Oklahoma; Looking to Improve
After starting the season on the road and playing in three tournaments, compiling a 9-3 record, OU head softball coach Patty Gasso figured returning home would help her Sooners. And it did.
“I thought we made some big strides this weekend (March 3-4). We showed some tenacity in coming back in Oklahoma City. We had a good game plan and we did a good job at executing it. Today (Sunday) was a nice win versus a good team. We’re still a work in progress but our goal was to remain competitive.”
In Oklahoma City, the Sooners played at The Preview at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium on Saturday, March 3 and collected two wins, defeating LSU 5-0 and Iowa 6-3 before closing out the weekend with a 4-2 win over Hawkeyes at home.
The win Sunday was the fifth straight by the Sooners, all coming last week, and improved their record to 14-3 with Keilani Ricketts getting the win Sunday to improve to 8-3 on the year. Ricketts fanned 11 batters and allowed three hits and two runs. It was the sixth straight game she struck out at least 10 batters and the ninth time this season. Ricketts concluded the week with four wins and one save while striking out 54 batters and allowing eight hits and three runs in 30.1 innings pitched. For her performance Ricketts has been named as the Louisville Slugger Division I National Player of the Week for games played Feb. 27-March 4.
Ricketts has been one of the consistent threats at-bat and on the mound for the Sooners as Gasso hasn’t settled on a regular lineup. The 6-3 win over Iowa was her 14th different lineup in 15 games as the Sooners fell behind 1-0, tied in the bottom of the second before Iowa scored twice in the top of the third to take s 3-1 lead before OU tallied three times in the bottom half of the third for a one run lead before adding two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
OU, which was 12-5 in its first 17 games last year, is off to one of their best starts in recent seasons and are ranked among the top ten in the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN/USA Softball polls. Oklahoma is one of only two programs to be ranked every week of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. The Sooners entered the rankings at No. 16 in the first poll on January 24, 1995. They have not dropped out since -- 241 straight weeks (at of the end of 2011). Oklahoma formally recognizes the NFCA poll as its poll of choice.
The Sooners have only three seniors on their roster (18) and are hoping to return again to the College World Series, which is scheduled again at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Only time will tell, but the Sooners appear to be headed for an outstanding season and
with five wins last week, the Sooners (14-3) will look to keep their win-streak alive when they host Austin Peay, Indiana and Wichita State.
