OKLAHOMA CITY – As the Sooners celebrate the school’s 2nd-ever NCAA Championship in women’s fast-pitch softball, the question is being asked coast-to-coast…is OU’s national title team this season the best EVER? Don’t laugh or shrug it off, people are seriously considering it. Some reasons why: the Sooners finished 57-4 outscoring their opponents by more than FOUR HUNDRED RUNS in 61 total games. In fact OU is the *only* team in NCAA history to lead the country in (pitching) ERA and runs scored in the same season.
The Sooners just missed winning the national title last year by losing the 3rd and deciding game to Alabama – and they were immediately tabbed as the “team to beat” this season. They were ranked #1 in America most of the season and proved the hype was right by sweeping Tennessee to win the College World Series right here in Oklahoma City at Hall of Fame Stadium. Oh, and there are the individual stars: senior pitcher Keilani Ricketts has to go down as one of the best players “in the circle” in NCAA annals. Not to mention her ability with a bat in her hands – as proven when she blasted a 3-run homer in the national title-clinching win against the Lady Vols and later when she drove home another, accounting for all four of OU’s runs batted in. And sophomore slugger Lauren Chamberlain became only the 2nd player in NCAA history to hit 30-or more home runs in consecutive seasons as she gives chase to the all-time NCAA home run record.
She currently has 60 round-trippers and the career record is 90. Finally, the Sooners became only the 5th school in history to win multi-national titles now, joining the 2000 national champs. Ah, it was a special, special season with lots of players returning in 2014. After the ultimate victory Tuesday night, head coach Patty Gasso and her superstars Keilani Ricketts and Lauren Chamberlain talked about winning it all.
