The Bedlam Series continues, this time on the softball field as the
15th ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls will host the 13th ranked
Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night at 8pm ET on FCS Central. The
Bedlam Series is the athletics rivalry that began in 1904 between
the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma State University.
Softball is one of the most evenly matched sports between the teams
as Oklahoma State holds the all-time series record with Oklahoma,
69-66.
The Oklahoma Sooners (29-8, 3-1 Big 12) are currently on a
3-game winning streak, sweeping Iowa State over the weekend and
beating top-10 ranked Missouri on March 28. Oklahoma pitching has
the lowest ERA in the Big 12 (1.61 ERA), with freshman Keilani
Ricketts leading the way for the team with a 1.44 ERA. Ricketts
leads the Big 12 in Shutouts with 7, has an 18-7 record, holds
opponents to a .157 batting average and has 176 strikeouts so far
on the season.
As for hitting, senior Amber Flores leads the Sooners in
batting average (.404) and is first in the conference in runs
scored (42) and on-base percentage (.565 OB%). Also freshman
Jessica Shults leads the team with 12 homeruns and 48 runs batted
in, both second best in the conference. The Sooners are currently
5-3 on the road as they head to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face the
Cowgirls.
Oklahoma State (32-7, 4-0 Big 12) is undefeated at home this
season going 13-0 and stands atop the Big 12 Conference standings
while they are on a 9-game winning streak. They are led by several
hitters and pitchers including junior Mariah Gearhart who leads the
team in hits (48), runs scored (38), and stolen bases (16), while
sophomore Julie Ward leads the team in runs batted in (46), doubles
(18, best in the Big 12) and slugging percentage (.721).
For pitching, senior Anna Whiddon leads the team in wins
(17), strikeouts (133), saves (4, best in the Big 12), shutouts
(4), and opponent’s batting average (.165). Freshman Kat
Espinosa leads the team with a 1.43 ERA, holds opponents to a .198
batting average, and is 12-3 while getting 95 strikeouts in only
103 innings pitched.
Last time these teams met, Whiddon threw a one-hit,
complete-game shutout to lead Oklahoma State over Oklahoma in a 1-0
win over the Sooners in Oklahoma City on March 6. The victory ended
a 15-game winning streak the Sooners had over the Cowgirls. The
streak dates back to 2003, when #18 OSU defeated sixth-ranked
Oklahoma 4-0 in Stillwater, also the last year that both teams were
ranked.
The bedlam series between OSU and OU continues Wednesday at 8pm
ET on FCS Central.
