TU Softball Set To Host No. 13 OU

The University of Tulsa softball team welcomes in-state rival and 13th-ranked Oklahoma to the Collins Family Softball Complex Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

The Golden Hurricane (15-4) is coming off a 4-0 weekend, sweeping the Tulsa Invitational with wins over Iowa, 2-1 and 9-7, and Lamar, 14-2 and 9-0. The Sooners (12-4) have won four in a row, including two wins over Dartmouth, 9-0 and 7-0, on Saturday in Norman.

Tickets are available at the gate for $8. Live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/tulsa/softball/, and live video will be available at http://www.tulsahurricane.com/watch.

This will be the 49th meeting between Tulsa and Oklahoma, and the first in Tulsa since 2013. The Sooners lead the series, 38-10. The teams last played in 2014, when OU won 1-0 in Norman. Oklahoma, ranked No. 1 at the time of the 2013 meeting in Tulsa, won that game 3-1, and also won 7-1 in the 2012 NCAA Regional. The Hurricane last defeated the Sooners in the 2011 NCAA Norman Regional, 4-3, in the finals. OU won the next game 5-0. TU also claimed a 1-0 victory earlier that season in Tulsa – its last home win in the series.

The Hurricane is led by junior third baseman Maggie Withee, who is hitting .383 with 17 runs, three doubles, 12 walks and a .486 on-base percentage. Freshman second baseman Morgan Neal bats .370 with 10 RBI and nine runs scored, and sophomore shortstop Shelby Estocado hits .356 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 18 runs. Junior outfielder Maddie Withee leads the team with 20 RBI and has six extra base hits with a .345 average, and senior first baseman Jocelyn Sheffield has put up 18 RBI, four home runs, three doubles, and hits .308. Senior center fielder Jodi Edmiston and freshman designated player Julia Hollingsworth hit .322 and .310, respectively, as TU has seven players in its lineup hitting .300 or better.

Sophomore Emily Watson leads Tulsa in the circle with a 0.85 ERA and a 5-3 record, while senior Caitlin Sill is 7-1 with a 1.00 ERA. Watson has tallied 62 strikeouts and allowed just 15 walks, five earned runs and 25 hits in 41.1 innings. She has pitched two shutouts, and opponents hit .167 against her. Sill has allowed just 40 hits in 56.0 innings, tossed two shutouts, and allowed a .195 opponent batting average with 24 strikeouts.

Tulsa is hitting .304 with 111 runs, 95 RBI, 42 extra base hits, a .441 slugging percentage and a .386 on-base percentage. The Hurricane pitchers have posted a combined 1.56 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 126.0 innings, and allowed a .213 opponent batting average, 102 hits and 28 earned runs.