Tag: Haley Lee

Sooners complete the Friday sweep with 8-0 shutout of Texas A&M

The Oklahoma Sooners got another strong performance from Nicole May in their 8-0 win over the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday.

The Oklahoma Sooners started the [autotag]Mary Nutter Classic[/autotag] off with a bang on Friday, completing the two-game sweep with an 8-0 win over Texas A&M. It was the second run-rule win of the day after defeating Cal State Fullerton 8-0 in the early game.

[autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] continued her scoreless streak to start the 2023 season with four shutout innings against the Aggies. Though she allowed five hits, a walk, and hit a batter, she was able to work around some jams with five strikeouts. May’s pitched 19.1 innings without allowing a run in 2023.

May had to go to work in the top of the first as the Aggies picked up three straight hits to open the game. And then May shut them down. With the bases loaded and no outs, she struck out the next three batters she faced to end the threat.

Oklahoma took control of the game in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a wild pitch and a couple of two-out errors by the Aggies defense.

[autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], who got her first start behind the plate, opened the scoring, with an RBI fielder’s choice to drive in [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag]. It was her second RBI of the day after making her debut as a pinch hitter against Cal State Fullerton. [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] reached on an error before [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] drove Hansen in to make it 2-0. Oklahoma then put two more across the plate as [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] reached on an error to make it 4-0.

Though May had to work around a couple of jams in the third and fourth, the Sooners’ offense provided enough offense to take care of their starter.

Oklahoma added four more runs in the bottom of the third, powered by [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag]’s fifth home run of the season. She came in to pinch-hit for [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag] and launched a three-run home run to make it 8-0.

Erickson leads Oklahoma with her five home runs, 17 RBIs, and a batting average of .579. Only two other Sooners have multiple home runs through the first 11 games, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] and [autotag]Sophia Nugent[/autotag]. Erickson’s proving the moment isn’t too big for her in her young career and will continue to get opportunities to make an impact in a deep Oklahoma Sooners’ lineup.

Now 10-1 on the season with seven run-rule wins, the Sooners will face Loyola Marymount and Utah on Saturday. Then comes the clash of the titans with the Sooners facing the No. 1 UCLA Bruins on Sunday.

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Oklahoma Sooners bounce back with run rule win over Cal State Fullerton

Rylie Boone led the way at the plate and in the field as the Sooners got back on the wining side of things with an 8-0 win over Cal State Fullerton.

The Oklahoma Sooners took game one of the [autotag]Mary Nutter Classic[/autotag] with their sixth run-rule win of the season, an 8-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton. The Sooners moved to 9-1 on the season with the win in the first of two Friday games out in California.

Alex Storako got the start and threw four scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just two hits and a walk to move to 3-0 on the season. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] and [autotag]Sophia Nugent[/autotag] led the way. Each had home runs and three RBIs. Boone was the only player to record multiple hits in the win, going 2 for 3 with the home run, 3 RBIs, and two runs scored.

The Sooners got the scoring started in the bottom of the first. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] walked to open the game, and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag], hitting from the two-hole, drove her in with a double.

Oklahoma broke it open in the bottom of the second as [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] started it off with back-to-back walks. [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag] singled to drive Lee in from second, and Nugent cleared the bases with a three-run home run to make it 5-0.

Cal State Fullerton looked like they were going to get on the board with one out in the second. With two on and one out, Hannah Becer singled to left field and Antuanett De attempted to score from second, but Rylie Boone came up firing to Nugent to make the play at the plate. Daisy Munoz fouled out to first to end the scoring threat, and that’s as close as they got to scoring on the afternoon.

Oklahoma got three more in the bottom of the fourth to create the run-rule opportunity, and [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag] pitched a scoreless fifth inning to close the game.

[autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] made her 2023 debut with a pinch-hit RBI double in the fourth.

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5 takeaways from Oklahoma’s 5-0 weekend at the Mark Campbell Invitational

The Oklahoma Sooners went 5-0 in the Mark Campbell Invitational with three ranked wins, two shutouts, and two run-rule wins. Here are 5 takeaways.

The Oklahoma Sooners got things started with a bang in the Mark Campbell Invitational over the weekend, going 5-0 to open the season.

They were challenged in two of their five matchups, winning one-run ball games against Liberty and Washington, but also picked up a pair of run-rule wins over Stanford and San Jose State.

Oklahoma beat three top 25 teams, including a 4-0 shutout of Duke, a 10-1 win over Stanford, and the 5-4 nailbiter against the Huskies.

It was a productive start to the season that saw the Oklahoma Sooners deploy a lot of players. 15 players registered an at-bat, and four pitchers threw four or more innings pitched. And here’s a breakdown of the weekend from Seth Oliveras.

10 Oklahoma Sooners named to Softball America’s Preseason All-American teams

Led by five first-team selections, 10 Oklahoma Sooners were named to Softball America’s preseason All-American teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners begin their quest for a third-straight national championship at the Mark Campbell Invitational on Thursday, February 9, against Duke.

The unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the country, and back-to-back national champions, the Sooners, are expected to make another run despite the loss of Jocelyn Alo and Hope Trautwein. Patty Gasso has assembled another talented group to take on all comers in the 2023 season.

It won’t be easy, it never is, but the Oklahoma Sooners will be the team to beat for the 2023 national title. With the season under two weeks away, Softball America released their preseason All-American teams. 10 Sooners were selected, including five to the first team. UCLA was the only other team with multiple first-team selections with three and they had just five total selections to the three All-American squads.

Here’s a look at the Sooners’ selections.

8 Sooners named to USA Softball Player of the Year watchlist

Eight Sooners named to USA Softball Player of the Year preseason watchlist

Jocelyn Alo has won the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award the last two seasons, and deservedly so. On Wednesday, USA Softball released their preseason watch list, a list featuring 50 players across the country.

Needless to say, head coach Patty Gasso’s bunch was very popular on the list. A total of eight Sooners made the cut, nearly one fifth of the 50 names mentioned. No other school has more than three names on the list.

While Alo’s departure is sure to be felt by Oklahoma at some point, it will be interesting to see just who ends up pulling away from the rest of the pack for this prestigous award. The Sooners have a talented lineup and a deep group of pitchers. They’re talented enough to win their third-consecutive national championship, which will put someone in line for yet another national player of the year honor.

Projected lineup for the Oklahoma Sooners as they prepare for national title defense

What could the Oklahoma Sooners lineup look like when they begin their 2023 NCAA title defense?

The Oklahoma Sooners will begin their quest for three-straight national championships in 16 days when they face off with the No. 19 Duke Blue Devils for the first of five games in the opener of the Mark Campbell Invitational in Irvine, California.

The Sooners lost key pieces to their 2022 squad, like [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Hope Trautwein[/autotag], [autotag]Lynnsie Elam[/autotag], and [autotag]Taylon Snow[/autotag], but they looked locked and loaded for 2023. With transfer additions like [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], Cydney Sanders, [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], and [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], the Sooners could be as good or better than they were a year ago.

They have a deep lineup that features seven players with a season of 14 home runs or more and four players with a 20-home run season in their careers. You can’t replace a Jocelyn Alo, but the Sooners lineup looks incredibly deep heading into 2023. Are there enough at-bats for the talented hitters that Patty Gasso has assembled?

7 Oklahoma Sooners selected to preseason All-Big 12 team

Led by unanimous selections for Jordy Bahl and Tiare Jennings, seven Sooners were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team.

As the prohibitive favorites in the Big 12 and national title race, the Oklahoma Sooners are loaded with talent. That’s reflected in the preseason All-Big 12 team voted on by the coaches.

Seven of the 12 spots went to Sooners, with two unanimous selections going to [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag].

[autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag], and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] were also selected to the squad. Two newcomers, [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Cydney Sanders[/autotag], were also selected to the preseason All-Big 12 team.

Oklahoma State was the only other school with multiple selections to the preseason All-Big 12 team with two.

Tiare Jennings has led the Sooners in RBIs each of the last two seasons. Jennings, She was named D1 Softball’s top player heading into the 2023 season.

Jordy Bahl had a phenomenal freshman season in 2022. Leading the Sooners for much of the regular season before a shoulder injury held her out for much of the postseason. She’ll take the lead in the circle for the Sooners. Bahl was Co-Big 12 pitcher of the year in 2022.

It’s a bit of a surprise that the reigning Big 12 defensive player of the year, Grace Lyons, wasn’t a unanimous selection. She had her best year at the plate in 2022 to go with her stellar work in the field.

It’s no surprise that Jayda Coleman was a preseason All-Big 12 selection. The Sooners’ lead-off hitter could be considered the best defensive player in the Big 12 if not for Lyons.

Alyssa Brito was a revelation for the Sooners in 2022. She provided strong defensive work and some pop for the latter half of the order. She’s poised to have another strong season in 2023.

Rounding out the Sooners All-Big 12 selections are transfer additions Cydney Sanders and Haley Lee. Lee figures to take the majority of the work at catcher and provides another big bat in the lineup for Patty Gasso. Cydney Sanders hit 21 home runs and was the NFCA national freshman of the year in 2022.

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Oklahoma Softball lands Texas A&M All-American Haley Lee via the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to stockpile talent with the addition of catcher Haley Lee via the transfer portal. That’s now a combined 52 home runs via the transfer portal that Patty Gasso has added this summer.

The two-time defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners continues to reap the benefit of being the most dominant force in college sports. After landing transfer additions Alex Storako, Alynah Torres, and Cydney Sanders in the last couple of months, Patty Gasso and the Sooners landed former All-American Haley Lee from Texas A&M.

Joey Helmer of OUInsider at 247Sports was the first to report that the Sooners are continuing to load up their 2023 squad for another national title run with the addition of Lee.

The Aggies’ slugger led the Aggies hitting .405 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs for a team that went to the NCAA tournament. Ultimately, the Aggies were eliminated by the Sooners in the Norman regional after a 20-0 win in the deciding game.

Lee put her power on display in the Aggies’ first matchup with the Sooners to end Hope Trautwein’s shutout bid in the sixth inning to eliminate a 3-0 deficit and make it 3-2. Oklahoma would hold on to win, but Haley Lee certainly made her presence felt.

The addition of Lee, along with Torres and Sanders, brings a combined 52 home runs from the 2021 season to Norman to help replace the NCAA’s all-time home run queen, [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag].

A team with [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag], who each hit more than 20 home runs last season, will have a ton of power at the plate for opposing pitching staffs to work around next season.

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Aggies’ softball All-American Haley Lee enters transfer portal

Aggies’ softball All-American Haley Lee enters transfer portal

Per confirmed sources at Extra Inning Softball, Aggies’ All-American catcher, Haley Lee, has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. With one year of eligibility remaining in 2023 – and no graduate transfer distinction, Lee’s final collegiate season will no longer be taking place in College Station.

Lee’s breakout season took place in 2021, as a true junior, in which a .297 career batting average exploded to .422 after starting all 55 games for the Aggies. Lee went on to hit 25 HRs, 51 RBIs, scored 42 runs, earned 36 walks, had a .955 slugging percentage and a .536 on-base percentage en route to NFCA Third Team All-America honors, as well as earning Softball America’s NCAA Most Improved Player.

Lee’s 2021 was no fluke as she followed suit in her most recent 2022 campaign. Lee started all 59 games and posted hitting statistics that included a .405 batting average, 15 HRs, 45 RBIs, 15 doubles, 54 runs, earned 50 walks, a slugging percentage of .762 and an on-base percentage of .543 en route to an All-SEC First Team selection.

Whether this development took place because of the recent parting between Texas A&M and Hall of Fame former head coach, Jo Evans, or not, newly hired head coach, Trisha Ford, will need to work tirelessly to replace Lee’s experience and production in 2023.

All-American Texas A&M catcher Haley Lee enters the transfer portal

Looking to reload for the 2023 season, should the Sooners target Texas A&M catcher Haley Lee, who recently entered the transfer portal?

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team has already made a couple of splashes in the 2022 transfer portal as they reload for the 2023 season. They’ve added former Michigan pitcher [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] and shortstop [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag] from Arizona State.

Storako will fill the void felt by the departure of [autotag]Hope Trautwein[/autotag] while it’s likely Torres moves from shortstop to third base with reigning defensive player of the year [autotag]Grace Lyons[/autotag] expected to return to OU.

Those additions will be impact players for the Oklahoma Sooners, but why stop there? Oklahoma could add another player to their ranks and one that could help fill the void left by the departed home run queen, [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag]. And that player is [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag] from Texas A&M.

According to Extra Inning Softball, Lee has entered her name into the transfer portal.

Lee, a 2022 second-team All-American, led the Aggies in batting average, home runs, and RBIs in 2022, hitting .405 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs. She also added 50 walks to her ledger, displaying discipline at the plate. She helped the Aggies reach the regional round of the NCAA tournament.

In the first regional matchup between Oklahoma and Texas A&M, Trautwein was dealing as the Sooners led 3-0. Things got a little tighter with one swing of the bat as Lee launched a two-run home run to cut the lead to one in the sixth inning. Oklahoma won the game, but Lee made her presence felt with the two-run bomb.

Lee plays catcher for Texas A&M but could also slide into the designated player role departed by Jocelyn Alo. Kinzie Hansen returns for the Sooners at catcher, but Patty Gasso platooned her and Lynnsie Elam in that role in 2022.

Haley Lee is a player to watch in the transfer portal and with her credentials could land anywhere in the country. You can never have too much hitting in your lineup and Lee would bring another formidable bat to the Sooners.

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