Oklahoma Softball Weekend Preview | Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

M. HofeldFebruary 24, 2023 No Comments

A huge opportunity awaits Oklahoma in Sunday’s finale of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic where the Sooners are slated to take on UCLA with the nation’s top ranking likely going to the winner. However, OU has four games ahead of them this weekend before they get to that matchup.

Weekend Schedule

DateOpponentTimeTVResult
Feb. 24CSU-Fullerton2:30 PMFloSoftball—
Feb. 24Texas A&M5:00 PMFloSoftball—
Feb. 25Utah11:30 AMFloSoftball—
Feb. 25Loyola Marymount2:00 PMFloSoftball—
Feb. 26UCLA11:30 AMFloSoftball—

Tuning In

All five games this weekend will be televised by FloSoftball (subscription required) so there’s that. If you don’t have the subscription you can listen to Chris Plank on the broadcast on 107.7 The Franchise or The Franchise 2 (103.3 FM, 1560 AM) in Oklahoma and nationwide on the TuneIn app.

What We Learned Last Weekend

  • The offense is coming around. The Sooners won the first three games of the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas by a combined score of 44-0. That’s more than half of the total runs scored (73) through Oklahoma’s first 9 games of the season and brings the average runs per game total up to 8.1.
  • A new star is emerging. Freshman Jocelyn Erickson is leading the team with four home runs and 14 RBIs after a 12-RBI weekend last week in Waco.
  • This team is vulnerable. OU dropped its first game of the 2023 campaign on Sunday vs. Baylor, 4-3. The Sooners rallied from a 4-1 deficit to cut the final margin to one run in the sixth inning. It was just the program’s eighth loss in the past three years (123-8 in that span). It was Baylor’s first win over OU since 2017 and the Sooners earliest loss of the season since 2020.

Notes & Storylines

  • The Sooners have already collected three ranked wins on the season and have an opportunity for a fourth this weekend against No. 1 UCLA. OU meets 11 teams ranked in the preseason coaches top 25, including three of the preseason top five in UCLA, Oklahoma State and Florida State.
  • OU is outscoring its opponents by a combined score of 73-9 on the season, surrendering an average of just one run per game. The pitching staff has been exceptional, tossing shutouts in six of OU’s nine games. Junior Nicole May and sophomore Jordy Bahl combined on the first no-hitter of the season and 67th in program history.
  • May and freshman Kierston Deal each hold 0.00 ERAs with a 1.17 team ERA. May and Jordy Bahl pace the pitching staff with 28 strikeouts a piece.
  • As a team, OU is batting .361 with 10 home runs.
  • Seven Oklahoma batters hare hitting over .300 on the season.
  • Four OU batters are hitting over .400 on the season.
  • Jocelyn Erickson is batting .556 on the season.
  • 2018 OU alum Paige Parker is Utah’s pitching coach and Patty Gasso’s youngest son, DJ, is the Ute’s Associate Head Coach.

Against The Field

CSU-Fullerton: The Sooners trail in the all-time series vs. the Titans by a count of 7-11. OU is on a three-game win streak vs. Fullerton, most recently meeting the Titans at last year’s Mary Nutter Classic. Then-frosh Jordy Bahl tossed a perfect game, striking out 11 in a 10-0, six-inning win for the Sooners.

Texas A&M: OU holds an all-time lead over the Aggies 52-30. The Sooners swept A&M in the NCAA Norman Regional last season, winning the regional final in a dominating 20-0 five-inning performance.

Utah: OU holds a 20-5 all-time advantage over Utah. The teams last met at last year’s Mary Nutter with OU taking a slim 2-1 Sunday win.

LMU: OU is undefeated all-time vs. Loyola Marymount with a 7-0 record. The Sooners last met the Lions in Irvine last season at the inaugural Mark Campbell Invitational, a 5-0 OU win.

UCLA: Oklahoma and last met in the WCWS semifinals last season, with UCLA winning the first game to force an if-necessary matchup that OU handily won 15-0 in five innings. The Bruins hold 13-7 all-time advantage over the Sooners.

Heavy Hitters

  • CSU-Fullerton’s Megan Delgadillo is hitting .361 on the season. Teammate Hannah Bacerra has blasted three home runs.
  • Amari Harper is batting .550 for Texas A&M and Riley Valentine is knocked three home runs.
  • Utah’s Julia Jimenez is batting .480 on the season with two home runs.
  • Taylor Fitch is batting .357 for LMU and has 7 RBI on the season. Morgan DeBord has knocked 4 home runs for the Lions.
  • Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Erickson is batting .556 on the season, recording 14 RBIs, and has blasted four home runs.
  • Maya Brady has a .568 batting average for UCLA and has sent the ball out of the park five times. She is tied with Megan Grant for the team best in RBIs with 15.

From The Circle

  • Haley Rainey has pitched a team high 28.1 innings for CSU-Fullerton and has a 0.99 ERA.
  • Texas A&M’s Emiley Kennedy has a 2-0 record and a 0.36 ERA.
  • Mariah Lopez has fanned 40 batters from the circle for Utah and has a 0.93 ERA.
  • LMU’s Jenna Perez is the workhorse from the circle, pitching 40.1 innings so far this season with 52 strikeouts.
  • Nicole May has a 2-0 record for the Sooners and a 0.00 ERA. She is tied with Jordy Bahl with a team-high 28 strikeouts.
  • UCLA’s Megan Faraimo is 7-0 on the season with a 1.26 ERA.

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