Oklahoma Softball Region I Championship Game Notes

The Oklahoma softball team has won three straight games in the NCAA Softball Region I Championship and now it awaits Louisiana in the championship game. The undefeated Sooners need one win to advance to a fifth straight Women's College World Series, while the Ragin' Cajuns must defeat OU twice to reach a second consecutive WCWS.

The action begins at 3 p.m. (CST) from Hillenbrand Field in Tucson, Ariz. The game will be broadcast nationally by cable station College Sports Television.

Locally fans can access a radio broadcast on KREF (1400 AM) following the completion of the OU baseball game at Nebraska (start time of Noon).

Live stats are also being provided by the host school, the University of Arizona.

GAME NOTES

  • A win in the 1 p.m. (PST) NCAA Softball Region I Championship Game against Louisiana will give OU 20 consecutive wins in regional tournaments. It will also give them their fifth consecutive birth in the Women’s College World Series. OU has made the WCWS five times and won the national title in 2000 in its first trip to the series.

  • Oklahoma and Louisiana have met 13 times in the history of the two programs. Louisiana has won nine of those contests, but OU has won three in a row dating back to 2001. Current UL head coach Stefni Lotief is 0-3 against OU since taking over the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2001.

  • A fifth trip to the WCWS is on the line for both teams in the championship game. OU is looking for a fifth straight trip, while UL is looking for a second consecutive trip.

  • In regional action OU has defeated pitchers (Eileen Canny of Northwestern, Rachel Villescas of Temple and Alicia Hollowell of Arizona) with a combined winning percentage of .791 and record of 76-20. If OU can defeat Brooke Mitchell of UL in the first game, it will have faced pitchers with a 120-25 record and .828 winning percentage.

  • OU has jumped on opponents early and often in three regional games. They have out-scored opponents 10-2 in the first four innings of games, which has accounted for 63 percent of their regional scores (10 of 16). On the season OU has out-scored opponents 186-80 in the first four innings of games.

  • OU has defeated its last four opponents in regional championship games by a combined score of 28-7. The only game that was close was against Oregon State in 2000 when OU advanced from the Norman regional by a score of 3-2. Last season OU defeated the Beavers 7-2. In 2002 they knocked off Texas A&M 8-1 and in 2001 they beat Washington 10-2.

  • Kami Keiter has a career postseason record of 15-7 with a 1.03 ERA.

  • OU has a of couple Louisiana connections. The biggest connection is with Jamie Fox, a Lafayette native, who has played club ball with 10 players on the Ragin’ Cajun roster. She has played with Crystal George, Michelle Bergeaux, Tiffany Herbert, Jill Robertson, Brooke Mitchell, Hillary Guidry, Danyele Gomez, Leslie Pierce and Desi Chatman.

  • OU assistant coach Howard Dobson is a Louisiana native who began his coaching career at Southeastern Louisiana. Dobson is the Sooners’ hitting coach.

  • OU is 7-1 against teams from Louisiana this season, which includes a win over current No. 3 LSU. The Sooners have out scored the southern schools 53-16 and hit a scorching .345 clip. The offense has hit six home runs and driven in 47 runs. The pitching staff has a 1.61 ERA against the group with Nicole Denes (currently sidelined with irregular heart beat) owning a team-best 4-0 record against the group. OU is 4-0 against Centenary, 1-0 against LSU, 1-0 against Southeastern Louisiana and 1-1 against McNeese State.

  • Kami Keiter (3-0, 0.74 ERA), Christina Enea (.500, RBI) and Heather Scaglione (.364, 2 RBI) are all bidding to earn the second All-Regional Team honors of their careers.

  • If OU advances to the WCWS they will have the third longest streak of consecutive births behind Cal and UCLA, who have made six straight. Arizona's NCAA record streak of 16 was snapped by Louisiana on Saturday night.

  • OU should be happy that Arizona is eliminated from the NCAA postseason considering they haven’t defeated the Wildcats in consecutive meetings since 1986.

  • Jessica Leslie has not committed an error in 59 games as an outfielder this season. She is the only remaining regular who has not committed an error.

  • Norrelle Dickson has hit safely in six of seven postseason games and rides a five game hitting streak into the regional championship game. Christina Enea has a four game hitting streak.


    The source of OU notes