Wednesday, March 27
Norman, Okla.
6 PM
Tulsa
at
Oklahoma
Photo by: Bill Powell
Tulsa Travels to Norman for Matchup with No. 2 Oklahoma on Wednesday
3/26/2019 4:20:00 PM | Softball
Weekly Notes
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa softball team returns to the diamond for four games this week, beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup on Wednesday, March 27 with No. 2 Oklahoma at Marita Hynes Field.
The Golden Hurricane (21-9) will look to make it three straight weeks with a midweek win over a ranked opponent after topping then-No. 14 Arkansas on March 13 and then-No. 21 Oklahoma State on March 20.
Tulsa, which is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, will be in search of its first win over the Sooners (29-2) in Norman since 2011.
Wednesday's matchup will be broadcast on FOX Sports Oklahoma-Plus.
Game Information
Wednesday, March 27
6 p.m. — Tulsa at No. 2 Oklahoma - Stats/Video
Notes
TU to Face No. 2 Oklahoma, Memphis This Week
• The University of Tulsa softball team will play four games this week, beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup at No. 2 Oklahoma on Wednesday before hosting Memphis in a three-game series (March 29-31) at Collins Family Softball Complex.
• Tulsa is in search of its first win over the Sooners in Norman since 2011.
• Memphis took two of the three meetings against the Hurricane last season in Memphis. TU leads the overall series, 30-9, including a 15-3 mark against the Tigers in Tulsa.
TU Success Under Coach Bargfeldt
• Now in his 14th season at Tulsa, head coach John Bargfeldt is the program's longest-tenured head coach and has the most wins and highest winning percentage in school history.
• Bargfeldt will enter the weekend with a career 519-259-1 record, all at Tulsa. Bargfeldt reached win No. 500 after defeating Iowa and Bucknell on Feb. 9.
• Prior to Bargfeldt's arrival, the program had just four winning seasons in 13 years and did not win a conference title or appear in an NCAA Regional.
• Since his hiring prior to the 2006 season, the Golden Hurricane has had a winning record in all 13 campaigns with six regular-season and seven conference tournament titles. In addition, TU has advanced to 10 NCAA Regionals, including a spot in the postseason for seven of the last eight years.
Tulsa's Conference Honors
• Morgan Neal has been named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week each of the last two weeks. She has a .424 batting average with four doubles and eight RBIs in nine games over the last two weeks, in which Tulsa has gone 8-1.
• Samantha Pochop was named the league's Pitcher of the Week on March 18. She went 2-0 during the week of March 11-17 with a no-hitter against Nebraska, which was the 22nd no-no in TU history and the first seven-inning no-hitter since 2014.
Back-to-Back-to-Back
• Tulsa has won three consecutive American Athletic Conference Tournament titles for three straight automatic bids to an NCAA Regional.
• Last season, the Hurricane went 34-25 overall and claimed the league's postseason title with three wins in three days against The American's top three teams. That run culminated in a win over tournament host and top-seeded USF.
• Tulsa's three straight conference tournament titles is the longest streak in program history.
Tulsa in the Polls
• TU enters the week receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll (5 votes) and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (20 votes).
• Tulsa ended the 2018 campaign receiving votes in both polls and also started the 2019 season by receiving votes in both polls.
• TU also has an RPI ranking of No. 22, which is the best ranking among schools in The American.
Fresh Faces
• Tulsa has received a boost from its newcomers this season, led by freshmen Josie Muffley and Chenise Delce, who rank second among league rookies in batting average and ERA, respectively.
• Muffley's .383 average and 16 RBIs both rank second on the team, while she is tied for the team-lead with a pair of home runs.
• Delce leads the TU pitching staff with a 1.44 ERA and an 8-3 record. She leads the staff in innings pitched (73.0) and her 62 Ks rank second.
• In addition, junior transfer Kassidy Scott owns a 3.02 ERA, 5-2 record and four saves, while fellow transfer Alexis Perry has made 27 starts and has contributed 13 RBIs.
Odds and Ends
• Julia Hollingsworth enters the week leading The American in batting average at .448. No other conference player with at least 10 games played has an average better than .405.
• Morgan Neal's 11 doubles rank second in the circuit and 14th in the nation. She needs one more to tie her career high for a season after she recorded 12 two-baggers in 2018.
• Kassidy Scott is tied for the league-lead and ranks third in the nation with four saves. Her four saves are the most for a TU pitcher since Caitlin Sill had six in 2015.
• Tulsa is undefeated this season when holding a lead after four innings. Additionally, the team is 19-2 when it is leading or tied after the fourth inning.
Tulsa Picked to Finish Fourth in The American
• Tulsa was picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, as selected by the league's head coaches.
• TU earned 29 points in the poll, to sit behind USF, Wichita State and Houston. Those teams finished first, third and second in the 2018 regular-season, respectively, and the Golden Hurricane topped all three on its way to The American Tournament title last May.
Look Who's Back
• Tulsa returns seven starters and three pitchers from last year's team, which went 34-25 overall and finished sixth in The American with a 10-11 mark before winning the league tournament.
• Leading the way is senior outfielder Julia Hollingsworth, who is a two-time American Athletic Conference first-team selection and two-time NFCA All-Region pick.
• Seniors Rylie Spell (2018 AAC Defensive Player of the Year), Haley Meinen (2nd-team all-conference), Morgan Neal (3-year starter) and Tori Stafford (3-year starter), along with Hollingsworth, give the Hurricane an experienced nucleus for 2019.
Shoes to Fill
• While Tulsa returns 10 letterwinners from last year's team, it will have to make up for the graduation of Emily Watson, Shelby Estocado and Shannon Hughes this season.
• One of the best pitchers in program history, Watson left her name all over the TU record book and was selected No. 8 overall in the 2018 NPF Draft by the Beijing Eagles. She was an NFCA Second-Team All-American in 2017 and owns five TU single-season records.
• Watson went 24-12 with a 1.60 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 235.2 innings last season. She was a second-team all-conference and second-team NFCA All-Region pick, while she was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 and 2018 American Championship.
• Estocado started all 59 games for TU last season and led the team with 22 extra-base hits (13 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR) and 43 RBIs. She also led the team in slugging percentage (.565) and was second on the squad in stolen bases.
• Meanwhile, Hughes started all 117 games of her two-year career at shortstop for the Hurricane and recorded a .935 fielding percentage with 154 putouts and 146 assists.
2018 Review
• Tulsa went 34-25 last season and 10-11 in American Athletic Conference play to finish sixth in the league. The Hurricane then won the conference tournament to secure its seventh NCAA Regional appearance in the last eight years.
• TU garnered a league-high six all-conference selections, led by first-team outfielder Julia Hollingsworth and Defensive Player of the Year Rylie Spell. Hollingsworth and pitcher Emily Watson also were NFCA All-Region honorees.
• In the Norman Regional, Tulsa opened with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Missouri that featured a grand slam and a total of five RBIs from Spell. The Hurricane season came to an end following losses to No. 4 overall seed Oklahoma and Missouri.
Career Numbers Update
• Julia Hollingsworth ranks among the top 10 in TU history in several offensive categories including on-base percentage (1st; .463), triples (1st; 13), batting average (2nd; .377), stolen base percentage (4th; .842), slugging percentage (5th; .528), stolen bases (4th; 48), runs scored (4th; 156) and walks (6th; 89).
• Catcher Rylie Spell ranks fifth in career fielding percentage at .990. The reigning American Defensive Player of the Year also ranks among the program's top 10 in most caught stealing (4th; 38), putouts (7th; 952) and chances (7th; 1,040).
• Additionally, senior Tori Stafford ranks seventh in putouts with 899 and she ranks ninth with a .987 fielding percentage.
Up Next
• Tulsa will continue its homestand with a midweek matchup against Kansas at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. The Hurricane then will host Houston for a three-game series at Collins Family Softball Complex, April 5-7.
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa softball team returns to the diamond for four games this week, beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup on Wednesday, March 27 with No. 2 Oklahoma at Marita Hynes Field.
The Golden Hurricane (21-9) will look to make it three straight weeks with a midweek win over a ranked opponent after topping then-No. 14 Arkansas on March 13 and then-No. 21 Oklahoma State on March 20.
Tulsa, which is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll, will be in search of its first win over the Sooners (29-2) in Norman since 2011.
Wednesday's matchup will be broadcast on FOX Sports Oklahoma-Plus.
Game Information
Wednesday, March 27
6 p.m. — Tulsa at No. 2 Oklahoma - Stats/Video
Notes
TU to Face No. 2 Oklahoma, Memphis This Week
• The University of Tulsa softball team will play four games this week, beginning with a 6 p.m. matchup at No. 2 Oklahoma on Wednesday before hosting Memphis in a three-game series (March 29-31) at Collins Family Softball Complex.
• Tulsa is in search of its first win over the Sooners in Norman since 2011.
• Memphis took two of the three meetings against the Hurricane last season in Memphis. TU leads the overall series, 30-9, including a 15-3 mark against the Tigers in Tulsa.
TU Success Under Coach Bargfeldt
• Now in his 14th season at Tulsa, head coach John Bargfeldt is the program's longest-tenured head coach and has the most wins and highest winning percentage in school history.
• Bargfeldt will enter the weekend with a career 519-259-1 record, all at Tulsa. Bargfeldt reached win No. 500 after defeating Iowa and Bucknell on Feb. 9.
• Prior to Bargfeldt's arrival, the program had just four winning seasons in 13 years and did not win a conference title or appear in an NCAA Regional.
• Since his hiring prior to the 2006 season, the Golden Hurricane has had a winning record in all 13 campaigns with six regular-season and seven conference tournament titles. In addition, TU has advanced to 10 NCAA Regionals, including a spot in the postseason for seven of the last eight years.
Tulsa's Conference Honors
• Morgan Neal has been named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week each of the last two weeks. She has a .424 batting average with four doubles and eight RBIs in nine games over the last two weeks, in which Tulsa has gone 8-1.
• Samantha Pochop was named the league's Pitcher of the Week on March 18. She went 2-0 during the week of March 11-17 with a no-hitter against Nebraska, which was the 22nd no-no in TU history and the first seven-inning no-hitter since 2014.
Back-to-Back-to-Back
• Tulsa has won three consecutive American Athletic Conference Tournament titles for three straight automatic bids to an NCAA Regional.
• Last season, the Hurricane went 34-25 overall and claimed the league's postseason title with three wins in three days against The American's top three teams. That run culminated in a win over tournament host and top-seeded USF.
• Tulsa's three straight conference tournament titles is the longest streak in program history.
Tulsa in the Polls
• TU enters the week receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll (5 votes) and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (20 votes).
• Tulsa ended the 2018 campaign receiving votes in both polls and also started the 2019 season by receiving votes in both polls.
• TU also has an RPI ranking of No. 22, which is the best ranking among schools in The American.
Fresh Faces
• Tulsa has received a boost from its newcomers this season, led by freshmen Josie Muffley and Chenise Delce, who rank second among league rookies in batting average and ERA, respectively.
• Muffley's .383 average and 16 RBIs both rank second on the team, while she is tied for the team-lead with a pair of home runs.
• Delce leads the TU pitching staff with a 1.44 ERA and an 8-3 record. She leads the staff in innings pitched (73.0) and her 62 Ks rank second.
• In addition, junior transfer Kassidy Scott owns a 3.02 ERA, 5-2 record and four saves, while fellow transfer Alexis Perry has made 27 starts and has contributed 13 RBIs.
Odds and Ends
• Julia Hollingsworth enters the week leading The American in batting average at .448. No other conference player with at least 10 games played has an average better than .405.
• Morgan Neal's 11 doubles rank second in the circuit and 14th in the nation. She needs one more to tie her career high for a season after she recorded 12 two-baggers in 2018.
• Kassidy Scott is tied for the league-lead and ranks third in the nation with four saves. Her four saves are the most for a TU pitcher since Caitlin Sill had six in 2015.
• Tulsa is undefeated this season when holding a lead after four innings. Additionally, the team is 19-2 when it is leading or tied after the fourth inning.
Tulsa Picked to Finish Fourth in The American
• Tulsa was picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, as selected by the league's head coaches.
• TU earned 29 points in the poll, to sit behind USF, Wichita State and Houston. Those teams finished first, third and second in the 2018 regular-season, respectively, and the Golden Hurricane topped all three on its way to The American Tournament title last May.
Look Who's Back
• Tulsa returns seven starters and three pitchers from last year's team, which went 34-25 overall and finished sixth in The American with a 10-11 mark before winning the league tournament.
• Leading the way is senior outfielder Julia Hollingsworth, who is a two-time American Athletic Conference first-team selection and two-time NFCA All-Region pick.
• Seniors Rylie Spell (2018 AAC Defensive Player of the Year), Haley Meinen (2nd-team all-conference), Morgan Neal (3-year starter) and Tori Stafford (3-year starter), along with Hollingsworth, give the Hurricane an experienced nucleus for 2019.
Shoes to Fill
• While Tulsa returns 10 letterwinners from last year's team, it will have to make up for the graduation of Emily Watson, Shelby Estocado and Shannon Hughes this season.
• One of the best pitchers in program history, Watson left her name all over the TU record book and was selected No. 8 overall in the 2018 NPF Draft by the Beijing Eagles. She was an NFCA Second-Team All-American in 2017 and owns five TU single-season records.
• Watson went 24-12 with a 1.60 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 235.2 innings last season. She was a second-team all-conference and second-team NFCA All-Region pick, while she was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 and 2018 American Championship.
• Estocado started all 59 games for TU last season and led the team with 22 extra-base hits (13 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR) and 43 RBIs. She also led the team in slugging percentage (.565) and was second on the squad in stolen bases.
• Meanwhile, Hughes started all 117 games of her two-year career at shortstop for the Hurricane and recorded a .935 fielding percentage with 154 putouts and 146 assists.
2018 Review
• Tulsa went 34-25 last season and 10-11 in American Athletic Conference play to finish sixth in the league. The Hurricane then won the conference tournament to secure its seventh NCAA Regional appearance in the last eight years.
• TU garnered a league-high six all-conference selections, led by first-team outfielder Julia Hollingsworth and Defensive Player of the Year Rylie Spell. Hollingsworth and pitcher Emily Watson also were NFCA All-Region honorees.
• In the Norman Regional, Tulsa opened with a 9-1 run-rule victory over Missouri that featured a grand slam and a total of five RBIs from Spell. The Hurricane season came to an end following losses to No. 4 overall seed Oklahoma and Missouri.
Career Numbers Update
• Julia Hollingsworth ranks among the top 10 in TU history in several offensive categories including on-base percentage (1st; .463), triples (1st; 13), batting average (2nd; .377), stolen base percentage (4th; .842), slugging percentage (5th; .528), stolen bases (4th; 48), runs scored (4th; 156) and walks (6th; 89).
• Catcher Rylie Spell ranks fifth in career fielding percentage at .990. The reigning American Defensive Player of the Year also ranks among the program's top 10 in most caught stealing (4th; 38), putouts (7th; 952) and chances (7th; 1,040).
• Additionally, senior Tori Stafford ranks seventh in putouts with 899 and she ranks ninth with a .987 fielding percentage.
Up Next
• Tulsa will continue its homestand with a midweek matchup against Kansas at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. The Hurricane then will host Houston for a three-game series at Collins Family Softball Complex, April 5-7.
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