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2013 NCAA Softball Championship | Norman Super Regional | Sooners Run Rule Aggies

2013-05-25T04:01:06Z

If you just look at the final score of 10-2, it could be somewhat misleading with respect to how this game played out. Oklahoma wound up run ruling Texas A&M, but it was a close game until the very end when the OU offense finally did what it does and things got away from the Aggies.

The Sooners jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over the first two innings and their ace, Keilani Ricketts, was cruising. Then a cheap home run made it 3-1 followed the next inning by a legitimate home run and all of a sudden it was a one run game. It would stay that way until the sixth when Texas A&M's starter would begin to tire after eclipsing the 100 pitch mark and a seven run explosion would follow.

Oklahoma opened the home half of the sixth inning with a walk, followed by a single, then an infield single to load the bases as National Player of the Year finalist Lauren Chamberlain strolled to the plate. Proving to be the team player she's been all season, Chamberlain would take first of three consecutive walks which would push a one run game to a 6-2 OU lead. OU would plate another before Ricketts would come to the plate with two on and the opportunity to end things an inning early. And end them she did. The senior All-American was a little late on the pitch, but she is so strong she still sent it over the left field wall for a walk off, run rule home run.

Outside of the two solo home runs, which were two of the only three hits she allowed all night, Ricketts was the dominant presence in the circle we've been so accustomed to seeing. She finished the game with thirteen strikeouts to just one walk and made the Aggies look silly all night long with her change-up.

With the win Oklahoma is just one more victory away from another appearance in the Women's College World Series. The two teams will square off again Saturday afternoon at 11:00 a.m. with the game airing once again on ESPN.

2013 NCAA Softball Championship | Norman Super Regional | Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M | Game One Open Thread

2013-05-24T22:55:04Z

After poor field conditions following a torrential downpour earlier in the day Thursday forced Game One of the Norman Super Regional to be postponed, the two teams will get after it Friday night at Marita Hynes Field.

Both teams are looking to advance to the Women's College World Series in the first game of this best-of-three series.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (CST) and the game can be seen on ESPN.

2013 NCAA Softball Championship | Norman Super Regional | Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M

2013-05-24T19:46:00Z

My apologies for the lack of a proper preview for this week's softball Super Regional between the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas A&M Aggies. Things just got a little hectic with what we're trying to do to raise money for the tornado victims and this just kind of fell through the cracks.

Be that as it may, this is a big week for an Oklahoma team looking to advance to the Women's College World Series just down the road in Oklahoma City. Being No. 1, the Sooners are obviously the favorite to win this Super Regional but that does not mean the Aggies present little threat.

Texas A&M is a power-hitting team in every sense of the word. Much like Oklahoma, they have power hitters throughout their lineup and can turn a game around in a hurry if they connect and put a couple over the fence. Texas A&M's number one starter, Mel Dumezich, has been dealing with a shoulder/rotator cuff issue for a decent portion of the season but started three of the Aggies four games last weekend. So much to chagrin of at least one CCM reader here, the A&M coaches are not hesitant to put things all on her shoulder(s) should the situation call for it.

To that point, expect the Oklahoma hitters to be aggressive in their at-bats but intelligently so. Meaning, Dumezich having to throw a lot of pitches early, even if it leads to some OU outs, isn't necessarily a bad thing.

From an Oklahoma perspective, at this point what else can we really tell you? They'll look to stay hot at the plate and score a bunch of runs with their lineup that is loaded literally from top to bottom. Keilani Ricketts wasn't quite the unhittable force in the circle last weekend we've become accustomed to, so hopefully she can resume that role which would obviously make things much easier for this team if for some reason the bats are not clicking.

This best of three series kicks off Thursday evening with first pitch now rescheduled for around 7:00 p.m. (CST) and the game still expected to be broadcast on ESPN.

2013 Big 12 Baseball Tournament | Sooners Cruise To 8-0 Victory Over Texas Tech

2013-05-24T17:35:19Z

Oklahoma posted their second consecutive shutout, a feat last accomplished by the Sooners way back in 2009, to open Big 12 Tournament play with a 8-0 win over Texas Tech. Oklahoma combined late inning scoring with solid pitching to coast their way to what proved to be an easy victory.

Senior Dillon Overton got the start on Friday and was good but not great as he continues to work his way back from a late season injury. The lefty went five innings scattering three hits while striking out five and walking six. Ralph Garza Jr. came on in relief of Overton and was incredibly effective over three innings of work facing just one over the minimum number of batters. Kindle Ladd came on to pitch the ninth and finish things off for the Sooners.

The offense may have taken a while to get going, but once it did the OU bats caught fire. Maintaining their modest 1-0 lead heading into the final two innings, the Sooners exploded for seven runs in the final two frames. Two in the eighth and five more in the top half of the ninth sealed it for OU.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for an offense that was struggling mightily prior to tournament play was the balanced offense from Friday's lineup (box score). Four different Sooners had multiple hits in the game and six different batters were responsible for OU's eight runs driven in.

With the win, Oklahoma is now 2-0 in pool play and will face the #1 seed Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (CST). No matter what K-State does in their game later today, Oklahoma will have to win to advance to Sunday's championship game. Because of the weather induced change in the tournament format, if the two teams were to finished tied with 2-1 records in pool play the higher seed automatically advances (which would obviously be K-State).

Expect Jake Fisher to get the start much like he did to close out the regular season on a Sunday start in Manhattan where the Sooners avoided a series sweep.

Oklahoma Baseball | Big 12 Tournament | An Uphill Climb

2013-05-24T13:39:00Z

According to popular thought, the Oklahoma Sooners will likely need to wrap up the Big 12 Tournament as Champions in order to secure a NCAA Tournament bid. It's definitely not impossible but will take true grit in order to pull of off the feat.

The Oklahoma Sooners have yet to win the regular season since the birth of the Big 12 Conference. Nothing is new in that department and it has not stopped OU from reaching the NCAA Tournament. This year could be different as it is believed they will need to secure the Big 12 Tournament Championship to receive a berth, a feat they have not completed since 1997. Here is how the schedule plays out in the new condensed from on day one.

THURSDAY, MAY 23

Pool One

No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Baylor 9:00 a.m.

No. 1 K-State vs. No. 8 Texas Tech 12:30 p.m.

Pool Two

No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 6 Kansas 4:00 p.m.

No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 TCU 7:30 p.m.

"We debated canceling the tournament in deference to the devastating tragedy in Moore, but were encouraged by Oklahoma City leaders and the Oklahoma City All-Sports Association to go forward. We believe the tournament can serve as a testament to the strong Oklahoma spirit and to the resiliency of the Oklahoma people." - Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby

As the close of the regular season drew to a close, the Big 12 Conference found itself with multiple teams in the running for the Championship. With an excellent start to the season, many fans were surprised by this Oklahoma Sooners ballclub as they were losing a ton of on the field leadership and experience. However, that all came crashing down as Sunny Golloway and his team finished 3-9 in the final twelve games while letting three teams slip ahead in the standings.

Kolbey Carpenter was a bright spot in the final game of the season as he knocking in three runs during a 7-3 victory over the Kansas St. Wildcats. As a team, Oklahoma comes into the tournament batting .285. Yet, away from home, the Sooners have only managed to pull out seven wins to ten losses and 3-3 at a neutral site. Matt Oberste is a familiar name who has his hitting moments. When things are going well for him, they are going extremely well but the vice versa is true as well. Joining Oberste in the .300+ club is Max White. These two cannot do it on their own as much more will be needed not only from the plate but also from the mound if the Sooners hope to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Jonathan Gray and Dillon Overton are still a solid one-two punch as starters. With the amount of pressure that has been on them all season long, they have held up well in route to recording eight wins a piece. Jacob Evans has a team best 1.41 ERA but it will undoubtedly be Gray's 1.69 ERA leading this team. Behind these two, there are plenty of questions as the bullpen averages a 3.08 ERA.

On the other side of this will be the Baylor Bears lead by Nathan Orf from behind the plate. Always looking for extra bases, Orf has a knack for a finding holes in the defense and boasts a very respectable .380 batting average. Don't underestimate the baseball IQ of this kid as he gets on base in multiple other ways including being walked 23 times and hit by pitch another 12 times. Cal Towey join Orf as the only two Bears to hit over .300 for the season.

One thing remains true for Baylor, it is the fact that their pitching has been a little suspect at times. As a team, BU has a 3.78 ERA. Crayton Bare has been a strong suit for this ballclub even though he has yet to receive a start. Seeing action in 26 games, Bare recorded six wins and two losses. Max Garner has the most experience this season as a starter (13 games) but has a 4.19 ERA.

Needless to say, this is a matchup that the Oklahoma Sooners have to potential to walk away from with a win, completing step one in the march to the NCAAs. It is an uphill climb and OU will have to work to earn a berth into the NCAA field.

Norman Super Regional | Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M Game One Rescheduled

2013-05-24T12:14:45Z

UPDATE #2:

Just got word, Game 2 of Super Regional set for 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN. Game 3, if necessary, at 2 p.m. with TV to be determined
— Oklahoma Softball (@SoonerSoftball) May 24, 2013

UPDATE: Per @SoonerSoftball, the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Game one of the Oklahoma/Texas A&M super regional has been rescheduled for Friday at 6:00 p.m. (CST). However, at this point there have been no details released with respect to television coverage. As soon as that is known, we will let you know.

Big 12 Baseball Tournament: Texas Tech Vs Oklahoma Game Thread

2013-05-24T11:00:04Z

After a 3 1/2 hour delay to beginning of the conference tournament, Oklahoma Sooners and Baylor Bears took the field. Getting off to the start they wanted from the mound, Sunny Golloway and his ballclub walked away with the win. Looking to go 2-0 in their pool and keep the title hopes alive, the Sooners will take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This time around, the offense may need to be more of a factor.

2013 Big 12 Baseball Championship
Game 2	vs. Texas Tech \| Saturday, May 24, 9 a.m. CT
Television	FS Oklahoma and FCS Central
Location	Oklahoma City \| Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
Radio	Sooner Radio Network

Scores From Thurday
Oklahoma	2	Baylor	0
Kansas St.	4	Texas Tech	3
Kansas	7	West Virginia	2
Oklahoma St.	4	TCU	8

Thoughts & Prayers To All Oklahomans Affected By Monday's Terrible Tragedy

2013-05-24T01:37:00Z

UPDATE #7: Thanks to so many of you generous people out there we've hit a donation goal we never would have dreamed possible, $5000! Words can not truly verbalize our appreciation. You all are amazing. Thank you all!

UPDATE #6: We're all the way up to $4,285 now, so close to our adjusted goal of $5,000! It would be awesome to reach it, but honestly we're happy with anyone donating by any means, not just through us.

UPDATE #5: We've so far exceeded our original goal of $1,000 we figured we'd up the ante and adjust our donation goal to $5,000. As we've said, no donation is too small. Every little bit helps.

UPDATE #4: We're now at over $3,500 thanks to an incredibly generous $2,500 donation from one of our loyal readers. Words cannot truly express our gratitude for everyone's generous donations and well wishes.

UPDATE #3: Well, thanks to all of you we've done it! We hit our initial goal of $1,000! But we're not going to stop there. We will continue to take donations for as long as people are willing to give. We cannot possibly thank all of you enough AND not just those who have donated. Thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts and prayers here in the comments below or in any other way you've kept these victims in your thoughts and prayers.

Again, thank you all so very much!

UPDATE #2: Bob Stoops spoke with Sportscenter regarding the terrible tragedy in Moore, Ok.

UPDATE: We have started a page where you can donate through us (who we assume you trust) to the victims of today's tragedy. No donation is too small. Anything you can do to help would be very, very much appreciated.

At this time, information is still coming in on a minute-by-minute basis and we'll leave that to the news outlets who cover things on a daily basis.

We simply wanted to offer up our thoughts and prayers to all of our fellow Oklahomans who have been affected by Monday's horrible tornadoes.

Please allow our courageous first responders to to their jobs as there will be plenty of ways for us to help in the days, weeks, and months to come. As more information is available with respect to how you can help and/or donate, we will be sure to pass it along. If possible, we will try and coordinate our efforts through Matt and the website to take up donations.

Again, from all of us here at CCM we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

Text STORM to 80888 to donate $10 to the recovery and relief efforts in #Moore, Oklahoma.
— SalArmyAOKEDS (@SalArmyAOKEDS) May 20, 2013

The University of Oklahoma is opening up spaces in their housing areas for displaced families: (405) 325-2511
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) May 20, 2013

UPDATE: Oakcrest Church of Christ at 1111 SW 89th street in Moore has opened its doors for anyone who needs shelter. #okwx
— News 9 (@NEWS9) May 20, 2013