Tag: Keilani Ricketts

Tiare Jennings signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Tiare Jennings is the latest Oklahoma great to sign with the Oklahoma City Spark.

The Oklahoma City Spark added another Sooner superstar to their lineup. Already boasting a squad that features former OU greats [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag], [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, and [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag], the Spark have added one of the best to ever play the game, [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag].

Jennings won four national championships with the Sooners. In 2024, she made the move to shortstop and hit .370 with 25 home runs and 69 RBIs. It was her third season with Oklahoma that she hit more than 20 home runs in a season and finished third all-time in NCAA history in home runs with 98 homers in her career.

The Spark will welcome the Chatanooga Steam for three games at Devon Park starting Tuesday night before hosting the New York Rise for a three-game series starting Friday night in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

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Sooners Alynah Torres signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Alynah Torres is the latest Sooner to sign professionally to play with the Oklahoma City Spark.

Another Sooner is making her way up I-35 to Devon Park this summer as the Oklahoma City Spark announced on Monday that they’ve signed Oklahoma utility player [autotag]Alynah Torres[/autotag].

Torres, who came to the Sooners from Arizona State following the 2022 season, spent two years in Norman and played a key role in Oklahoma’s record-breaking 2023 and 2024 seasons.

In 2024, as she platooned with [autotag]Avery Hodge[/autotag] at second base and played some in right field, Torres hit .331 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs.

She’s a versatile defensive piece that can help at third base, second base, first base and in the corner outfield.

Torres joins former Sooners teammates [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with Sooners legends [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] and [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag] with the Spark.

Oklahoma City just completed their first weekend of the season with a series in Chattanooga, Tenn. They’re currently 3-1 on the season as they get set to host Great Britain and Team USA at Devon Park this weekend in the Royal Spark Challenge.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

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Sooners Rylie Boone signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Another Sooners great is heading to Oklahoma City as Rylie Boone signs with the Spark.

After four straight national championships, several Oklahoma Sooners are making the move up I-35 to continue their softball careers. Both [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] have signed with the [autotag]Oklahoma City Spark[/autotag] and they’ll also add Oklahoma outfielder [autotag]Rylie Boone[/autotag].

Boone is the third Sooner to sign with the Sprk in the last few days and joins Hansen, Coleman, [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag], and Oklahoma legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] in OKC.

In her four-year career with the Sooners, Boone hit .407 and provided a second lead-off hitter at the bottom of Oklahoma’s lineup, setting the table for the top of the order.

Much like Coleman, she was fantastic in the outfield and on the bases, electrifying with her speed and ability to make teams pay for throwing errors.

 

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

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Jayda Coleman signing with the Oklahoma City Spark

The Oklahoma City Spark add another Sooners great with the signing of Oklahoma centerfielder Jayda Coleman.

There may not be a more fitting professional landing spot that [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] and the Oklahoma City Spark. OKC announced on Monday that the former Sooners centerfielder and Gold Glove Award winner has signed to play with the Spark.

Coleman was the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year and the spark to Oklahoma’s offense over the last four years, spending a big portion of that at the top of the lineup. She earned four All-Big 12 first team selections and was a four-time national champion.

She provided highlight reel plays and big-time at-bats for the Oklahoma Sooners, wowing the softball world with her playmaking ability.

More: A look back on Jayda Coleman’s career with the Oklahoma Sooners

In 2024, Jayda Coleman hit .385 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. She started 248 of 249 possible games with the Sooners and hit .414 with 47 home runs and 185 RBIs with an on-base percentage of .545.

Coleman came through in the clutch in Oklahoma’s winner-take-all game against Florida in the national semifinals, hitting the walk-off home run to propel the Sooners into the Women’s College World Series Finals.

Coleman will join former teammates [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee,[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with former Sooner legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] with the Spark, who begin their season this week.

Coleman is the second Sooner to join the Spark over the last few days, following Hansen’s signing late last week.

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

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Sooners catcher Kinzie Hansen signs with the Oklahoma City Spark

Kinzie Hansen is continuing her softball career in the Sooner State, signing with the Oklahoma City Spark.

Coming off another fantastic season behind the plate for the Oklahoma Sooners, captain [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] is staying home to continue her softball career.

On Friday night, the [autotag]Oklahoma City Spark[/autotag] announced that Hansen signed with the ball club.

Hansen joins former Sooner teammates [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Haley Lee[/autotag], and [autotag]Alex Storako[/autotag] along with OU legend [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag].

A fan favorite, Hansen takes her bat to a OKC roster that is full of firepower. In 2024, Hansen hit .404 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs. She had a two-run home run against Texas in game one of the Women’s College World Series Finals to help give the Sooners a 4-1 lead early in the game.

But as important as Hansen’s bat was to the Sooners this year, her work behind the plate was invaluable. Her steady leadership, defense behind the plate, and how she worked with pitchers has been the key to Oklahoma’s success over the last five years.

The Spark will open their season on Wednesday, June 19, in the Scenic City Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., against the New York Rise. Oklahoma City will return to the Sooner State for two games against Great Britain’s national team and then face Team USA in a two-game set from June 27 to 30 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

For their full schedule or for ticketing, go to OKCSpark.com.

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Tiare Jennings solidifying herself as one of the all-time greats

She might not get all of the love that the others before her got but there is no question Jennings is one of the all-time Sooner greats.

[autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] has coached some of the best players college softball has had to offer. Whether that’s [autotag]Lauren Chamberlain[/autotag], [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], [autotag]Shelby Pendley[/autotag], [autotag]Keilani Ricketts[/autotag] or [autotag]Kristin Vesely[/autotag] the list goes on and on.

One player who isn’t mentioned as much as she should be alongside the best all-time is [autotag]Tiare Jennings[/autotag]. Jennings has hit 88 career home runs, which is currently seventh in NCAA history and climbing. She’s just eight away from passing Chamberlain for second place, which would give Oklahoma the top three home run hitters in the history of the sport.

Jennings also ranks No. 7 in career runs batted in. She would need 37 more RBIs to break that record.

Patty Gasso discussed where Jennings ranks among the great players she’s coached. “You think of Alo and Chamberlain, big-time home runs. Just everyone has seen these big, long 300-foot home runs,” Gasso said. “Tiare you want her in clutch situations because she handles it so well. She’s a great two-strike hitter. She doesn’t strike out a lot. She doesn’t get nervous. She doesn’t try to overswing. She doesn’t try to show off. She’s just very team-oriented. ‘What can I do to help this team?'”

On the season, Jennings is hitting .446 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Sooner Nation has had the opportunity to witness greatness on the diamond at Marita Hynes Field for more than two decades. This year at Love’s Field, Jennings is putting together another strong season on the way to one of the best careers of all time.Β  When it’s all said and done, she’ll be among the best to play the game. Can she cap off her incredible career winning a fourth national championship in four years?

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Every Sooner to win NCAA softball tournament’s Most Outstanding Player

A look at every Oklahoma Sooners star to win Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament.

No team has won more national titles since the turn of the century than the Oklahoma Sooners’ seven. After getting their first ring in 2000, it took Oklahoma 13 years to get their next one.

Since 2013, the Sooners have six national championships, more than any team has since 2000. UCLA has the most championships all time with 14, but it has only won four this millennium. Arizona is one title ahead of Oklahoma, but has just three titles this century and hasn’t won a championship since 2007.

In seven national title runs, Oklahoma had seven players win the NCAA Most Outstanding Player award. Here are the seven:

Every Oklahoma Sooner to win Big 12 Athlete of the Year

From football to softball, basketball to gymnastics, here are the 15 athletes who have won Big 12 Athlete of the Year.

With Jocelyn Alo taking home the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year award, that makes 15 Sooners who’ve been recognized as the Big 12’s best.

Football leads the way with six awards, followed by softball with four. women’s gymnastics has recorded three Big 12 Athlete of the Year awards, while men’s and women’s basketball each has won the award once.

Josh Heupel got the ball rolling back in 2000-2001 after helping the Oklahoma Sooners win the 2000 national championship. Jocelyn Alo is the most recent recipient of the athlete of the year award after a dominating season at the plate for Oklahoma.

With Alo bringing home another Athlete of the Year award, let’s take a look at every Sooner to win the Big 12’s award.

Jocelyn Alo adds to her list of accomplishments with Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year award

Jocelyn Alo was named Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year after hitting .511 with 34 HRs and 85 RBIs in 2022 to help OU win the national championship.

The incredible legend of Oklahoma Softball’s [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag] continues to grow after an incredible season that helped the Oklahoma Sooners win their second consecutive national championship.

In a season where she hit .511, with 34 home runs and 75 RBIs, Alo was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for the second time and won the ESPY for Best Collegiate Athlete, Women’s Sports.

Off on her professional career with the Smash It Vipers and getting set to participate in the Japan Series with the USWNT, Alo was awarded Big 12’s Female Athlete of the Year award for 2021-2022.

Alo is the third Sooner in a row to take home the award, with gymnasts Anastasia Webb and Maggie Nichols taking home the trophy in the two seasons before Alo.

Oklahoma has dominated the award as 15 Oklahoma Sooners have been awarded Big 12 Athlete of the Year in the 26-year history of the conference. Previous winners also include Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Buddy Hield, and Lauren Chamberlain, and Keilani Ricketts.

In Alo’s final season at OU, she set the all-time NCAA home run record with 122 home runs and became the most feared hitter in college softball. She leaves a legacy on the sport and in Norman as one of the greatest athletes Oklahoma has ever had.

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Jocelyn Alo wins USA Softball National Player of the Year award

Putting together another fantastic season, Jocelyn Alo was named USA Softball National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Jocelyn Alo’s 2022 season for the Oklahoma Sooners continues to be one for the ages. After setting the NCAA’s all-time home run record, and distancing herself from the previous record, Alo has won the USA Softball National Player of the Year award for the second straight season.

Alo is the fifth player to win the award in consecutive years, joining former Sooners great Keilani Ricketts in the esteemed category.

In her final season in Norman, Alo has set an incredible standard for hitting. In 2022, she’s batting .497 with 29 home runs and 72 RBIs. She’s also scored 72 runs and walked 48 times.

She now has 117 home runs and counting after breaking the record with No. 96 in Hawaii back on March 12. Alo’s hit a home run in four of five games this postseason and is batting .643 with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

Another dominant season unfolding before our eyes, Jocelyn Alo has the Sooners poised to go back-to-back as national champions. Oklahoma opens the Women’s College World Series on June 2 at 1:30 p.m. CST against the Northwestern Wildcats.

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