NORMAN–No. 1/1 Oklahoma Softball heads west to the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this weekend to play five games in Cathedral City, Calif. Feb. 23-25.
The Sooners (9-0, 0-0 Big 12) begin competition on Friday, Feb. 23 with a 7:30 p.m. CT start against No. 20/25 Mississippi State (8-1, 0-0 SEC) followed by a 10 p.m. first pitch vs. Wisconsin (4-6, 0-0 Big 10). OU meets RV/RV San Diego State (5-5, 0-0 Mountain West) at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Feb. 24. Oklahoma closes its weekend with an 11 a.m. CT first pitch on Sunday, Feb. 25 against Seattle followed by a 1:30 p.m. start vs. Loyola Marymount.
The entire Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will be streamed on FloSoftball ($). All five games will be broadcast on 1560 AM/103.3 FM The Franchise 2 with Friday and Sunday's contests also airing on 107.7 FM The Franchise.
Oklahoma has made regular appearances at the Mary Nutter since 2006, playing in the showcase every season it has been held. OU is 57-21 (.731) all-time at the Mary Nutter and has a 10-game winning streak at the event dating back to Feb. 25, 2022.
ABOUT LAST WEEKEND
The Sooners enjoyed a 5-0 appearance at the Cowgirl Challenge last weekend, outscoring their opponents 36-1 with four shutouts and three run-rule victories. OU's pitching staff allowed just one run on 11 hits and seven walks across 29.0 innings, striking out 39 and holding opponents to a .116 average.
Senior shortstop Tiare Jennings slashed .438/.471/.875 for a 1.336 OPS on the weekend, leading OU with six runs scored and two home runs. Senior centerfielder Jayda Coleman batted .533 (8-for-15) while senior outfielder Rylie Boone led the club with six RBIs.
Oklahoma's bats produced a .362 average and slugged .583 over the five games. The Sooner lineup homered six times while adding four doubles and three triples for 13 extra-base hits.
AN UNPRECEDENTED STREAK
Oklahoma's NCAA-record winning streak stands at 62 games entering the weekend. The historic streak has featured 44 wins over Power Five opponents, 35 shutouts, 27 wins over ranked teams, 27 run-rule wins and just three extra-innings victories. OU has defeated 37 different programs over the course of the win streak, the most wins coming against Texas and Iowa State with four each.
The Sooners have scored 495 runs while allowing just 57 during their winning streak, generating a whopping +438 run differential. OU averages 7.98 runs per game and has recorded a 0.87 ERA in the circle across the stretch.
Oklahoma is hitting .364 with a 1.116 OPS during the 62-game streak, blasting 121 home runs and 106 doubles. Opposing teams have hit just .162 off the Sooner staff with a meager .453 OPS over the streak.
The Sooners' 4-3 victory over Washington on Feb. 9 extended their winning streak to 56 games dating back to Feb. 24, 2023, establishing a new record for the longest winning streak in NCAA history. OU's 56th consecutive win broke the previous all-division record held by then-Division II program Western Kentucky.
TIA TIME
Senior shortstop Tiare Jennings enters the weekend on a team-leading six-game hitting streak and is poised to reach a handful of key statistical milestones. The San Pedro, Calif. native is just one RBI away from moving into second all-time in OU history. She has driven in 253 runs over her Sooner career, one shy of tying Lauren Chamberlain's mark of 254. Jocelyn Alo is the program's career leader in RBIs with 323.
Jennings is also just three doubles away from reaching Kristin Vesely (53) for third all-time and ranks ninth in OU annals with 251 hits. She needs 15 to reach Kelli Braitsch for eighth.
J COLE BRINGING THE HEAT
Senior centerfielder Jayda Coleman enjoyed a terrific trip to Lake Charles last weekend, leading OU with eight hits and a .533 batting average. She went 8-for-15 on the trip with a double and two RBIs, stole two bags and made a pair of incredible defensive plays in center. Coleman has recorded a hit in each of her last five games.
LUDLAM LIGHTS UP
Graduate catcher Riley Ludlam has quickly made an impact in the OU lineup in her lone season with the program. The grad transfer from Furman is third on the club with seven RBIs and is 5-for-11 (.455) at the plate. She started three games, two at DP and one behind the plate, last weekend to help the Sooners go 5-0.
WHAT A RELIEF
Oklahoma's bullpen has been lights-out to open the 2024 campaign. The Sooner pen' has yet to allow a run in 23.1 innings this spring, limiting opponents to a .115 average (9-for-78) with a 20:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. All nine hits allowed by the relievers have been singles, helping the group record a 0.60 WHIP.
A FAMILIAR FACE
Oklahoma's first game of the Mary Nutter pits the program against Mississippi State, led by head coach and Sooner legend Samantha Ricketts. A two-time all-american at Oklahoma, Ricketts graduated in 2009 as the Sooners' career leader in home runs and RBIs.
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