Friday, May 3
Storrs, Conn.
2 PM
Tulsa
at
UConn
Photo by: Bill Powell
Tulsa to Close Regular-Season with Series at UConn This Weekend
5/1/2019 12:35:00 PM | Softball
Weekly Notes
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa softball team will close the regular-season with a three game American Athletic Conference series at UConn this weekend, May 3-5, in Storrs, Conn.
The Golden Hurricane (33-16, 14-4) is coming off its sixth straight series win after taking two-of-three games from Wichita State last weekend at Collins Family Softball Complex. With the wins, Tulsa can finish no worse than second in the league standings. The Hurricane can still win the regular-season title, but will need the Shockers to take at least two games against conference-leader USF (38-15, 16-2) this weekend in Wichita.
TU handed the Bulls their only conference losses this season by taking 2-of-3 games in Tampa (March 22-24) during the first weekend of league play. With that series win, Tulsa owns the tiebreaker for the top seed in next week's American Athletic Conference Championship, which will be held in Houston, Texas, May 9-11.
The Huskies (20-27, 7-11) can finish no worse than sixth in the standings after a sweep of ECU last weekend in Greenville, N.C.
TU leads the all-time series against UConn, 12-1, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Storrs, Conn.
Schedule
Friday, May 3
2 p.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Saturday, May 4
12 p.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Sunday, May 5
11 a.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Notes
Tulsa to Close Regular-Season at UConn
• The Tulsa softball team will play its final regular-season series this weekend when it will head east for a three-game set at UConn.
• Tulsa leads the all-time series against the Huskies, 12-1, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Storrs, Conn. All 13 meetings have come since TU joined The American prior to the 2015 season.
• With 14 league wins, Tulsa will finish no lower than second in The American standings.
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 531-266-1 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 earned back-to-back American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors March 18 & 25. She posted a .424 batting average with four doubles and eight RBIs in nine games over those two weeks, in which Tulsa went 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.
• Alexis Perry was named The American Player of the Week on April 22 after she hit .545 with two doubles, a grand slam and 6 RBIs in four games.
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 ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (24 votes) and the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll (3 votes).
• Tulsa ended the 2018 campaign receiving votes in both polls and also started the 2019 season by receiving votes in both polls.
• TU has an RPI ranking of No. 24, which is the best ranking among schools in The American.
Fresh Faces
• Tulsa has received a boost from its newcomers this season, led by freshman Chenise Delce, who ranks second among league rookies in ERA and batting average.
• Delce leads the TU pitching staff with a 1.68 ERA and a 13-5 record. She leads the staff in innings pitched (116.2) and ranks second with 96 strikeouts.
• In addition, junior transfer Kassidy Scott owns a 3.01 ERA, 8-5 record and four saves, while fellow transfer Alexis Perry has made 40 starts and ranks second on the team with 27 RBIs.
• Perry was named The American Player of the Week on April 22 after she hit .545 with two doubles, a grand slam and 6 RBIs in four games.
Odds and Ends
• Julia Hollingsworth enters the week leading The American, and ranked 33rd in the nation, with a .420 batting average. No other conference player is hitting better than .375 this season.
• Morgan Neal's 14 doubles are tied for the most in the league. That is a new personal career high for a season after she finished with a dozen two-baggers last season.
• Kassidy Scott and Samantha Pochop are tied for the league-lead with four saves, which also ranks 17th in the nation. Their four saves apiece 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 (24-0). Additionally, the team is 30-5 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.
Career Numbers Update
• Julia Hollingsworth ranks among the top 10 in TU history in several offensive categories including on-base percentage (1st; .465), triples (1st; 14), batting average (2nd; .377), runs scored (4th; 169), stolen base percentage (4th; .847), stolen bases (4th; 50), walks (4th; 102), slugging percentage (5th; .527), total bases (5th; 336) and hits (6th; 240).
• Catcher Rylie Spell ranks fifth in career fielding percentage at .991. The reigning American Defensive Player of the Year also ranks among the program's top 10 in most caught stealing (4th; 41), putouts (6th; 1,046) and chances (6th; 1,140).
• Additionally, senior Tori Stafford ranks seventh in putouts with 1,016 and she ranks ninth with a .988 fielding percentage.
• Morgan Neal ranks ninth with 206 career hits and ninth on the career RBI list with 107.
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.
Up Next
• Tulsa will head to Houston, Texas, for the American Athletic Conference Championship, May 9-11. The Golden Hurricane has clinched at least the No. 2 seed and will be in search of its fourth consecutive conference tournament title.
TULSA, Okla. — The University of Tulsa softball team will close the regular-season with a three game American Athletic Conference series at UConn this weekend, May 3-5, in Storrs, Conn.
The Golden Hurricane (33-16, 14-4) is coming off its sixth straight series win after taking two-of-three games from Wichita State last weekend at Collins Family Softball Complex. With the wins, Tulsa can finish no worse than second in the league standings. The Hurricane can still win the regular-season title, but will need the Shockers to take at least two games against conference-leader USF (38-15, 16-2) this weekend in Wichita.
TU handed the Bulls their only conference losses this season by taking 2-of-3 games in Tampa (March 22-24) during the first weekend of league play. With that series win, Tulsa owns the tiebreaker for the top seed in next week's American Athletic Conference Championship, which will be held in Houston, Texas, May 9-11.
The Huskies (20-27, 7-11) can finish no worse than sixth in the standings after a sweep of ECU last weekend in Greenville, N.C.
TU leads the all-time series against UConn, 12-1, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Storrs, Conn.
Schedule
Friday, May 3
2 p.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Saturday, May 4
12 p.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Sunday, May 5
11 a.m. CT — Tulsa at UConn - Stats/Video
Notes
Tulsa to Close Regular-Season at UConn
• The Tulsa softball team will play its final regular-season series this weekend when it will head east for a three-game set at UConn.
• Tulsa leads the all-time series against the Huskies, 12-1, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Storrs, Conn. All 13 meetings have come since TU joined The American prior to the 2015 season.
• With 14 league wins, Tulsa will finish no lower than second in The American standings.
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 531-266-1 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 earned back-to-back American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors March 18 & 25. She posted a .424 batting average with four doubles and eight RBIs in nine games over those two weeks, in which Tulsa went 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.
• Alexis Perry was named The American Player of the Week on April 22 after she hit .545 with two doubles, a grand slam and 6 RBIs in four games.
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 ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (24 votes) and the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll (3 votes).
• Tulsa ended the 2018 campaign receiving votes in both polls and also started the 2019 season by receiving votes in both polls.
• TU has an RPI ranking of No. 24, which is the best ranking among schools in The American.
Fresh Faces
• Tulsa has received a boost from its newcomers this season, led by freshman Chenise Delce, who ranks second among league rookies in ERA and batting average.
• Delce leads the TU pitching staff with a 1.68 ERA and a 13-5 record. She leads the staff in innings pitched (116.2) and ranks second with 96 strikeouts.
• In addition, junior transfer Kassidy Scott owns a 3.01 ERA, 8-5 record and four saves, while fellow transfer Alexis Perry has made 40 starts and ranks second on the team with 27 RBIs.
• Perry was named The American Player of the Week on April 22 after she hit .545 with two doubles, a grand slam and 6 RBIs in four games.
Odds and Ends
• Julia Hollingsworth enters the week leading The American, and ranked 33rd in the nation, with a .420 batting average. No other conference player is hitting better than .375 this season.
• Morgan Neal's 14 doubles are tied for the most in the league. That is a new personal career high for a season after she finished with a dozen two-baggers last season.
• Kassidy Scott and Samantha Pochop are tied for the league-lead with four saves, which also ranks 17th in the nation. Their four saves apiece 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 (24-0). Additionally, the team is 30-5 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.
Career Numbers Update
• Julia Hollingsworth ranks among the top 10 in TU history in several offensive categories including on-base percentage (1st; .465), triples (1st; 14), batting average (2nd; .377), runs scored (4th; 169), stolen base percentage (4th; .847), stolen bases (4th; 50), walks (4th; 102), slugging percentage (5th; .527), total bases (5th; 336) and hits (6th; 240).
• Catcher Rylie Spell ranks fifth in career fielding percentage at .991. The reigning American Defensive Player of the Year also ranks among the program's top 10 in most caught stealing (4th; 41), putouts (6th; 1,046) and chances (6th; 1,140).
• Additionally, senior Tori Stafford ranks seventh in putouts with 1,016 and she ranks ninth with a .988 fielding percentage.
• Morgan Neal ranks ninth with 206 career hits and ninth on the career RBI list with 107.
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.
Up Next
• Tulsa will head to Houston, Texas, for the American Athletic Conference Championship, May 9-11. The Golden Hurricane has clinched at least the No. 2 seed and will be in search of its fourth consecutive conference tournament title.
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