first Big 12 losses of the year Scott Wright The Oklahoman April 19, 2007 NORMAN Like any good hitter, Samantha Ricketts craves the showdown and Oklahoma s clean-up hitter got one Wednesday night. With runners on first and third and the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, it appeared Baylor coach Glenn Moore was going to intentionally walk Ricketts to load the bases, but after a brief discussion, the Lady Bears pitched to her. Ricketts s hard grounder through the right side of the infield scored the winning run to hand No. 7 Baylor its first Big 12 loss of the season, 3-2, at Marita Hynes Field in extra innings. The Sooners tied the game in the fourth, then received two-run homers from Traci Dickenson and Amber Flores in the bottom of the sixth inning. Adding to the drama, OU sophomore D.J. Mathis pitched her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh to end it. It s been awhile since we ve had such dramatic type games, Gasso said. It was fun to be a part of that. But we cannot live off of this because as tough as this was, it s gonna be that much more tough this weekend with Nebraska. The Cornhuskers visit Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon. And the fourth-ranked Sooners (45-5, 10-3 Big 12) followed up that win with a few more big hits three two-run home runs for a 7-4 win in the second game for a crucial doubleheader sweep. OU coach Patty Gasso could barely find words to describe the importance of the wins. Big, she said. Big. The Sooners pulled into a tie with Baylor (39-11, 9-2) and Missouri (32-18, 8-1) for first place in the Big 12 standings. While Moore took the blame for the decision to pitch to Ricketts, the OU sophomore never expected anything different. I always expect to be pitched to, she said. You have to earn that respect, and I really hadn t done much to earn it before that. I go up there ready to hit every time I go up. And walking Ricketts might not have changed the outcome, considering Susan Ogden has been the Sooners hottest hitter, batting.500 in April. I was a little surprised that they threw to Ricketts, Gasso said. What made them think twice was that Susan was 2-for-3 and hitting the ball pretty hard. OU pitcher Lauren Eckermann (28-2) struck out eight and allowed four hits in the opener, but was tagged for a three-run home run in the nightcap and left after two innings.

106 Long s two-run home run in 7th lifts Sooners over Huskers Scott Wright The Daily Oklahoman April 22, 2007 NORMAN Oklahoma shortstop Savannah Long thought she was going to choke. Not in her final at-bat, but in the celebration that followed her game-winning two-run home run as the Sooners rallied from three runs down in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Nebraska 10-9 Saturday at Marita Hynes Field. I came across home plate, and Norrelle (Dickson) just mobbed me, Long said, her big smile getting bigger. She had me in a choke-hold from behind. I was trying to get her off of me, and other people were coming. I was about to black out. Oklahoma (46-5, 11-3) kept pace in the three-way tie atop the Big 12 with Missouri and Baylor, which both won Saturday. The opposite-field, walk-off homer was Long s second of the day and sixth of the year, but only her second two-hit game since Feb. 18. Coming into Saturday s game, she had just five hits in her last 48 at-bats and was hitting.114 in Big 12 play. When someone referred to her struggles as a minislump, Long couldn t help but chuckle. It wasn t a mini-slump, said the junior from Midwest City. Let s not kid ourselves. It was pretty bad. It s getting better. Things are slowly coming around. That s all I can ask for, one step at a time. OU s Amber Flores hit a solo home run, and Samantha Ricketts hit a third-inning grand slam, her fourth and the Sooners seventh of the year. The two teams play again today at noon.

Strong in the circle By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 23, 2007 Just when Oklahoma needed her most, Lauren Eckermann settled down and started to dominate.

107 Strong in the circle By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 23, 2007 Just when Oklahoma needed her most, Lauren Eckermann settled down and started to dominate. A couple of rocky starts had the Sooner ace looking human for the first time this season, but the OU bats were able to bail her out both times. Sunday it looked like Nebraska might get to her early for the second time in as many games, but with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning, Eckermann struck out two straight batters to get out of trouble. The rest of the game was a breeze as the Sooners took down the Huskers 5-1 at Marita Hynes Field, picking up their second straight Big 12 sweep. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Mariee Mena couldn t get a sacrifice down and popped out. Amber Flores then hit into a fielder s choice that gave OU runners at first and third with two outs. Nebraska decided to intentionally walk Samantha Ricketts, bringing up one of OU s hottest hitters, Susan Ogden, with the bases loaded and two outs. Ogden doubled home two runs and Jamie Fox brought in two more with a double of her own in OU s next at-bat to put the Sooners up to stay. I d been seeing her pitches well all day, Ogden said. I knew I was going to go up there and get a hit. Ogden also had a big Saturday and is hitting.431 on the season. Baylor and Missouri sit atop the Big 12 by percentage points ahead of OU. The Bears and Tigers both have two Big 12 losses. The Sooners have three, but have played more games. Baylor and Missouri play later this week. Right now I find it hard to worry about what other people are doing, Gasso said. I know that we re trying to put ourselves in a position to control our own destiny. OU travels to Stillwater at 7 p.m. Wednesday for the regular season s final Bedlam contest. I thought Lauren was fantastic coming back from yesterday, OU coach Patty Gasso said. She looked more like Lauren today. She really set the tone with seven strikeouts and was really in control. Eckermann allowed Nebraska (34-15, 7-6 Big 12) to score first. After a walk, Crystal Carwile hit an 0-2 pitch into the right-center field gap to put the Huskers up 1-0. The Sooner offense couldn t get anything going the first time through the lineup, but Nebraska threatened again in the second. After escaping with the bases loaded, Eckermann retired 11 batters in a row, including six strikeouts, until Devin Porter singled to lead off the top of the sixth inning. She improved to 29-2 on the season, allowing one run on three hits while walking one and striking out seven. It was more about just bearing down, Eckermann said. It also helped that I was able to get ahead in the counts. Working ahead in the count helps a lot. I knew yesterday my arm speed was slow, so that was something I started paying attention to today. In the bottom of the third inning, the Sooners (47-5, 12-3) got things started at the plate. But it looked like the Sooners bunting problems might cost them. Her clutch hitting is making teams pay for walking Ricketts. Yeah, they should take me seriously, she said with a laugh. Sam s a great hitter, but if you walk her you have me, Fox and the rest of the lineup to go through. We re all really strong right now. The victory moved OU one step closer to its first Big 12 title since Missouri lost to Texas A&M Sunday, picking up its second conference loss. OU Softball: Eckermann gets it together Oklahoma s Susan Ogden, left, and Samantha Ricketts (10) meet their teammates after scoring on Jamie Fox s double. Huskers choose to walk Ricketts, the rest of Sooner lineup made them pay By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer Just when Oklahoma needed her most, Lauren Eckermann settled down and started to dominate. A couple of rocky starts had the Sooner ace looking human for the first time this season, but the OU bats were able to bail her out both times. Sunday it looked like Nebraska might get to her early for the second time in as many games, Back in control but with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning, Eckermann struck out two straight batters to get out of trouble. The rest of the game was a breeze as the Sooners took down the Huskers 5-1 at Marita Hynes Field, picking up their second straight Big 12 sweep. I thought Lauren was fantastic coming back from yesterday, OU coach Patty Gasso said. She looked more like Lauren today. She really set the tone with seven strikeouts and Eckermann was really in control. Eckermann allowed Nebraska (34-15, 7-6 Big 12) to score first. After a walk, Crystal Carwile hit an 0-2 pitch into the right-center field gap to put the See SWEEP Page B3 Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure It was more about just bearing down. It also helped that I was able to get ahead in the counts. Lauren Eckermann, Oklahoma pitcher

108 OU s Eckermann back on track Scott Wright The Daily Oklahoman April 23, 2007 NORMAN Lauren Eckermann never panicked. And the Oklahoma pitcher never once thought back to Saturday s performance her worst of the season when she allowed seven runs and couldn t get out of the fourth inning. After Nebraska took a 1-0 lead on Sunday in the first inning and loaded the bases with one out in the second, Eckermann settled in to allow just one baserunner the rest of the game for a 5-1 Oklahoma win at Marita Hynes Field. to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Samantha Ricketts to load the bases with two outs. Susan Ogden and Jamie Fox each followed with tworun doubles to give OU all the cushion it needed. It really is like a fine-tuned machine right now, Gasso said of her team. The offense is responding. The defense is responding. There was no question Lauren was going to come out and take control. Everything s just really fine-tuned right now. The Sooners 12-3 record in Big 12 play keeps them tied with Baylor (11-2) for the conference lead, though they both trail Missouri (9-2) in winning percentage. Eckermann, who had to be relieved in her previous two starts after allowing 10 runs in 5 1/3 innings, gave up three hits and struck out seven to improve to 29-2 on the season. Early on, it looked like Sunday was going to be a repeat of Saturday s outing. But Eckermann struck out the next two hitters and was nearly perfect the rest of the day. It was just bearing down in that situation and not giving them anything too good and getting ahead, Eckermann said. Working from ahead was the big thing. I just didn t have a good day (Saturday) and needed to come back strong (Sunday). I knew I had to be better and I was going to be. Even though they scored one run, I wasn t going to let that affect me. I just had to step it up another level and get out of it. OU coach Patty Gasso wouldn t take any credit for Eckermann s mid-game turnaround, though Gasso visited her pitcher after she hit Carmen Kier to load the bases in the second inning. I was really talking more to the infield, Gasso said. It really had nothing to do with me or anything that I said. It was absolutely Lauren executing the pitches and our defense making plays. And Eckermann got the backing she needed in the form of a four-run third inning. Strategy worked against Nebraska when coach Rhonda Revelle chose

109 Going strong Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript April 25, 2007 Eckermann back in form as Sooners ride five straight wins into second Bedlam meeting Sunday s victory was important in many ways for Oklahoma The No. 3 Sooners 5-1 win over Nebraska kept them in a virtual tie for the Big 12 lead, it was their second straight conference sweep, it was another victory over a hot team and a hot pitcher and, most importantly, it saw ace Lauren Eckermann back at the top of her game. In her two previous starts, the back-end of a doubleheader (she threw the first game, too) against Baylor last Wednesday, and Saturday s 10-9 victory over the Huskers, Eckermann was knocked around. She didn t just struggle. Her speed was off, her locations were off and she was giving up big hits that put OU behind early. Sunday, it looked like it could be more of the same. Nebraska got to her early, and loaded the bases in the second inning with one out. That s when it all came together for Eckermann. I was like, OK, I have to bear down and get out of this, she said. And nothing motivates good players like pressure. She retired 11 straight batters, striking out six in that span. I just concentrated on what I needed to do, Eckermann said. I knew I definitely didn t want to get in that situation again. Eckermann (29-2, 1.71 earned run average) anchors an OU pitching staff sporting an impressive 1.83 team ERA. The arms are just a part of the Sooners advantage as they head to Stillwater tonight to take on Oklahoma State in the final Bedlam game of the regular season. OU s bats are hot, too some of the hottest in the country. The Sooners are hitting.338 this season, compared to OSU s.251 average, and are bringing in 7.35 runs a game to the Cowgirls In the first meeting, April 4 at Marita Hynes Field, OU ran away early and picked up the run-rule victory in five innings. That was great, Eckermann said. It was crazy with all the fans. I think all that extra emotion drives you and keeps you going. This time, the Sooners visit Cowgirl Stadium on a roll. They re 47-5 on the season and 12-3 in Big 12 play. OU sits behind Baylor (11-2) and Missouri (9-2) atop the conference standings, separated only by percentage points. And the Bears and Tigers play each other this weekend in Waco. If they want the conference title, Eckermann and the Sooners likely will have to win tonight and Saturday and Sunday at Kansas. I think we feel pretty good about our wins and what we ve accomplished, Eckermann said. But we don t want to rest on that. We have more goals we want to achieve. The Sooners and Cowgirls (25-27, 3-10) have first pitch at 7 p.m. For the rest of the Sooners parts, they were able to rally and win the two games Eckermann struggled in last week. The bats came alive against the Bears and Huskers, and against two of the nation s best pitchers: Baylor s Lisa Ferguson and Nebraska s Ashley DeBuhr. And when OU needed her most, Eckermann was able to figure out what was wrong and correct it. Sunday was pretty big, Eckermann said. I was just trying to fix whatever was wrong. The trouble was with my arm speed, and getting my velocity up.

110 Weird calls halt Cowgirls comeback against Sooners Andrea Cohen The Daily Oklahoma Staff April 26, 2007 STILLWATER Round two of Bedlam softball, a 2-1 victory for Oklahoma on Wednesday night, was pretty much the opposite of the first meeting. That didn t come as a surprise to OU coach Patty Gasso. Honestly, it was a fluke, Gasso said of the No. 4 Sooners (48-5, 13-3 Big 12) run-rule win earlier this month. They re better than us beating them 8-0. Fluke might have been the word of the night as several unusual calls ended Oklahoma State s comeback attempt late in the game on Wednesday night. up five hits and struck out seven and OSU starter Jessica Hoppock gave up two runs on eight hits while striking out seven. Gasso said Eckermann needed to work harder to shut things down in the seventh. Wieligman was pleased with the extremely different result from the last time the teams met. The girls had good composure out there, Wieligman said. They played with a lot of confidence. Jess threw a great game, which is huge with that good a hitting team. I ve never seen so many weird calls in a game, OSU coach Rich Wieligman said. It always seems like strange things happen when we play each other, Gasso said. OU took a 1-0 lead on a Samantha Ricketts RBI in the first inning, then made it 2-0 when Jamie Fox hit a home run over the center-field wall in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth OSU catcher Courtney Totte struck out on what appeared to be a foul tip. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Samantha Heinlein was hit by a pitch, and OSU (25-28, 3-11) seemed to load the bases with no outs. But the umpire ruled that Heinlein was over the plate, so she was called out. The Cowgirls got a run across when Sadie Krywicki hit a two-out single to left-center to make the score 2-1, bringing Shanel Scott to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. Scott hit a blooper to shallow left field, but Shianne Cruce collided with the shortstop attempting to make a play. Cruce was called out to end the game. It s the right call, it s just tough to lose a game like that, Wieligman said. Gasso said the seventh inning was intense on the field. That was not easy, Gasso said. It really wasn t. There was some tenseness out there. Both teams pitchers threw solid games and went all seven innings. OU starter Lauren Eckermann gave

111 A Long comeback for shortstop, Sooners Royce Young The Oklahoma Daily April 26, 2007 A recurring theme for the No. 4 Sooner softball team s season has been comebacks. Whether it s in the last inning or the third inning, the team seems to always have a run in them. And for one specific player, this season has been a comeback of sorts. Junior shortstop Savannah Long got off to a slow start really a slow season before busting out last week. Until recently, she was hitting in the low.200s, which was very shocking. Just a season ago, Long was OU s cleanup hitter. It was hurting the team and that s what sucked the most... I knew that it was affecting the team that I wasn t getting my job done, Long said. It was one of the hardest things. I ve never done something so bad before. The junior has since turned it around and has been a primary spark for the Sooners in their run at a Big 12 regular season title. She was named national player of the week this week for her impressive numbers she hit.385 with three home runs and five RBIs in sweeps of No. 8 Baylor and Nebraska, with one of those home runs being of the walk-off variety to beat the Huskers. It s nice to be on the other end, instead of the slumping end, Long said. But Nebraska s win still wouldn t have been possible without [Samantha Ricketts ] grand slam and the other girls not doing their job. I m just glad I can be a part of it again and help pull out a win. That s the beauty of this sport. You can be a goat one week and the biggest hero the next, Gasso said. Every day, you have a new opportunity to contribute. She s really been swinging well and has her confidence back. The Sooners head into their last conference series of the season this weekend against Kansas in Lawrence, Kan. Gasso said the club realizes the importance of the upcoming games against conference opponents, not only in terms of winning the Big 12, but also as a springboard into postseason play. Kansas is really us controlling our destiny and not only that, but to put ourselves in position for this Big 12 championship, she said. But for postseason, we want to make it very difficult for anyone to not award us a regional or super-regional. It would be unlikely for the Sooners to be denied the opportunity to host a regional or a top seed because of their impressive 48-5 overall record and current six-game win streak. But a hot finish and Big 12 Championship trophy definitely wouldn t hurt. The Sooners are currently in third place in the Big 12 at 13-3 behind Baylor and Missouri, who only have two losses in conference. Long said the team isn t going to care about what the other teams do, but just focus on taking care of their business. This is where we want to be, she said. We hold our destiny in our own hands and these two wins can really help us clinch the Big 12 championship which is something we ve been working for all year. We re definitely not looking ahead at all. We re looking at Kansas. Long said it was tough to be mired in such a slump, but she had a lot of encouraging voices surrounding her. The coaches and my teammates were so positive and encouraging around me, she said. I think that s what really helped me. Knowing that they still believed in me, even when I was at my worst really helped. Especially the coaching staff to keep giving me chances to stay in there and keep proving myself. OU head coach Patty Gasso said she always told Long that the team needed her, and not necessarily for her bat, but for her glove. But as is often the way of the sport, things can change quickly.

112 Softball: Sooners set records in rout of Jayhawks Staff Reports Tulsa World April 30, 2007 Norrelle Dickson sets Big 12 and OU records with 68 runs this season. Oklahoma knocked four home runs as the Sooners routed Kansas 13-4 in six innings Sunday at Arrocha Ballpark in Lawrence, Kan. Norrelle Dickson highlighted the final Big 12 series of the season for the Sooners by breaking the Big 12 and OU single season record in runs scored with 68. Samantha Ricketts also tied the Big 12 single season record for RBIs with 77. Oklahoma recorded 14 hits and set its Big 12 season-high in runs. Jamie Fox had three RBIs on two doubles and a homer. Amber Flores was 3-for-3 while Dickson, Lindsey Vandever and Ricketts also added home runs. Starter Lauren Eckermann pushed her record to 31-3 after scattering five hits and giving up two runs while striking out seven.

113 Better late than never for Ricketts Jilane Rodgers The Oklahoma Daily May 1, 2007 Athlete of the week: Savannah Long, OU shortstop Junior shortstop Savannah Long was named Co-National Player of the Week last week for her impressive performances in the sweeps of Big 12 rivals No. 8 Baylor and Nebraska. The Oklahoma native s hot bat connected for three home runs and five RBI, posting a.385 average for the week. Long tied OU s single-game home run record in the first match against Nebraska, recording two over the fence. Her dandy duo included a two-run walk off, bringing the Sooners from behind in the seventh for a final score of Long clinched Big 12 Player of the Week accolades for the effort as well. The Daily: When did you pick up softball? Long: I actually played T-ball first When I was five years old. My dad played baseball [for the Angels]. My uncles always have been very athletic too, so growing up I was always around sports. My mom also played when she was younger. The Daily: So you ve just always been around it? Long: For as long as I can remember, there were always balls around the house When I was little, I remember going through the closets looking for the balls if they were put away. My mom would be home, and she d give in and play with me. Starting softball really had to do with family. The Daily: Did you play other sports? Long: I played golf, basketball and I pole vaulted. Actually, pole vaulting was one of my favorite things to do in high school. And I guess I loved playing football with the guys, but that s just for fun. The Daily: How did you decide on softball for college? Long: I probably didn t pursue pole vault just because I started it so late, at the end of my junior year before conference. So even though I happened to do well and get far with it, there were so many more opportunities for me in softball. It made sense because through my life I had devoted so much time to it. OU s always been the place that I ve always wanted to go and play for. It was such a prestigious, nationally recognized program, and I couldn t pass it up. The Daily: What was your mascot in high school? Long: We were the Midwest City B-2 Bombers. The Daily: Who would win in the battle of the mascots, a B-2 Bomber or a Sooner? Long: I might have to go with the Bomber, but that s just unfair. They d whip out their huge guns or something. I d usually pick Sooners to win almost anything, though. The Daily: Would you ever like to be the mascot at a football game? Long: I m going to have to go with no. Yeah, I don t think so. Those costumes look like they d get too hot for me. The Daily: What s been the highlight of your OU career thus far? Long: Well, other than hanging out with the girls on the team, hitting that walk-off home run against Nebraska has been thus far. It might stay the highlight. The Daily: What do you expect from the rest of the season? Long: I see it going well We re on a hot streak, even though we didn t do as well as we wanted to the first day in Kansas. The first day was just a bad day, but the next day was what we were about. (This week, the Sooners fell to the Jayhawks 2-0 on day one, but came back to win 13-4 on the second.) Our seniors have been a good group and showed true leadership. It ll be hard not to do well following their examples. The Daily: So the team is pretty close? Long: As far as camaraderie goes, this has been the best team since I ve been here. It s been drama-less I think that everybody has the same goal this year. The Daily: Is it hard not to look past the Big 12 tournament when thinking about regional and national goals? Long: We know we have it coming up, and we re focused. But really, regionals and super regionals are right around the corner Then, of course, it s exciting to have the [Women s College] World Series here in Oklahoma City. We tend to pull in a good home crowd, and it ll help make us a hard team to beat. The Daily: How s the home crowd in Norman? Long: We ve definitely had a good home crowd this year, especially since we ve been ranked so high all this year. Honestly, our fan base has grown bigger and bigger each year. The Daily: Does your family, being such sports fans, make a lot of the games? Long: My parents are always there. I don t think they ve really ever missed a home or away game. Well, my sisters also play softball so the only time they ve missed a game of mine is when they split up and one comes to mine and the other goes to my sisters games. The Daily: They must have been happy when you stayed close to home then. Long: The only other choice that was even close was [Oklahoma State], because one of my uncles [quarterbacked] there, but the other did the same here. Now, one of them, Mike Gundy, is [OSU s] head coach, the other, Cale Gundy, is the running back coach here at OU. I ve always been a bit more of a Sooner fan than a Cowboy. The Daily: So you really do live the house divided cliché? Long: Oh yeah. On game days, my grandma, their mom, can t wear either color. She can t even go to OU-OSU football games because she feels so bad if she cheers at all. So we don t talk about it, and she tries to stay very quiet when it s on TV. The Daily: But I take it that she cheers for you? Long: Absolutely.

114 No title for Sooners Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 6, 2007 Bears lock up at least a share of Big 12, burst OU s hopes Last week s loss at Kansas came back to haunt No. 3 Oklahoma Saturday. feeling confident because we have and can beat all of these conference teams. What can you do about what s already happened? Now we just have to look to what s next. Baylor picked up a victory over Texas A&M in Waco, Texas, in its final regular-season game to finish 14-3 in Big 12 play, securing at least a share of the conference title with Missouri (12-3). The Tigers finish their regular season today at home against Nebraska. The Bears victory left the Sooners (14-4) without a Big 12 regular season championship yet again. OU last won the conference in We had our opportunity and we didn t take advantage of it, OU coach Patty Gasso said. You have to give credit to Baylor and to Missouri if they pull it off. The Sooners have the best overall record of any Big 12 team at But four conference losses cost them. OU split series with Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas and Missouri. But the Sooners still looked like they would come away with at least a share of the conference title when they visited Kansas last weekend. The Jayhawks were 6-8 in Big 12 play going into the series. But the loss put OU in a very awkward position. The Sooners were the first to finish their conference schedule, so they had nothing to do but sit and watch as Baylor and Missouri hit the field. It s very difficult and that s why I didn t even want to watch it, Gasso said. It s out of our hands and really, there s nothing we can do about it. We had our chance and we didn t take advantage of it. The Sooners would still get the No. 2 seed in next weeks Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City if the Tigers fall to the Huskers today. If not, they ll go into the tournament with the No. 3 seed. One thing that s good for us going into the tournament, we have beaten every team at least once, so we know what it takes, Gasso said. I think we go in

115 Sooners in line for honors The Norman Transcript May 10, 2007 After tonight s opening-round games at the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City are finished (both begin at 5 p.m.), the yearly conference awards will be announced. Two OU players are up for Big 12 Player of the Year, it was announced Wednesday. Senior third baseman Norrelle Dickson, who is the Sooners career leader in runs scored, hits and stolen bases, is likely the favorite to win the award. Sophomore first baseman Samantha Ricketts was also named a finalist. Dickson has capped a stellar career with her best all-around season. She s hitting.479 with 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts and is tied for third in the nation in runs per game at Dickson has crossed home plate 68 times this season. A sophomore, Ricketts has become one of the top clean-up hitters in the country. She is hitting.425 with 17 home runs and leads the nation with 77 runs batted in. She s also tops in the Big 12 and 12th in the nation with an.819 slugging percentage. It s been a great year, Ricketts said. I actually broke the (OU) RBI record, and Norrelle broke the runs scored record, so I was like Thanks, Norrelle, and she was like Thanks, Sam. Hot pitching OU s Lauren Eckermann may come into the tournament with a 31-3 record, but some of the other pitchers around the Big 12 have been more dominant in the circle. Texas Meagan Denny (20-14, 1.63) and Baylor s Kirsten Shortridge (16-3, 1.84) and Lisa Ferguson (21-7, 2.06). Surprise, surprise The biggest conference surprise this season has been Missouri. The Tigers were against non-conference opponents, and struggled in the circle and at the plate before starting Big 12 play. Then they breezed through conference play with a 13-4 record, tying OU for second-best. Missouri s bats have been the big reason for the team s success. The Tigers were third to the Sooners and Baylor in Big 12 hitting with a.284 average. Amanda Renth is the best hitter on the team and has driven in 55 runs. The top seed Baylor comes into the conference tournament as one of the Big 12 s hotter teams. Since being swept by OU at Marita Hynes Field in a mid-week doubleheader April 18, the Bears have gone 6-1 with victories over Missouri, Texas and Texas A&M. And they come in with the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, Ashley Monceaux, a Player of the Year candidate. Monceaux is hitting.405 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs. Eckermann s 1.66 ERA is good enough for sixth in the conference, but it s not likely to win her Pitcher of the Year tonight. Texas A&M s Amanda Scarborough leads a stellar group of conference hurlers into the tournament. Scarborough is the Aggies ace, and comes in with a 1.16 ERA and a 20-6 record. Nebraska s Molly Hill, who shares starting duties with Ashley DeBuhr, leads the conference with a 1.05 ERA. Other star conference pitchers who will see the circle this weekend include Texas Erin Tresselt (11-2, 1.21 ERA), Megan Gibson from Texas A&M (16-3, 1.40),

116 Conference tourney awaits Sooners By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 10, 2007 Oklahoma finds itself in a very peculiar position. The Sooners go into this week s Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City as the No. 2 team in the nation. They trail only Tennessee in the polls and finished with the best overall record in the conference (49-6). But OU finds itself the No. 2 seed in the tournament, which begins today at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Sooners finished 14-4 in Big 12 play. Baylor, No. 5 in the rankings, finished 14-3, edging OU for the regular-season championship despite being swept by the Sooners in Norman. It s disappointing that we didn t win the conference championship, OU senior outfielder Jamie Fox said. But give Baylor credit. They had a great season. We can t look back on that, dwell on that. We have to be ready to do what we need to do in the tournament this week. The Sooners start play Friday and will take on the winner of Kansas and Iowa State, who play at 5 p.m. today. With 16 NCAA regionals to be handed out, it goes without saying that OU will be hosting at Marita Hynes Field. And should the Sooners win the conference tourney, they would likely be in line for a super regional, assuming they advance from the four-team draw. An early-round exit in the conference tourney, which was changed to a single-elimination format this season, wouldn t destroy OU s chances at hosting both, but it would be a smudge on the Sooners résumé. And if they win? Well, they re the No. 2 team in the country, they re supposed to win. I don t know if there s more pressure really, Fox said. I know that winning a championship is a big goal of ours. You want to take home that trophy. And there s even something bigger at play here for OU: pride. We want to show that just because we didn t win the regular-season title, that doesn t mean we can t win the tournament title, sophomore first baseman Samantha Ricketts said. Losing the regular-season title sucked. We want to prove how good a team we are. Considering the Sooners ranking, it would appear they already have. Still, Gasso s likely fine with her players thinking otherwise. If the Jayhawks face OU, it will be a rematch of last year s championship game, when Kansas surprised the Sooners and won the tournament title. It would also be a chance for OU to get some revenge. A loss at Kansas two weeks ago cost the Sooners the regular-season conference title. I know these guys are coming into this tournament hungry, OU coach Patty Gasso said. I know they re motivated, and they have goals that they want to accomplish. We had some opportunities this year to win the conference, but it didn t happen. I know this team really wants to win a championship, and the tournament championship would mean a lot to them. The argument could be made the Sooners have nothing to gain from the Big 12 tournament.

117 Ricketts earns Trib s Big 12 Player of the Year honor John Werner Waco Tribune-Herald May 10, 2007 Big 12 pitchers who tried to find weaknesses in Oklahoma first baseman Samantha Ricketts swing often left the ballpark frustrated and disappointed. The simple fact: Ricketts has no weaknesses. Ricketts is the rare power hitter with the bat control of a singles hitter. She took the ball to all fields well enough to hit.425 with a league-leading 17 homers and 77 RBIs to win Tribune-Herald Big 12 softball player of the year. Ricketts had to have an extraordinary year to beat out Baylor s Ashley Monceaux and Brette Reagan, Texas A&M s Megan Gibson and Oklahoma s Norrelle Dickson. The league s top two teams won all the major honors as Oklahoma s Lauren Eckermann took pitcher of the year and newcomer of the year after transferring from Temple College. Baylor s Kirsten Shortridge earned freshman of the year, while Glenn Moore is the coach of the year after leading Baylor to the school s first Big 12 softball title. Ricketts gave an indication of things to come as a freshman last season when she hit.355 with nine homers and 51 RBIs, but she s been even better this year. Her.819 slugging percentage topped the league and she struck out just 10 times in 160 at-bats. With power hitters, it s usually all or nothing, said Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso. But Samantha finds ways to hit the ball hard all over the park. She covers both sides of the plate with her swing and takes the ball to the gaps well. She s really become a student of hitting. Ricketts great year took nothing away from the All- America type of seasons turned in by Monceaux and Reagan. Monceaux started hot and never cooled off as she finished the regular season among the Big 12 leaders with a.405 batting average, 16 homers and 58 RBIs. Reagan finished with a.367 average and 10 homers, and posted superb numbers in Big 12 play with a.449 average and a league-high six homers and 21 RBIs. Ashley Monceaux s leadership has been phenomenal, Moore said. The type of determination she s shown all season has been contagious. You just don t see enough players who love to play the game like Brette (Reagan). Pitchers love having her behind them because she s such a great defensive player. Gibson was arguably the best dual player in the Big 12 for the Aggies as she hit.411 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs while going 16-3 with a 1.40 ERA as a pitcher. Dickson proved to be one of the nation s best leadoff hitters for the Sooners as she led the Big 12 with a.479 average while scoring a league-high 68 runs and stealing 33 bases. While no one dominated the league like former Texas pitcher Cat Osterman did for four seasons, the Big 12 was loaded with talented pitchers like Texas A&M s Amanda Scarborough, Baylor s Lisa Ferguson and Texas Meagan Denny. But no pitcher shouldered a heavier load and had more success than Oklahoma s Eckermann in her first season of Division I competition after making NJCAA All-America last year at Temple. Eckermann led the Big 12 with a 31-3 record while compiling a 1.66 ERA and striking out 216 hitters and walking just 43 in 223 innings. The junior righthander pitched in all 18 conference games and went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA. What makes her so effective is her pinpoint accuracy, Gasso said. She throws 63 to 64 mph, so she doesn t just blow you away. She throws a good curve and screwball and keeps hitters guessing because she works the strike zone so well. After earning Gatorade national player of the year honors at Keller High School last season, Baylor expected big things from Shortridge. She hasn t let the Lady Bears down as she s gone 16-3 with a 1.84 ERA in the circle, including a 6-0 record with a 1.68 ERA in Big 12 games. Shortridge helped the Lady Bears clinch the Big 12 title with tremendous performances against Missouri and Texas A&M in the last two weeks. With her.365 batting average, her value as a twoway player makes her the Big 12 freshman of the year. Kirsten is bubbling with confidence right now, Moore said. She s intense, competitive and a gamer, and she s really been in her zone lately.

118 Good timing by Gasso brought Ricketts to Sooners By Scott Wright The Oklahoman May 11, 2007 Patty Gasso can t imagine her Oklahoma softball team without Samantha Ricketts. But that was almost reality two summers ago, when a fortunate turn of events and some good timing brought the slugger from San Jose, Calif., to Norman. Today, Ricketts will be in her usual spot, batting cleanup for the second-ranked Sooners as they begin their chase for the Big 12 Tournament title at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Sooners face the Kansas/Iowa State winner at 4:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest (Cox 37). In July 2005, Ricketts had just been released from her letter of intent at Santa Clara University when the coach who had recruited her left. At the same time, Gasso learned one of her recruits, a junior-college catcher, was not going to qualify academically and the coach began to scramble looking for a replacement. Gasso happened to know the coach of Ricketts summer team and made a quick trip to watch her play in late July. I was really sick, too, but I had to play, Ricketts said. Coach Gasso said Yeah, we want her if she wants to come. This season has been even better. Ricketts leads the Big 12 in home runs (17) and leads the nation in RBIs (77). Her.425 batting average is second in the Big 12 to teammate Norrelle Dickson s.479. On Wednesday, Ricketts and Dickson were named as two of 11 finalists for USA Softball National Player of the Year. Ricketts is always quick to commend those around her for her success this season. The success of the team helps me, because everybody s doing well, Ricketts said. I know if I m not hitting, somebody will pick me up. I m so confident in the entire lineup that I think anybody can get it done at any time. Susan Ogden perhaps deserves the most credit. Hitting behind Ricketts in the lineup, Ogden s.416 average third-best in the Big 12 provides some good protection. Now, with a dangerous lineup and strong pitching, the Sooners are ready to go after championships Big 12 and national. And Ricketts is enjoying every minute of it. I think I made the right decision, she said with a laugh. I couldn t have asked for anything better. It was just a perfect match. I just remember being in the hotel with my coaches trying to make the decision stay close to home and always wonder what if or go out there and play for a top 10 D-I school. And there wasn t a lot of time to contemplate. This was probably two weeks prior to the start of school that things started happening, Gasso said. It was great timing for both of us. We both needed each other. Ricketts chose OU and quickly fell into a starting role at catcher until an injury forced a move to first base. She batted.355 as a freshman with team highs of 9 home runs and 51 RBIs. She came in wanting to learn, Gasso said. She s so strong, so powerful, and has a good eye for the ball. As she learns more, her game keeps elevating.

119 OU s Dickson named league player of the year Staff Reports The Oklahoman May 11, 2007 Oklahoma Sooners Norrelle Dickson and Lauren Eckermann headlined nine players with state ties on the All-Big 12 Conference softball team announced Thursday. Dickson, a senior third baseman who is fourth in the nation and first in the conference with a.479 batting average, was named Big 12 Player of the Year. Eckermann, a junior whose 31-3 record led the Big 12, shared Pitcher of the Year honors with Amanda Scarborough of Texas A&M. Oklahoma State placed outfielder Shanel Scott and catcher Courtney Totte on the all-conference first team. Dickson and Eckermann were joined on the first team by OU first baseman Samantha Ricketts, left fielder Amber Flores and designated hitter Susan Ogden. Sooners Traci Dickenson and Jamie Fox were secondteam selections. Kirsten Shortridge of Baylor earned Freshman of the Year, and Megan Willis of Texas was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. First-year head coach at Missouri, Ehren Earleywine, earned Coach of the Year honors.

120 Great pitching leads OU to win By Scott Wright The Oklahoman May 12, 2007 The value of a dominant pitcher is increased with the newly adopted single-elimination format of the Big 12 softball tournament. And Kansas observed it from both sides. The Jayhawks won an opening-round game Friday afternoon over Iowa State behind a one-hitter from Kassie Humphreys, then were eliminated when Oklahoma s Lauren Eckermann fired her own onehitter for a 5-0 Sooner win later in the evening at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. loss that cost OU the regular season conference title. I think they felt a little bit of (revenge), but more than anything, it s just keeping us in this tournament, Gasso said. (Today), we stay alive and get to the championship game. That s all we re after right now, just staying alive throughout. The payback factor is really a little overrated. It s really about what we re trying to accomplish now. Oklahoma advanced to today s 11 a.m. semifinal against Missouri. Eckermann, a junior who was named All-Big 12 Co-pitcher of the Year Thursday, shook off a one-hour, 10-minute rain delay before the game to strike out six, allowing only a bloop single into short left field in the sixth inning. In previous years of double-elimination tournaments, good pitching can get worn down by back-to-back days of multiple games. But this year, with a maximum of four games needed to win the champion, pitching becomes more important. You ve got to lay everything out on the line, OU coach Patty Gasso said. If you don t pull it off, there s no tomorrow. So you go with what you ve got, go with your best and see how far it can take you. We felt like we had to come in and Lauren needed to establish her ground and we needed to get on the board early. Humphreys is tough to score against. A couple of freshmen came through offensively for OU. Catcher Lindsey Vandever doubled in two runs in the second inning and Amber Flores hit a solo home run in the fifth. We kind of rode Kassie through the day and unfortunately she ran out of gas there about the fifth inning or so, Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said. This sport is about having a dominant pitcher, period. If you ve got a dominant pitcher, you can ride that kid in this sport and that s what it s all about. Not only did the Sooners avenge last season s loss to Kansas in the tournament finals, but also a late April

Sooners start strong By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 12, 2007 Oklahoma softball players wore shirts that read Dominate and that s exactly what the Sooners did to open up the Big 12

121 Sooners start strong By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 12, 2007 Oklahoma softball players wore shirts that read Dominate and that s exactly what the Sooners did to open up the Big 12 tournament Friday. Kansas beat the Sooners in the tournament championship game last year. We came in feeling like we had something to prove, Eckermann said. We just wanted to stick to our game plan and our defense made some great plays along the way. Kassie Humphreys allowed all five Sooner runs over 42 3 innings. Only three of the runs were earned, but she didn t help the Jayhawk cause by walking four Sooners. Valerie George pitched the final 11 3 innings, giving up one hit. OU took down defending champion Kansas 5-0 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, and did it by dominating the Jayhawks in ever facet of the game. I was a little concerned with how we would do after so much time off, OU coach Patty Gasso said. But our defense was exceptional, our freshmen were exceptional. We had a couple of execution situations late in the game when we were up and didn t come through, but other than that I think we played really well all around. The Sooners, who because of a rain-out last Thursday against Oklahoma City, hadn t played since April 29, were on their game as Lauren Eckermann handcuffed Kansas and OU got the big hits needed to win. But the Sooners want more than revenge. While winning or losing in the tournament likely would have no repercussions as far as NCAA Tournament hosting duties are concerned, OU is looking to win a championship. I think the payback factor is a little overrated, Gasso said. It s more about what we want to accomplish here. We want to win a Big 12 championship. That s our goal. Big 12 Softball Nice start Eckermann, Sooners dominate Jayhawks 5-0 The Jayhawks only hit came in the top of the sixth inning when Dougie McCaulley led off with a bloop single to left field. The Sooners take on Missouri, who knocked out Texas 3-0 Friday, at 11 a.m. today on the side field of the Hall of Fame complex. The winner will advance to today s championship game at 3 p.m. We had some time off, but we were throwing some live, Eckermann said. It was nice to have a break and I think it helped us come out fresh today. Eckermann walked the third batter she faced, but settled down and pitched a one-hitter her first time in Hall of Fame circle. She struck out six and walked two while improving to 32-3 on the season. It s just an awesome experience to play here, Eckermann said. To go from playing softball when you re younger, watching it on TV as a kid, to be able to be here is just amazing. The Sooner bats came through when needed, and it was the freshmen who led the way in their first conference tournament. Amber Flores clubbed a solo home run and Lindsey Vandever knocked in two with a double. But the sweetest part for the Sooners was in who they sent home. A loss to the Jayhawks April 28 effectively cost OU the regular-season conference championship. And Oklahoma s Lauren Eckermann winds toward the plate Friday during OU s 5-0 victory over Kansas at the Big 12 tournament. Eckermann allowed just two hits and struck out six. The Sooners play Missouri at 11 a.m. today. For complete coverage of the tournament, see stories Page B3. AP Photo

122 Sooners shut out Kansas By Guerin Emig Tulsa World May 12, 2007 Oklahoma pitcher Lauren Eckermann stood down the left field line Friday night, soaked in sweat after her first effort in ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, college softball s landmark site. How did it go? The 5-0 final score of the Sooners quarterfinal victory over Kansas was a dead giveaway. That s big considering the tournament s singleelimination format -- the 50-6 Sooners advanced to Saturday s 11 a.m. semifinal against third-seeded Missouri -- and bigger if OU is to return to Hall of Fame Stadium for the Women s College World Series in three weeks. The first game is always a big one, Eckermann said of Friday s quarterfinal, though she just as easily could have had the next few weeks in mind. Just to come out and get going, get in the flow of things. As was the fact Eckermann allowed just one hit in her seven innings. There were also subtle clues -- that big smile on her face, and the gold-painted game ball in her left hand. To go from watching on TV growing up as a kid playing softball, and then to actually be here is really an amazing feeling. I m very honored. Her second-seeded, second-ranked team is even happier. This is still pretty new to Lauren, OU coach Patty Gasso said with a wave toward the 5,000-seat stadium, and I thought this was one of the better games she s thrown. To come out and attack like that, I m excited. The Sooners needed their 32-3 ace comfortable against Kansas, the dangerous No. 7 seed that had shut out OU on April 28. And she clearly was, pitching around the Jayhawks four baserunners with the help of six strikeouts and shortstop Savannah Long s diving catch with a runner on second in the fourth inning. She looked fresh, Gasso said, alluding to her team s 11 days off coming in. She was ahead in every count, which is huge for a pitcher. She had them on their heels. KU s only hit was Dougie McAulley s blooper into left-center in the sixth. And while OU wasn t exactly grooving -- Lindsey Vandever s two-run double and Amber Flores solo homer represented two of the Sooners six hits -- Eckermann had things under control.

123 Sooners end Red Raiders comeback run, take title By Scott Wright The Oklahoman May 13, 2007 Texas Tech finally ran out of comebacks. The eighth-seeded Red Raiders trailed entering the sixth inning of every game they played in the Big 12 Softball Tournament and came back to win three of them. But despite another potential rally, second-seeded Oklahoma was able to shut down the comeback machine, defeating Texas Tech 6-3 in a three-hour championship game Saturday afternoon at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. And with the win, the Sooners (52-6) virtually assured that they won t have to leave the state the rest of the season. Ranked second nationally by USA Softball, the Sooners will learn today at 2 p.m. if they ll host one of 16 NCAA regional tournaments which they should May by D.J. Mathis in the sixth inning, but the sophomore loaded the bases and recorded just one out, so Gasso went back to Eckermann. Amber Flores made a diving catch on foul ball to end the game, but it was hardly her best catch of the day. The freshman left fielder took a home run away from Missouri s Jen Bruck in the second inning of Oklahoma s 6-1 semifinal victory. Flores ran fullspeed into the fence, reaching back to catch the ball as it came down directly over her head. It was the luckiest catch of my life. Flores said. I didn t even know where the fence was. I just felt the ball hit my glove and the next thing I knew I was leaning over the fence. And Gasso believed that play sparked her team s stellar defensive performance the rest of the day. That would have put Missouri up and could have changed the way the game was going, Gasso said. I think what won us this tournament was our defense. If they advance to a super-regional May 25-26, they ll likely host that in Norman as well. Then, should they advance again, they d return to Hall of Fame Stadium for the Women s College World Series. I kind of feel that we re extremely deserving, not only of hosting a regional, but of a No. 1 seed, OU coach Patty Gasso said. And that s all you can ask for. There s no better position you can be in. This team secured that with what they ve done throughout the season and this is just the icing on the cake. OU, now 3-3 in Big 12 Tournament finals, was the only team ranked in the top five to win its conference tournament and might have a shot at the overall No. 1 seed, thanks to top-ranked Tennessee s loss Friday in the SEC Tournament. And there s no denying the benefit of a home crowd. Did you see how many people were here? It was great, said Lauren Eckermann, OU s winning pitcher in all three games and the tournament s MVP. They drive us, especially at the end when you re getting tired. You hear your teammates cheering. You hear the crowd, the fans. It s just great. Eckermann tired late as Tech brought the tying run to bat in each of the last three innings. She was relieved

Champs By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 13, 2007 Oklahoma hadn t won any kind of conference title, regular season or tournament, since 2001, when the Sooners grabbed both.

124 Champs By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 13, 2007 Oklahoma hadn t won any kind of conference title, regular season or tournament, since 2001, when the Sooners grabbed both. Well, the wait is over. Second-ranked OU ended Texas Tech s Cinderella run through the Big 12 tournament Saturday with a 6-3 victory at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Sooners, none of whom were around the last time a conference trophy made its way back to the OU softball complex, raided the field, celebrating and posing for pictures after the victory. It was huge for them to come out and do this, win this tournament, OU coach Patty Gasso said. That s why there s this kind of celebration. They ve been waiting for this for so long. We ve been so close so many times. We ve been second and runner-up, and it was just time to stop being the bridesmaid and grab that ring for ourselves. The eighth-seeded Red Raiders, who knocked off top-seeded Baylor in extra innings Friday night and fourth-seeded Texas earlier Saturday, made things interesting again in the championship game. Texas Tech loaded the bases with no outs on OU reliever D.J. Mathis in the sixth inning, but starter Lauren Eckermann returned to the game and got out of trouble, allowing just one run to cross the plate. But in the seventh inning, a couple of quirky singles helped load the bases again with one out. Gasso visited Eckermann in the circle. Then Heather Parker popped it up down the first base line and Samantha Ricketts made a diving catch for the second out of the inning. Leah Leglar then sent one down the left-field line and it hung up enough for Amber Flores to make a diving catch in foul territory for the final out. Eckermann was also named the tournament s most valuable player, compiling a 3-0 record with a 0.68 earned run average. She struck out 18, walked five and allowed 12 hits in innings. Eckermann allowed one earned run on nine hits while striking out eight in 62 3 innings in the championship game. It s amazing, it really is, Eckermann said of her MVP award. It s really great to come in and play well, but I couldn t have done it without my teammates. They really came through in some big situations. Along with Eckermann, the Sooners Norrelle Dickson, Savannah Long and Lindsey Vandever were named to the all-tournament team. OU and Texas Tech each scored once in the first inning, but the Sooners scored three more in the second and two more in the third. Dickson was 2-for- 4 while Samantha Ricketts was 2-for-3. Traci Dickenson had the big hit for OU, belting three-run homer to put the Sooners up 4-1. Sooners celebrate first Big 12 tourney title since 2001 By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma hadn t won any kind of conference title, regular season or tournament, since 2001, when the Sooners grabbed both. Well, the wait is over. Second-ranked OU ended Texas Tech s Cinderella run through the Big 12 tournament Saturday with a 6-3 victory at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The Sooners, none of whom were around the last time a conference trophy made its way back to the OU softball complex, raided the field, celebrating and posing for pictures after the victory. It was huge for them to come out and do this, win this tournament, OU coach Patty Gasso said. That s why there s this kind of celebration. They ve been waiting for this for so long. We ve been so close so many times. We ve been second and runnerup, and it was just time to stop being the bridesmaid and grab that ring for ourselves. The eighth-seeded Red Raiders, who knocked off top-seeded Baylor in extra innings Friday night and fourthseeded Texas earlier Saturday, made things interesting again in the championship game. Texas Tech loaded the bases with no outs on OU reliever D.J. Mathis in OU 6 Tech 3 Boxscore Page Cx Freshmen come up big in title run Page C4 In the day s first game, a 7-1 semifinal victory over third-seeded Missouri, Vandever led the way, going 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs and a home run. OU came into the conference tournament without much of a sense of urgency. Even losing in the first round would have had little impact on the Sooners postseason position. But OU was the only team in the top five to make it through a conference tournament without a loss this weekend, helping its shot at the No. 1 overall seed when the NCAA Tournament field is announced at 2 p.m. today. The Sooners will likely be named a regional host, and would then be almost assured of hosting a super regional if they advanced. I really think we just secured some things this weekend, Gasso said. But they wanted to get that trophy. It meant a lot to them to win this. Big 12 Softball Tournament: The drought is over Champs You just have to stay in the game, stay in that mindframe and don t think like I m out of the game so I can relax, Eckermann said. You can t let (the bases being loaded) get to you. You have to just bear down. It was great because my teammates in the infield were loud and encouraging me the whole time. the sixth inning, but starter Lauren Eckermann returned to the game and got out of trouble, allowing just one run to cross the plate. But in the seventh inning, a couple of quirky singles helped load the bases again with one out. Gasso visited Eckermann in the circle. Then Heather Parker popped it up down the first base line and Samantha Ricketts made a diving catch for the second out of the inning. Leah Leglar then sent one down the left-field line and it hung up enough for Amber Flo- See TOURNEY Page C4 Oklahoma players hoist the 2007 Big 12 tournament trophy Saturday in Oklahoma City. The Sooners topped Texas 6-3 in the championship game to win their first conference tournament title since Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure

125 OU wins Big 12 title By Guerin Emig Tulsa World May 13, 2007 After pulling on a Big 12 Champions shirt and hoisting a Big 12 Champions sign, Oklahoma senior center fielder Jamie Fox broke into hysterics in front of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium fans. The Sooners finally celebrated that elusive title. Next weekend brings the arrival of the NCAA Tournament -- OU finds out Sunday at 2 p.m. if it s hosting a regional (all but guaranteed) and the identity of their three opponents. Considering No. 2-seeded OU, had just beaten eighth-seeded Texas Tech 6-3 to win the conference tournament, this may have seemed a bit much. It wasn t, though. We didn t want to leave here without a Big 12 championship, said Fox. We were going to do whatever it took to win today. The Red Raiders (24-27) upset top-seeded Baylor in the quarterfinals and fourth-seeded Texas A&M in the semifinals. Then they made OU grind out a three-hour game and sweat through bases-loaded jams over the final three innings. This was a huge deal, said tournament MVP Lauren Eckermann, especially after not reaching our goal of winning the Big 12 (regular season title). We came here to kind of prove ourselves again and get some of that pride back. The Sooners (52-6) hadn t won a Big 12 title since capturing the 2001 tournament. It s been a drought, OU coach Patty Gasso said. We ve been close (third in 2002, runners-up in 03 and 06), so we talked about not wanting to be the bridesmaid anymore. Let s get this ring. They finally got it thanks to Eckermann. The junior ace prompted Amanda Myers to hit into a basesloaded fielder s choice to end the fifth inning. Reliever D.J. Mathis entered, but struggled against four batters, so Eckermann re-entered, striking out Alex Watkins to end the sixth with one run scoring. Three straight singles reloaded the bases in the Tech seventh. Then OU first baseman Samantha Ricketts made a lunging catch of Heather Parker s foul pop, and left fielder Amber Flores made a running snag of Leah Legler s foul fly.

126 Sooners will open in Amherst, Mass. By Scott Wright The Oklahoman May 14, 2007 The television in Patty Gasso s living room could be heard in every corner of the house Sunday afternoon not because the TV volume was too loud, but because the 30 people intently watching it were so quiet Tennessee, ranked No. 1 much of the season, dropped to the fifth seed. Unseeded Nebraska, the Big 12 s fifth-best team, is one of two conference teams to host a regional. Texas A&M is the other. Every player on the Oklahoma softball team sat in stunned silence in their coach s home as they learned they would not be hosting an NCAA regional tournament, but instead would be sent to Amherst, Mass., to start their postseason quest. The Sooners are the No. 3 seed among the 64 teams in the tournament and are the highest seed not hosting a regional. They open Friday at 1 p.m. against Colgate on the campus of the University of Massachusetts. We were waiting for them (on television) to say Norman, said Gasso, in her 13th season as the OU coach. I think everyone was shocked. We really wanted to play in front of our home folks here in Oklahoma, But I like the matchups. I even like the super-regional, looking ahead. Eventually, the initial shock began to wear off and was replaced by a more familiar confidence, stemming mostly from the Sooners three-game sweep to win the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City over the weekend. We re excited, OU outfielder Jamie Fox said. No matter where they put us, we re going to win and we re going to make it back to the College World Series. It s nice to host, obviously, but we re going to win no matter where we go. Should the Sooners advance out of the Amherst regional, they could host a super-regional, which would be a best-of-three series against the winner of the Carbondale, Ill., regional. Fourteenth-seeded DePaul is the top seed in that bracket, which also includes Southern Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi Valley. OU s unexpected destination was one of a few twists that the NCAA Tournament selection committee dished out. The top two seeds, No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Northwestern, have 23 losses between them, while

Next stop, UMass By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 14, 2007 No one was more shocked at No. 2 Oklahoma s regional placement than the Sooners.

127 Next stop, UMass By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 14, 2007 No one was more shocked at No. 2 Oklahoma s regional placement than the Sooners. OU, which won the Big 12 tournament championship Saturday and was the only top 5 team to go undefeated in a conference tournament, was named the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament Sunday. But the Sooners aren t going to host a regional, something that appeared all but inevitable Saturday. OU will travel to Amherst, Mass. as the top seed in the Amherst Regional, joining the Minutewomen ( ), Long Island (33-20) and Colgate (25-22) in the tournament s first round. Sure, we re a little disappointed, OU coach Patty Gasso said. I think we were all anticipating that we would host. If you look at the way they do things, it doesn t always make sense. Arizona ( ) was named the tournament s top seed, despite the Wildcats two losses over the weekend in the Pac-10 tournament. Northwestern (45-11) is the No. 2 seed, despite losing in the Big Ten championship game to Ohio State (38-16). Last week s top-ranked team, Tennessee (54-5), lost in the opening round of the SEC tournament and paid the price. The Volunteers were named the No. 5 seed, but will host a regional in Knoxville. I m not surprised Arizona is the top seed, Gasso said. They re the defending national champions, and the history of the program gives them a lot of national attention. Tennessee probably fell a bit because of its strength of schedule. Texas A&M probably got the best deal of any Big 12 school. The Aggies (40-10) were named the No. 4 seed and will host a regional in College Station. The conference s regular-season champion, Baylor (45-13), was named the No. 8 seed and will travel to the Hofstra regional in New York. Texas (33-18) is at the Florida regional, Missouri (38-22) travels to the Southern Illinois regional and Nebraska (37-18) will host a regional in Lincoln that includes No. 6 seed Washington State (35-16). But the Sooners were the surprise of the day, traveling to the East Coast despite being one of the four brackets top seeds. It s possible OU s close proximity to Oklahoma City, home of the Women s College World Series, played a part in the NCAA s decision. If the Sooners win in Amherst, it s likely they would host a super regional. A win in the second round would put them in front of a mostly home crowd at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium for the Series. OU Softball: Sooners will hit the road Next stop, UMass By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer No one was more shocked at No. 2 Oklahoma s regional placement than the Sooners. OU, which won the Big 12 tournament championship Saturday and was the only top 5 team to go undefeated in a conference tournament, was named the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament Sunday. But the Sooners aren t going to host a regional, something that appeared all but inevitable Saturday. OU will travel to Amherst, Mass. as the top seed in the Amherst Regional, joining the Minutewomen ( ), Long Island (33-20) and Colgate (25-22) in the tournament s first round. Sure, we re a little disappointed, OU coach Patty Gasso said. I think we were all anticipating that we would host. If you look at the way they do things, it doesn t always make sense. Arizona ( ) was named the tournament s top seed, despite the Wildcats two losses over the weekend in the Pac-10 tournament. Northwestern (45-11) is the No. It s possible (that went into their decision), Gasso said. But I look at it as something that s good for us. If we go to Massachusetts and take care of business, then we ll probably be home for the super regional. That s the most intense situation, and it s a key thing to host a super regional. The Sooners will take on Colgate at 1 p.m. Friday If they win, they would then take on the UMass-Long Island winner Saturday. The regional is double elimination, meaning OU will have to win three games in Amherst to advance. I like where we re going, Gasso said. It s a place where we can be successful. Oklahoma s Amber Flores, left, and Ivar McDonald celebrate the Sooners victory over Texas Tech in the Big 12 softball tournament s championship game. Transcript Photo by Jerry Laizure Amherst Regional 2 seed, despite losing in the Big Ten championship game to Ohio State (38-16). Last week s top-ranked team, Tennessee (54-5), lost in the opening round of the SEC tournament and paid the price. The Volunteers were named the No. 5 seed, but will host a regional in Knoxville. I m not surprised Arizona is the top seed, Gasso said. They re the defending national champions, and the history of the program gives them a lot of national attention. Tennessee probably fell a bit because of its strength of schedule. Friday Game 1: No. 1 OU vs. No. 4 Colgate, 1 p.m. Game 2: No. 2 UMass vs. No. 3 Long Island, 3:30 p.m. Saturday Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m. Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30 p.m. Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. Sunday Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 11 a.m. Game 7: Same teams (if neccessary), 2:30 p.m. Texas A&M probably got the best deal of any Big 12 school. The Aggies (40-10) were named the No. 4 seed and will host a regional in College Station. The conference s regular-season champion, Baylor (45-13), was named the No. 8 seed and will travel to the Hofstra regional in New York. Texas (33-18) is at the Florida regional, Missouri (38-22) travels to the Southern Illinois regional and Nebraska (37-18) will host a regional in Lincoln that includes No. 6 OU gets NCAA Tournament s No. 3 national seed, but has to travel for regional See OU Page B3

128 No. 2 Oklahoma won t host regional By Guerin Emig Tulsa World May 14, 2007 In an announcement that stunned the Sooners, the NCAA said Monday that Oklahoma will not be hosting an NCAA regional. OU, the 52-6 No. 2-ranked team, is going to Amherst, Mass., to play Colgate on Friday in a regional that also includes Long Island and host UMass. OU -- who run-ruled Pac-10 power California in February and defending national champion Arizona in March, and won the Big 12 tournament over the weekend -- isn t hosting. UMass, a team that lost to Tennessee Tech and Florida Atlantic, is. As one of the players said into her cell phone a halfhour after the pairings were announced: We re going to Massachusetts. No, I swear to God. We re going to Massachusetts. you have to turn around and say it s an uncontrollable thing. You have no control over it, so there s no need to stress over it. Gasso tried to make sense of it as well, saying: I d love to be at home. I feel our fans are missing out of something really exciting. But hopefully we ll do our job, come back and maybe host a super regional. If the Sooners do that, they d be play the winner of the Carbondale Regional -- which includes No. 14 seed DePaul, Missouri, Mississippi Valley State and host Southern Illinois -- in a super regional May You can look at it one of two ways, Fox said. You can be disappointed about not hosting, or you can say that this is a winnable regional... That s the way we re going to look at it. We re going to go in there not worrying about where we are in the country, not worrying about if our family and friends are there, but mainly just playing softball as hard as we can. The state of disbelief began in OU softball coach Patty Gasso s living room, where first ESPN announced the Sooners had earned the NCAA tournament s overall No. 3 seed, then broke the news they weren t staying home for the regional. We were waiting for them to say, Norman, and when they didn t, everyone was shocked, Gasso said. That s all everyone wants to talk about. Are you gonna host? You want to think you do everything right to host. But it really doesn t come down to what you do right. No, what it comes down to for the NCAA softball selection committee is strength of schedule, geography and politics. The top two overall seeds are Arizona and Northwestern, national finalists last year who both have double-digit loss totals this season. Oddly enough, Alabama, the No. 2-ranked team in one national poll before last weekend s SEC tournament, is the No. 11 seed overall. Also, Big 12 regular-season champion Baylor is playing its regional at Hempstead, N.Y., while Big 12 fifth-place finisher Nebraska is hosting. But OU s lack of a regional is still shocking the team. It surprised me, center fielder Jamie Fox said, but

129 OU softball ranked No. 1 in the nation Staff Writers The Daily Oklahman May 16, 2007 NORMAN Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the country, according to the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll released Tuesday by the Amateur Softball Association. The Sooners (52-6) won the Big 12 Championship last weekend to secure an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament scheduled to begin on Friday. Although crowned national champions in 2000, this is the first time in the five-year history of the ESPN. com/usa Softball poll that the Sooners have had a No.1 ranking. The only other time the Sooners have been ranked No. 1 was in the 2000 NFCA final poll that was released after the Sooners won their first national championship. The Sooners open NCAA Tournament play Friday at Amherst, Mass., when they play Colgate (25-22) at 1 p.m. (Oklahoma time).

130 Dickson one of OU s all-time best By Jenni Carlson The Oklahoman May 18, 2007 To understand how Norrelle Dickson became one of the best softball players to wear Oklahoma crimson, you need to know about the day her sister cut her off. The Sooner senior was in high school then, and her younger sister Tiana butted in front of her as they were heading for the door. Norrelle shoved her, and Tiana snapped. She wheeled and slugged Norrelle in the face. Their mother, Terry, watched in horror, not at what Tiana had done but at what Norrelle was about to do. She knew the retaliation would be swift. Sure enough, Norrelle wailed on her sister. Punching. Scratching. Clawing. As Tiana shrieked, Terry moved in to break up the fight. Somebody s going to call the police, she yelled. The fight has become family legend since then. Now, everyone laughs and jokes about it. But nothing better illustrates why Dickson has become the Big 12 Player of the Year, a finalist for national player of the year and a Sooner great. She attacks. She is really our heartbeat, Sooner coach Patty Gasso said. I think of Lisa Carey being one of the best players to ever play here. I put Norrelle right on the same level. They re two completely different players, but both are so clutch. A slugging first baseman, Carey powered the Sooners to the national title in Could Dickson do the same this season? The road to the title would end in nearby Oklahoma City, but it starts today in Massachusetts. The Sooners, seeded third overall in the NCAA Tournament, have been shipped across the country to Amherst for regionals. That news shocked many and angered some, including the team. But Dickson refused to let anyone sulk. Hey, she first told her teammates, we re going to do this. That has always been Dickson s attitude. When she started softball, basketball and soccer as a 5-year-old. When she switched to the left side of the plate to become a slap hitter two years later. When she played five high school sports and three club sports as a freshman in California. When she moved halfway across the country to play college softball. She always found a way. Now, her sights are set on crowning glory. I d trade all those awards and everything, Dickson said, for one national championship. Raising the bar Norrelle Dickson called her mom from the Oklahoma City airport on the way home from her recruiting visit to OU. She was crying. I like it here, she told her mom. What s wrong with that? Terry asked. I wasn t supposed to like it here. Dickson never dreamed about being a Sooner. Growing up in Southern California, she became one of the best three-sport athletes around. She played on an Olympic Development Program team in soccer, she landed scholarship offers in basketball from the likes of U.C. Santa Barbara and Long Beach State, and she played on a club softball team that finished fifth nationally her senior season. Dickson knew that she wanted to leave home for college, and when her best out-of-state scholarship offers came in softball, she opted to play it. Her dream school became Arizona, a place with the tradition, the facilities and the allure to sweep any softball player off her feet. Dickson wasn t supposed to like OU more. I like the people, she told her mom that day on the phone. They don t think they re the greatest. Even though the Sooners had won the national title only a few years before, they were still working to keep pace with the Arizonas and the UCLAs and the other powerhouses of the softball world. Nothing was promised. Nothing was easy. Terry Nowotarski knew her daughter had found her match. For her, the harder it is, she said, the better it is. Dickson thrives on challenges. Perhaps it s because that s what she s always known. Her parents, Terry Nowotarski and Norval Dickson, never married but always provided for their four girls. Their house is in a nice neighborhood. Their income is spent on new uniforms and sports fees. Even though there have been tough times Terry works two jobs now and three of the girls shared a room for years, prompting Norrelle to tape off her area they have always found a way. Dickson has, too. When she was 7 years old, one of her coaches noticed her speed and suggested she switch to the left side of the plate. She could become a slapper, and with her speed, all she d have to do is get the ball in play and beat out a throw to first. The catch: she pounded the ball from the right. Extra bases. RBIs. Home runs, even. But her coach realized what a weapon her speed could be as a slapper. Dickson decided to give it a try. It was definitely frustrating, Dickson remembered. She went from hitting homers to striking out. When I was little, I cried at everything, she said. If I didn t get on base, I went in the dugout and cried. If we lost, I d cry. If I made an error, I d cry. I just didn t know how to deal with failure. She did what she does best attack. More lessons. More practice. More videos. Those initial struggles are long gone now. Dickson s career numbers at OU put her atop six major offensive categories, including hits (325) and batting average (.406). Earlier this season, she became the only player in Big 12 history with 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases. Norrelle has raised the bar for future OU softball athletes big time, Gasso said. She looked toward the Wall of Fame inside the Sooners softball complex. There hang pictures of the likes of Lisa Carey and Jennifer Stewart, Ashli Barrett and Jill Most. She has raised the bar higher than some of these guys even have, Gasso said of Dickson. The Sooner coach knew Dickson had the ability to be a star early on. Gasso even told her as much during her freshman season. Dickson asked only one thing. I don t want to be your leader, she told Gasso. Not now. I m not ready. Gasso said: That s fine, but eventually you re going to. You re going to have to come forward. Dickson has. Used to be, Gasso would lead the huddle when the team came off the field. Now, she might step in for a word or two, then quickly leaves the players to themselves. Norrelle takes over, the coach said. She looks in their eyes and says what she has to say and they respect her. Jennifer Stewart had that quality. Lisa Carey had some of that quality. It s hard to find. There s not many Norrelle Dicksons that come along in a lifetime. Carrying the load Norrelle Dickson shies from thinking about her place in Sooner lore. When people put me on a pedestal, I m like, What? Get out of here, she said. I have to carry equipment. That isn t the only load she bares. Despite a roster talented enough to place six players on the all-region team, Dickson takes responsibility for what happens to the Sooners. She knows her teammates look to her. She knows they expect so much from her. Spurring the defense. Getting on base. Setting the tone. Then, there is the ultimate expectation leading the Sooners to a championship. Dickson wants badly to do just that, starting today in Massachusetts. She made her mom promise to fly from California to be there. If we don t go all the way, Dickson told her, you re going to have to come with a stretcher or an ambulance or a wheelbarrow... because I will not be able to walk off the field.

131 Softball: Sooners ready for this regional challenge By Guerin Emig Tulsa World May 18, 2007 NORMAN -- Top-ranked Oklahoma could have a chip on its shoulder when it begins play Friday in the NCAA softball tournament. After all, it may be facing a challenge as big as the regional setting at Arizona in The Sooners (52-6) open at 1 p.m. against Patriot League champions Colgate in Amherst, Mass., one of 16 regional sites for this year s tournament. But OU is just one of five teams among the top-10 seeds packing its bags this weekend. Another, 10th-seeded Louisiana State, has a coach who openly questions the selection committee s job this year. This is crazy, LSU coach Yvette Girouard told the Shreveport Times. The softball world has to hold (selection committee members) accountable. OU coach Patty Gasso won t take it that far, at least not in public. I just can t go there, she said. I can t take that mentality and talk to my players about how we got screwed and poor OU. It s better to say, Bring it on. Gasso s program has already been down the road of being on the road before, however. In 2004, OU won the regional at Tucson, Ariz., a six-team bracket that included No. 1 Arizona, No. 9 Louisiana-Lafayette and the Sooners, who had been to the Women s College World Series the previous four years. Massachusetts practically walked to the Atlantic 10 Conference championship. OU All-American Norrelle Dickson was a freshman on that 2004 OU squad that went to Arizona. No matter what conference they play in, a hot team s a hot team, said the 2007 Big 12 Player of the Year. They re going to be tough. UMass has speed -- Candice Molinari is second on the school s career steals list. UMass has power -- Stacy Cullington smacked a league-record 15 home runs. And UMass has pitching -- Brandice Balschmitter just had a 37-inning scoreless streak snapped at last weekend s conference tournament. They also have karma. Last year, Texas A&M journeyed to Amherst as the regional s top seed and left after two losses to Lehigh. In 1998, the Sooners traveled to Amherst. They left after two losses to UMass. We know we re a good enough team that we can go in and take care of business, first baseman Samantha Ricketts said, then come back and host a super regional here. Win that super regional and the Women s College World Series is in Oklahoma City, just 25 miles down I-35. So perhaps the Sooners will eventually get what is probably their due. It s the same attitude we had when we won at Arizona, Gasso said. There s no way they should have had Arizona, ULL and Oklahoma in the same regional. We felt like, You ve got to be kidding. We felt disrespected, but we didn t talk about why it happened. It was more, Put us where you want. Doesn t matter to us. This year, the Sooners regional includes host Massachusetts, which owns the nation s longest winning streak (26 games) plus the longest home-field streak (32). The Minutewomen beat California (the 2002 national champions have been to 10 WCWS) and DePaul (which has been to the WCWS three times, all since 1999), and played Big 12 powers Baylor and Texas A&M within a run.

The Sooners looked nervous on the first play of the game, when pitcher Lauren Eckermann, catcher Lindsey Vandever and third baseman Norrelle Dickson almost collided on a pop-up, before Eckermann had

132 Sooners overcome nerves By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 19, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Oklahoma was in unknown territory, playing in terrible conditions, and immediately fell behind to Colgate Friday. The Sooners looked nervous on the first play of the game, when pitcher Lauren Eckermann, catcher Lindsey Vandever and third baseman Norrelle Dickson almost collided on a pop-up, before Eckermann had the ball drop out of her glove. Doing that doesn t work in this game. You have to be focused, be disciplined, do what got you here. When they started doing that, the Sooners were able to escape the first round with a victory. b And OU s ace didn t look very sharp when she left a ball up in the zone like tee-ball for Colgate s Ashley Rowe to line over the wall for a two-run homer. But all that s forgiveable for coach Patty Gasso. Her team won 5-2, and it pushed the nerves away when it needed to. The first game of any tournament of this magnitude, any team comes in, especially if you re No. 1, a little nervous, Gasso said. You know what the expectations are. The weather didn t help matters. It was 47 degrees and raining when the game began. But what really cost the Sooners early was those nerves. Once they were under control, things went OU s way. It s Eckermann s first trip to the NCAA Tournament, having transferred from the junior-college ranks in the offseason. But after Rowe s home run, Eckermann settled in, allowing just two more baserunners. We ve played in bad weather before, Eckermann said. We were just adjusting to different gameplans. It was a long travel day and everything, getting up here, but we had time to adjust to the climate here. At times, it looked like OU was trying too hard. Vandever, for example, went up taking big swings at bad pitches. But she wasn t the only one. There s great expectations within this team, and people who know us and root for us know we take that very personally, Gasso said. I think this team wanted to go out and do everything it could to win. The more you want something, the harder you try. Oklahoma teammates converge on Samantha Ricketts after the Sooner slugger hit what turned out to be the game-winning three-run home run Friday against Colgate. Ricketts delivers Sooners By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer AMHERST, Mass. A shaky start turned into a victory Friday for No. 1 Oklahoma, which opened up NCAA Tournament play at the Amherst Regional. The Sooners (53-6) fell behind early to Colgate (25-23), but a big swing from cleanup hitter Samantha Ricketts led OU to a 5-2 victory that put it in the winner s bracket at 11 a.m. today against host UMass at Rudd Field. Sooner starter Lauren Eckermann gave up two hits and one earned run, but she was matched most of the way by Colgate starter Kelsey Nordstrom, who allowed only three hits, though the Sooners were able to turn them into four earned runs. Colgate leadoff hitter Kortney Hannah reached base when Eckermann, catcher Lindsey Vandever and third baseman Norrelle Dickson miscommunicated on a popup. Two Raiders batters later, Ashley Rowe hit her first home run of the season off Eckermann. Three batters into the game and Colgate led 2-0. And Nordstrom was After falling behind, Sooners play long ball to get past Raiders stingy. I definitely give Nordstrom credit, OU coach Patty Gasso said. She pitched really well, and Colgate came out the way we wanted to come out. They were ready to attack. The Sooners finally got something going offensively in the bottom of the third inning. Traci Dickenson hit a hard line drive over the centerfield fence to put OU on the board, and Nordstrom began having control problems that plagued her the rest of the game. Nordstrom walked Dickson, plunked Amber Flores, walked Ricketts and walked Susan Ogden to tie the game. I think Dickenson s home run really sparked us, Gasso said. We started to get some things done after NCAA REGIONAL Oklahoma 5 Colgate 2 Sooners overcome nerves Regional Glance, boxscores Extra Frames Page B4 Transcript Photo by Jeff Johncox See WIN Page B4

133 OU blanks UMass, pulls closer to winning its road regional By Staff Reports The Tulsa World May 20, 2007 Dickenson drove in a run in her first at-bat for the second straight day and Eckermann threw her 12th shutout of the season to lead the top-ranked Sooners to a 2-0 win over host Massachusetts on Saturday. The win puts OU one win away from advancing to next weekend s Super Regionals, at a site to be announced. Patty Gasso earned her 800th coaching victory. And two streaks by the Minutewomen ( ) -- a 27-game winning streak that was the best in the nation and a 33-game home winning streak -- fell. OU will play at 11 a.m. Sunday against UMass, which beat Long Island 7-3 later Saturday. An OU loss would force the if necessary game at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Sooners used the formula for success that has them ranked No. 1 with a 54-6 record -- lots of baserunners, good pitching and solid defense. We decided that we needed to come out and approach this game with our style, said Gasso. We came out yesterday a little tight so it was all about bringing back the Oklahoma style. You could feel that from the start. Jamie Fox led off the second inning by drawing a walk on four pitches and stole second. With two outs, Dickenson doubled to right field, driving in Fox for her 51st RBI of the season, second on the team. Dickenson, who added a single in the fourth inning, is batting.600 (3-for-5) with two extra-base hits in this regional, raising her season average to.301. Nothing really goes through my mind, Dickenson said. I just kind of go up and hack. See it, hit it. In all, the Sooners had seven hits and drew three walks, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except one. For the second straight day, Eckermann found herself in trouble in the first inning, giving up a leadoff single to Amanda Morin. On Friday, that led to a two-run home run. This time, she came up with a strikeout to end the threat.

134 Solid at the bottom of the lineup By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Oklahoma has plenty of strong hitters. But the one hitter coming up big through two games at the Massachusetts Regional is doing it from an unusual spot. That is, unless you re familiar with Sooner softball. Almost no one in the country has a No. 9 hitter like Traci Dickenson, who went into Saturday s game with the Minutewomen hitting.293 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs. for us all year. Dickenson doesn t mind where she s hitting. It doesn t really matter to me, she said. Which is good, because her coach likes here right where she is. We contemplated changing it around in midseason, but decided against it, Gasso said. She s got Norrelle (Dickson) ready to hit right behind her, so sometimes she catches teams off guard. We re not moving her. Saturday she had two hits and an RBI-double, bringing OU one win from a likely return home for super-regional action next weekend. Of course, our No. 9 batter, who everyone wishes they could have batting No. 9, did a great job again and came through for us, OU coach Patty Gasso said. And it s the truth. Because everyone in Oklahoma s lineup can take a pitch deep at any time, Gasso can afford to leave her second-best power hitter in the final spot in the lineup. Only clean-up hitter Samantha Ricketts has more home runs (18) and RBIs (80) this season than Dickenson. Nothing really goes through my mind when I hit, Dickenson said. I just go up and hack. See it, hit it. Not too difficult. Dickenson got the Sooners on the scoreboard Friday against Colgate. Down 2-0, she sent a line drive over the center-field wall and started an OU rally. Saturday s double gave the Sooners a 1-0 lead over UMass. But that s the kind of thing she s been doing all season. If you think lightly of her, because she s the No. 9 hitter, she ll go out and do what she does, Gasso said. Even if you go after her because you know how strong she is, she ll do what she does. I can t tell you how many times she s stepped up in big situations

135 Sooners oust UMass, reach Super Regional By Matt Vautour The Oklahoman May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso likes to talk about smothering her opponents, putting so much pressure on them that they re forced into mistakes. In the final of the NCAA s Amherst Regional, the Sooners smothered Massachusetts into errors and bad decisions throughout Sunday s championship game as OU beat the Minutewomen 6-3 at the UMass Softball Complex to advance to the Super Regionals. Our goal was to apply pressure and smother and go after them and make you feel us, 24/7, Gasso said. We had a lot of things in motion. It was a great job of executing. Oklahoma will host DePaul, which beat Missouri to win the Carbondale (Ill.) Regional, in a best-of-three series this weekend in Norman. We re looking forward to being at home and taking the next step, Gasso said. Oklahoma jumped ahead in the third. Norelle Dickson led off with a single to short, stole second and moved to third on Mariee Mena s single to left. After Mena stole second, Amber Flores hit a bouncer to third. UMass Whitney Mollica tried to throw to home plate, but Dickson s slide beat the throw. Samantha Ricketts drilled the first pitch she saw up the middle bringing in another run that made it 2-0. After Susan Ogden flew out to left, Jamie Fox laid down a perfect bunt that scored Flores. UMass was mixed up on assignments, nobody covered first and in the confusion, Iver McDonald, who was pinchrunning for Ricketts, moved all the way to third. She scored on Lindsey Vandever s sacrifice fly to deep left to make it 4-0. That s how we play, Dickson said. We re always looking to take the next bag, she said. We wanted to force them to play and take advantage of everything they gave us. Serio s long fly to center, Whitney Williams doubled to right center, putting runners on second and third before Amanda Morin drove them in on a single to center that made it 4-2. Candice Molinari s bunt moved Morin to third, and Stacy Cullington s RBI double, which stayed just inside the right-field line, cut the Sooners edge to 4-3. The rally ignited the mostly pro-umass crowd, but Oklahoma wasn t fazed. Eckermann gave up a single to start the fourth, but she didn t allow another runner in the game. She finished with five strikeouts and didn t walk a batter. Her counterpart, Brandice Balschmiter, struggled and didn t get much help from her defense. Two UMass errors led to another OU run in the fifth, while another miscue created an insurance tally in the sixth as OU wasn t threatened again. After the game, Molinari, UMass captain, said she d be rooting for OU the rest of the way. We went down with a fight, she said. If we were going to lose to anybody, at least its Oklahoma. They re the best out there. I hope they win it all. Before the tournament, Gasso was diplomatic about not hosting a regional despite her team s strong record and rank. Afterward she was a little more candid. Now that it s over, I was not pleased with us being sent here because I know UMass and (coach) Elaine Sortino and their history in the postseason. I was not excited about coming here, Gasso said. What do you tell your team when you re 52-6 and you just won the Big 12 Tournament and you get shipped off? It was a little injustice, but this experience is going to make us a little better and tougher. UMass, which hadn t scored in nine previous innings against Eckermann, jumped on her in the third. Dickson couldn t glove Samantha Salato s leadoff bouncer to third. After Fox made a great catch on Jess

136 UMass: Win Sooner, later By Dick baker The Republican May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. The challenge is clear - the University of Massachusetts must beat a team twice in a row today that on average loses only once in 10 games. The Minutewomen ( ) need to defeat Oklahoma (54-6) twice to capture the NCAA Division I Amherst Regional after bowing 2-0 to the Sooners in their first game yesterday before bouncing back to defeat Long Island 7-3. That victory set up a confrontation with Oklahoma at noon where a win would force a second and championship game at 2:30 in the double-elimination tourney. UMass senior center fielder Candice Molinari stroked a two-run double in the top of the sixth to break a 3-3 tie against Long Island. Chelsea Martinson had homered for Long Island in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. Long Island (34-22) had advanced by defeating Colgate 5-1 in the second game. I m pretty proud of our effort, UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. I think it s pretty difficult to come back in the same day from an emotional loss like the 12 o clock game. But I thought our kids had a lot of character and a lot of guts. In the first game, Oklahoma scored single runs in the second and sixth innings to back the efficient 79- pitch performance of Lauren Eckermann (36-3). While there is plenty to worry about in the first four Oklahoma hitters, including leadoff batter Norrelle Dickson coming in at.467 and Samantha Ricketts with an.813 slugging percentage and 18 homers at cleanup, it was No. 9 hitter Traci Dickenson who earned the game ball. Dickenson slammed a double off the right field wall to plate Jamie Fox, who had walked and stole second, as Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Sooners added an insurance run in the sixth on a passed ball. Fox, batting in the fifth spot, led off the sixth with a single and was perfect on the day with two walks to go along with her hit. In fact, hitters No. 5-9 in the Oklahoma order reached base a total of seven times. Dickenson is a rare find in Division I athletic sports, also playing varsity soccer as a defender. Since Division I players are often offered an athletic scholarship to specialize in one sport, it s unusual to find a player participating in a second one. Coaches who recruit athletes for Division I pay for the scholarship out of their team s budget, and don t like sharing the risk of injury or the distraction of having them play a second sport. It takes an exceptional athlete at the Division I level to be able to do that, Oklahoma coach Patty Grasso said. It takes a tremendous disciplined athlete, and that s what Traci is. UMass managed only four hits, but did start off fast with the leadoff hitter in both the first and second innings each hitting a single. Sortino tried to push them along each time with small ball, but the strategy backfired. In the first inning, Amanda Morin started out by lining a ball of the wall in right, but it was hit so hard she had to hold up at first. Molinari, who went 0 for 3 to end her 19-game hitting streak, then tried to sacrifice her to second but popped the bunt up. No. 3 hitter Stacy Cullington, who would double off the wall in her next at bat, then sacrificed Morin to second. However, Lauren Proctor struck out to end the inning. UMass third baseman Whitney Mollica had a good at bat to start off the second inning, driving a 3-2 pitch up the middle. Amanda Acampora then attempted to sacrifice her second but bunted into a double play. I thought we set a good tone as far as our energy in the first inning, Sortino said. Amanda Morin got a great hit. Unfortunately it came down to when we had the opportunities to move the runners we didn t really execute. And in a game like this and a championship at this level, you ve got to be able to execute when the time comes. Mollica went 2 for 3 with a triple and two RBIs against Long Island. The UMass defense was superb in the second game, pulling off a couple of slick double plays. Additionally, right fielder Samantha Solata made two excellent catches. The one in the third inning was key. Solata made a nice stab at the fence off a drive by Celina Castillo, but even so it still should have been a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3. However, Brittany Murphy left early from third, something that did not go unnoticed by the UMass bench. The Minutewomen appealed and Murphy was called out for a double play.

137 Oklahoma ousts UMass By Dick baker The Republican May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. The youthful University of Massachusetts softball team showed its age yesterday in losing its defensive poise during a season-ending 6-3 loss to No.1 Oklahoma at the UMass Softball Complex. The Minutewomen made three physical errors and made numerous mental ones that allowed the opportunistic Sooners to tack on extra bases during the final day of the NCAA Division I Amherst Regional. UMass, which would have needed to beat Oklahoma twice yesterday to advance to the super regionals next weekend, finished at Oklahoma improved to 55-6 in earning its trip home to take on No. 14 De Paul. Oklahoma scored four runs in the top of the nightmarish third inning, but the Minutewomen came right back with three in the bottom of the frame. Freshman shortstop Whitney Williams and junior second baseman Stacy Cullington each hit doubles to key the UMass rally, but Oklahoma would add single runs in the fifth and sixth innings with the help of the three UMass errors. I thought in that inning when they scored those four runs it seemed we were just kind of going in the wrong direction every single time, UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. Defense is going to win the ballgame for you, and we just didn t come up with the right play time after time. The good news was that we answered back immediately, and I thought we showed great character. Then we needed to take care of the ball. And I know I sound like a broken record, but we didn t make the routine plays. We extended them the two and then the three-run lead. It was just way too much because we had the opportunity to get out of those innings, and we didn t get it done. Centerfielder Candice Molinari and first baseman Amanda Morin, the only UMass senior starters, each went 1 for 3 in their final collegiate game. I did not want today to be the last day I wore this jersey, an emotional Molinari said while unable to hold back the tears. But we went down with a fight. If we were to lose to anybody, at least it was Oklahoma, the best out there, and I hope they take it to the end. I hope they win it all. Oklahoma didn t even want to be here. The Sooners were counting on home-field advantage for this regional and were shocked when they didn t see their school listed as one of the home sites during the NCAA Selection show. Now that it s over, I was not pleased with us being sent here, Oklahoma coach Patty Grasso said. I know UMass and Elaine (Sortino), and I know the history of this program, and I was not excited about coming here. It was a great challenge for this team to have to travel so far when their hearts were set on being home and hosting - and having to turn around and change the mentality. Norrelle (Dickson) was the first to stand up and say We re doing this. Dickson, the team s leadoff hitter, scored two runs yesterday and has now crossed the plate 71 times this season. She has a.455 batting average. Sortino felt UMass sophomore starting pitcher Brandice Balschmiter struggled a bit (6 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts in 5 innings) and replaced her with freshman Bailey Sanders for the final two innings. Dickson opened Oklahoma s third with a single, stole second, and moved to third on Mariee Mena s single. Mena then stole second. Amber Flores next hit the ball to third baseman Whitney Mollica, who elected to try and come home. The throw was late, Dickson scored, and Flores went all the way to second. Cleanup hitter Samantha Ricketts then singled to center for another run. UMass looked like it could limit the damage to two runs when Susan Ogden flew out to left to Lauren Proctor, who made a perfect throw home to prevent any movement. But Jamie Fox then laid down a bunt single back to the mound with pinch-runner Iver Mc- Donald going all the way to third, and Fox to second on the futile attempt to get the runner at home. With runners on first and second and two out in the fifth inning, Oklahoma catcher Lindsey Vandever hit a hard shot off of Mollica s glove, and the ball squirted in the direction of Williams at short. If Williams could have picked the ball up cleanly, she could have prevented the run from scoring, but it rolled by her. We ve got to be able to handle heat like this if we re going to go deep into the post-season, Sortino said. I know we re a little young (13 underclassmen), but we just didn t have the poise when we needed it.

Just enough to win By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Lauren Eckermann pitched a gem, Traci Dickenson delivered a big hit and No.

138 Just enough to win By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 20, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Lauren Eckermann pitched a gem, Traci Dickenson delivered a big hit and No. 1 Oklahoma took advantage of a Massachusetts mistake to earn a spot in today s NCAA regional final. Eckermann struck out six and allowed four hits, shutting down the host Minutewomen s offense and leading the Sooners to a 2-0 victory Saturday. OU s ace allowed the UMass leadoff hitter to reach scoring position in each of the first two innings, but settled in as UMass never really threatened to score again. My team is really great at giving me time to adjust, taking a lead and scoring runs, Eckermann said. It takes the pressure off. Eckermann faced off against UMass starter Brandice Balschmiter, whose 1.29 ERA and 27-8 record earned her Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year. Balschmiter helped the Minutewomen beat Long Island in the regional s first round Friday, but allowed the Sooners to scratch out seven hits while walking three in the winners bracket game. I don t think I pitched really well, but they re a really strong lineup, Balschmiter said. Jade Prather pinch ran for Vandever, and Balschmiter let one get away from her. UMass catcher Jessica Serio couldn t handle it, and the passed ball brought Fox in from third. Prather tried to catch the Minutewomen off-guard as the throw to Balschmiter got away for a moment, but UMass pitcher and catcher recovered in time to throw the speedy pinch runner out at home. We definitely went into that inning feeling like we needed some insurance, OU coach Patty Gasso said. We didn t want to let them come back with one swing. I think that s why you saw Jade Prather try to sneak in another score there. UMass had its opportunities, and even had the tying run at the plate with one out in the top of the seventh inning. But the Minutewomen hit into two double plays, including one that ended the game. Unfortunately, when it came down to moving runners, we didn t execute, UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. I think, as good as they hit, Brandice handled them pretty well. It s unfortunate that second run got away from us. I think that took a little air out of our sails. It s something I ll definitely remember, having it come in this situation here, she said. The Minutewomen downed Long Island 7-3 in the day s final elimination game, earning a rematch with OU. UMass will have to beat the Sooners twice today in order to knock them out. OU hasn t lost back-to-back games all season. The Sooners and Minutewomen meet at 11 a.m. today with the if-necessary game to follow. Just enough Gasso s 800th win puts Sooners one from super regional The Sooners had runners at first and third with two outs in the first inning, but didn t score. Balschmiter walked Jamie Fox to lead off the bottom half of the second inning, and Fox stole second base. Dickenson came through with her second big hit of the regional, doubling in Fox to give OU a 1-0 lead. Dickenson hit a solo home run Friday against Colgate to put OU on the board. The Sooners scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Fox singled up the middle, and Lindsey Vandever followed with a base hit of her own, advancing Fox to third and sliding into second base on an attempt to throw Fox out. The Sooner victory ended two UMass milestones, but allowed Gasso to reach one of hers. The Minutewomen had won 27 straight games, the nation s longest winning streak, and 33 straight games at home, also longest in the country. OU s win gave Gasso her 800th career victory, something she didn t even realize had happened until asked about it after the game. Transcript Photo by Jeff Johncox OU s Jade Prather was out at the plate, above, but the Sooners had already scored all the runs they would need Saturday. By Jeff Johncox Transcript Sports Writer AMHERST, Mass. Lauren Eckermann pitched a gem, Traci Dickenson delivered a big hit and No. 1 Oklahoma took advantage of a Massachusetts mistake to earn a spot in today s NCAA regional final. Eckermann struck out six and allowed four hits, shutting down the host Minutewomen s offense and leading the Sooners to a 2-0 victory Saturday. NCAA REGIONAL Oklahoma 2 UMass 0 Big bat at the bottom of the order Regional Glance, OU boxscore Extra Frames Page C7 OU s ace allowed the UMass leadoff hitter to reach scoring position in each of the first two innings, but settled in as UMass never really threatened to score again. My team is really great at giving me time to adjust, taking a lead and scoring runs, Eckermann said. It takes the pressure off. Eckermann faced off against UMass starter Brandice Balschmiter, whose 1.29 ERA and 27-8 record earned her Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year. Balschmiter helped the Minutewomen beat Long Island in the regional s first round Friday, but allowed the Sooners to scratch out seven hits while walking three in the winners bracket game. I don t think I pitched really well, but they re a really strong lineup, Balschmiter said. The Sooners had runners at first and third with two outs in the first inning, but didn t score. Balschmiter walked Jamie Fox to lead off the bottom half of the second inning, and Fox stole second base. Dickenson came through with her second big hit of Eckermann s first postseason shutout sends OU to regional championship See REGIONAL Page C7

139 Softball: OU 2, Massachusetts 0: Sooners need one more win By Staff Reports The Tulsa World May 20, 2007 Dickenson drove in a run in her first at-bat for the second straight day and Eckermann threw her 12th shutout of the season to lead the top-ranked Sooners to a 2-0 win over host Massachusetts on Saturday. The win puts OU one win away from advancing to next weekend s Super Regionals, at a site to be announced. Patty Gasso earned her 800th coaching victory. And two streaks by the Minutewomen ( ) -- a 27-game winning streak that was the best in the nation and a 33-game home winning streak -- fell. OU will play at 11 a.m. Sunday against UMass, which beat Long Island 7-3 later Saturday. An OU loss would force the if necessary game at 1:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Sooners used the formula for success that has them ranked No. 1 with a 54-6 record -- lots of baserunners, good pitching and solid defense. We decided that we needed to come out and approach this game with our style, said Gasso. We came out yesterday a little tight so it was all about bringing back the Oklahoma style. You could feel that from the start. Jamie Fox led off the second inning by drawing a walk on four pitches and stole second. With two outs, Dickenson doubled to right field, driving in Fox for her 51st RBI of the season, second on the team. Dickenson, who added a single in the fourth inning, is batting.600 (3-for-5) with two extra-base hits in this regional, raising her season average to.301. Nothing really goes through my mind, Dickenson said. I just kind of go up and hack. See it, hit it. In all, the Sooners had seven hits and drew three walks, leaving at least one runner on base in every inning except one. For the second straight day, Eckermann found herself in trouble in the first inning, giving up a leadoff single to Amanda Morin. On Friday, that led to a two-run home run. This time, she came up with a strikeout to end the threat.

140 UMass can t handle Sooners pressure By Jeff Johncox The Norman Transcript May 21, 2007 AMHERST, Mass. Like the saying goes, Speed kills, and Oklahoma s baserunning wrote the eulogy for Massachusetts season Sunday at the Amherst Regional final. The No. 1 Sooners (55-6) took advantage of three Minutewomen errors and picked up extra bases wherever they could en route to a 6-3 victory that advanced them to the super regional round. UMass ( ) responded with three runs in the home half of the third, two on a single by Amanda Morin. That was just one of those innings, said Sooner pitcher Lauren Eckermann, who notched all three of OU s Amherst victories. I didn t execute the way I should have and they took advantage of that. But that was all the offense the Minutewomen would get as Sooner pitcher Lauren Eckermann settled in, strking out five while allowing one earned run on five hits. The Minutewomen were disappointed after the game, but still wished the visiting Sooners luck in the next round. I didn t want this to be the last day I wore this jersey, UMass center fielder Candice Molinari said. But if we had to lose today, if we had to go down fighting, I m glad it was to Oklahoma. I m glad it was to the best there is. I hope they take it all the way and win the whole thing. OU will play host to DePaul in a two-out-of-three series beginning Thursday or Friday at Marita Hynes Field, with the winner advancing to the Women s College World Series in Oklahoma City. That s how we play, OU s Norrelle Dickson said. We re always trying to take the next bag. We wanted to force them to play. It s the postseason. You don t get a lot of opportunities, and we took advantage of them today. The Sooners got on the board first thanks to a fourrun third inning. Dickson led off with an infield single, then stole second base. Mariee Mena followed with a single and runners were at the corners. Mena took second without a throw, and Amber Flores brought Dickson home with a chopper to third. The throw to the plate was too late and OU led 1-0. Samantha Ricketts singled in Mena, and Jamie Fox brought in Flores on a squeeze bunt. On the throw home, the Minutewomen left third and second base unattended, allowing pinch runner Iver McDonald to get to third from first and Fox to make it all the way to second on heads-up baserunning by both players. Lindsey Vandever brought in McDonald with a sacrifice fly. That s what won this regional for us, our baserunning, OU coach Patty Gasso said. We were all over the place, forcing the action, applying pressure. We just wanted to go after it and go after it. We had a lot of hit and runs going on and a lot of things in motion, and they did a great job executing. I think Lauren really settled down and pitched better as the game went on, Gasso said. OU added one run in the fifth and sixth innings. One on a line drive by Fox that went off the glove of UMass third baseman Whitney Mollica, and rolled around. Dickson took advantage of it and sped around third to score. We needed to take better care of the ball, UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. We didn t make the routine plays. We extended them the two-, then three-run leads. Defense is going to win you championships, and you can t play defense like we did today. Eckermann improved to UMass pitcher Brandice Balschmiter finished the season after allowing four earned runs on six hits in five innings. Fast enough? UMass can t deal with OU s speed; Sooners coming home for next round Transcript Photo by Jeff Johncox Oklahoma s celebration begins after getting the final out at the Amherst regional Sunday afternoon. Given two chances to win one game and advance into the super regional round, the Sooners needed only one, defeating Massachussetts 6-3. By Jeff Johncox AMHERST, Mass. Like the saying goes, Speed kills, and Oklahoma s baserunning wrote the eulogy for Massachusetts season Sunday at the Amherst Regional final. The No. 1 Sooners (55-6) took advantage of three Minutewomen errors and picked up extra bases wherever they could en route to a 6-3 victory that advanced them to the super regional round. OU will play host to DePaul in a two-out-of-three series beginning Thursday or Friday at Marita Hynes Field, with the winner advancing to the Women s College World Series in Oklahoma City. That s how we play, OU s Norrelle Dickson said. We re always trying to take the next bag. We wanted to force them to play. It s the postseason. You don t get a lot of opportunities, and we took advantage of them today. The Sooners got on the board first thanks to a four-run By Jeff Johncox Minutewomen can t handle the pressure Fox continues to come up big for Sooners Transcript Sports Writer Transcript Sports Writer NCAA REGIONAL Oklahoma 6 UMass 3 Regional Glance, OU boxscore Extra Frames AMHERST, Mass. Jamie Fox has been getting it done for Oklahoma all season long. And when the Sooners needed the hits at the Massachusetts Regional, she stepped up. Fox went 3-for-6 in the weekend s three games, and had a hot line drive that skipped off Massachussetts third baseman Whitney Mollica s glove in Page B3 the top of the sixth inning Sunday that scored Norrelle Dickson, giving OU a three-run advantage and quieting any hopes of a Minutewomen comeback. If you look at our five through nine spots in our lineup, they were really, really good, OU coach Patty Gasso said. Jamie was a big part of that, right in the middle. Fox hits in the six-hole, behind designated player Susan Ogden, a junior who s been in the starting lineup all season, and followed by freshman catcher Lindsey Vandever. See WIN Page B3 See FOX Page B3

OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL. :: 2005 Game Notes :: NFCA Leadoff Classic :: Feb , 2005 ::

OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL. :: 2005 Game Notes :: NFCA Leadoff Classic :: Feb , 2005 :: OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL :: 2005 Game Notes :: NFCA Leadoff Classic :: Feb. 25-27, 2005 :: :: SCHEDULE >> Feb. 25 vs. Michigan State at 5 p.m. :: Feb. 25 vs. Lehigh at 7:30 p.m. :: Feb. 26 vs. No. 21 Florida