For the third time in program history Oklahoma Softball is traveling to Hawaii to participate in the Rainbow Wahine Classic at the University of Hawaii. The Sooners will face Baylor, California, and the host school Hawaii over the weekend in a four game slate. The classic marks the return of Jocelyn Alo to her home state where she was a two-time Gatorade Hawaii Player of the Year at Campbell High School in Hauula, Hawaii. The big question is, will she get the pitch to hit the record-breaking 96th home run in her home state.
Oklahoma Softball At The Rainbow Wahine Classic | ||
Opponent | Time | Day |
Baylor | 7:30 PM CT | Thursday |
Cal | 7:30 PM CT | Friday |
Hawaii | 10:00 PM CT | Friday |
Hawaii | 4:00 PM CT | Saturday |
The Sooners meet Baylor in a non-conference game to open the Rainbow Wahine Classic on Thursday evening at 7:30. The Bears come to the classic with an 11-6 record and are led in the batter’s box by McKenzie Wilson who is .491 with nine extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Kaci West leads the Bears in the circle with a 2.41 ERA, while Aliyah Binford leads the team with 45 strikeouts.
Oklahoma holds a 66-13 advantage all-time over the Bears, sweeping a doubleheader in Waco last season (7-1, 11-0). The teams have met just twice outside the states of Oklahoma and Texas, last meeting in Tucson, Ariz., in 2001 (2-1 OU win).
The Cal Golden Bears arrived to Hawaii with a 15-6 record. Sona Halajian leads the team with six home runs and 21 RBIs and is batting .466 while slugging .845. In the circle, the Cal staff holds a combined .177 ERA with 113 K’s. Halajian also leads the pitching staff with 49.1 IP and 42 strikeouts (2.13 ERA).
The Golden Bears lead the all-time series 11-6 over the Sooners, including an 8-5 neutral site advantage. The teams have not met since a Women’s College World Series meeting in 2012, a 3-0 Oklahoma win.
Host Hawaii holds a 5-5 record. Nawai Kaupe leads the Rainbow Wahine with three home runs, batting .364 with seven RBI. Brianna Lopez holds a 2.41 ERA from the circle with a team-best 28 strikeouts.
OU holds the series advantage over Hawaii, 4-3, including a 3-1 mark in Honolulu. The teams last met during OU’s last trip to Oahu in Feb. 2015, sweeping two games vs. UH (7-0, 8-0).
Notes
- The Sooners currently lead the NCAA with 40 home runs and a 2.50 HR/game average.
- Tiare Jennings is currently tied for fifth in the NCAA with nine homers while Alo and Jana Johns follow close behind with seven a piece.
- 12 different Sooners have gone yard already in 2022 with seven hitting multiple and five hitting four-plus.
- Oklahoma has hit homers in 12 of its 16 contests, including hitting two or more in 11 games, three-plus in nine games, four-plus in seven games and five home runs in one game.
- The OU pitching staff of Jordy Bahl, Nicole May, Hope Trautwein and Macy McAdoo have combined for a 0.68 ERA, allowing just nine earned runs (17 R) in OU’s 16 games.
- The sta has thrown two perfect games and one no-hitter.
- Sooner pitchers have a combined 148 strikeouts in just 92.0 innings pitched.
- Freshman Jordy Bahl leads the Sooner pitchers with 68 strikeouts.
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