Tulsa Travels to Waco for the Baylor Invitational
2/20/2020 11:39:00 AM | Softball
Tulsa (8-1) is coming into the weekend after winning 4-of-5 games in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic; the Hurricane started the season 7-0 for the second best start in school history behind the 2002 Tulsa team that began their season 8-0.
Junior Samantha Pochop was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for her efforts last weekend, as she went 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 21 strikeouts; she also picked up her second save of the season. The Henderson, Nev. native, ranks first nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio striking out 33 batters on the season and allowing one walk.
Senior Kassidy Scott and sophomore Chenise Delce continued their great play for the Hurricane pitching staff each picking up a win and a save on the weekend. The two combined for 22.1 innings with 14 strikeouts during the invitational.
Makalya Jackson led the offense by hitting .833 (5-for-6) with a double, while Delce put in three hits, driving in two runs. Delce leads the team in hits (11), home runs (3) and slugging percentage (.759).
Tournament Schedule
Friday
11:15 p.m. — Tulsa vs. #17/13 Minnesota - Stats / Watch
3:45 p.m. — Tulsa at RV/RV Baylor - Stats / Watch
Saturday
10 a.m. — Tulsa vs. /RV Illinois - Stats / Watch
Sunday
9:00 a.m. — #17/13 Minnesota - Stats / Watch
1:00 p.m. — Texas State - Stats / Watch
Weekly Notes
TULSA OFF TO 8-1 START
• Tulsa is off to an 8-1 start after the first two weekends of the season … after 9 games, it's the best start since Tulsa began the 2014 campaign 8-1 and eventually went 12-1 to start the year.
• Tulsa's 7-0 start to the season was the second best start by a Hurricane team ... only the 2002 Golden Hurricane started better, opening the season 8-0.
• Tulsa swept through the Mercer Invitational, Feb. 7-9, defeating Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky, Mercer and Dayton finishing the tournament with a 4-0 record.
• TU scored 5 or more runs in each contest, averaging 10 hits over the 4 games ... Tulsa hit a home run in every contest ... Chenise Delce led the Hurricane with 3 homers.
• Last weekend, the Hurricane traveled to Starkville, Miss. for the Bulldog Kickoff Classic, going 4-1 on the weekend.
• Tulsa defeated North Alabama twice by sfores of -0 and 3-2, Tennessee State (2-0), and the host Mississippi State (2-1) ... Tulsa's first loss of the season came in the 4th game of the tournament to Tennessee State, 2-1.
POCHOP PITCHING LIGHTS OUT
• Junior Samantha Pochop has began the season with an 0.52 ERA in 5 appearances ... she has thrown 17.1 innings, allowing 7 hits and one earned run, while striking out 33 batters.
• Pochop has 2 wins going 13 innings in her two starts ... in 3 relief outings, she has 2 saves.
• She leads the nation in strikeouts per 7 innings with 13.3 strikeouts ... she set her career-high 14 strikeouts in a one-hit, complete game shutout against North Alabama.
• Pochop leads the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio ... she has 33 strikeouts on the season and has allowed only one walk.
RANKED OPPORTUNITIES AT BAYLOR INVITATIONAL THIS WEEKEND
• The Hurricane travels to Waco, Texas for the Baylor Invitational ... Tulsa will face off against #13/17 Minnesota, Illinois, Texas State and host Baylor.
• Minnesota, who made the College World Series last season, comes into the weekend ranked 17th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 13th in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll .
• The Hurricane will face Minnesota twice over the weekend.
• Baylor and Illinois both come into the weekend receiving votes in national polls ... Tulsa is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll
• Tulsa is 1-0 this year vs. teams receiving votes in the poll with a 2-1 win over Miss. State.
• Tulsa has a 3-2 seried edge over Minnesota, 4-2 over Illinois … Baylor leads the series 10-2 and Texas State has a 6-3 advantage.
PITCHING RANKED NATIONALLY
• As a team Tulsa ranks 6th nationally in team ERA with a .88 ERA ... the Hurricane is 9th in strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 5.23 clip.
• After two weekends, Tulsa pitchers rank among the top-25 nationally in several categories.
• Pochop ranks 22nd nationally in ERA with a 0.40 ERA ... she has only allowed one earned run in 17.1 innings.
• Pochop ranks 17th in hits per 7 innings average, allowing only 7 hits in 5 appearances ... she allows on average 2.83 hits per game.
• Kassidy Scott and Pochop are tied for 7th nationally in saves, with 2 each.
HOT BATS
• Sophomores MaKayla Jackson and Chenise Delce and senior Alexis Perry are ranked 1-2-3 on the squad in batting average and each has a +.700 for slugging percentage.
• The trio has combined for 27 hits, 18 RBIs, 9 runs scored and 5 home runs.
• In 11 at-bats, Jackson has 8 hits for a .727 average … Delce has 11 hits in 29-at bats for a .379 average with a team-high 3 HRs … Perry is batting .348 on 8-of-23 from the plate with a team-high 10 RBIs.
• Three more Tulsa players – Mikayla Whitten (.333) Tajiah Ellison (.321) and Aubree Seaney (.308) – have batting averages over .300.
