Strimple Adds Former Oklahoma All-American Paige Parker to Coaching Staff
7/28/2020 1:41:00 PM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. – The University Tulsa Head Softball Coach Crissy Strimple announced today the addition of former Oklahoma Sooner All-America pitcher Paige Parker to the Golden Hurricane coaching staff.
Parker joins the Hurricane staff as Tulsa's pitching coach after spending one season as an Oklahoma volunteer assistant coach. During her season coaching with the Sooners, Oklahoma posted an overall 20-4 record and was on a seven-game winning streak before the season was cut short from Covid-19.
The Most Outstanding Player at the 2016 Women's College World Series and two-time national champion at OU, Parker was a top-four finalist for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and finalist for the 2018 Honda Sport Award.
"We are thrilled to welcome Paige to our university and softball program. She was an outstanding collegiate player at Oklahoma as well as professionally and throughout this process her tremendous passion for the sport of softball was clear," said Strimple. "Our pitching staff has always been a strength of our program and bringing in a coach with Paige's knowledge and game aptitude is the best fit to lead this group of ladies. We are excited to have her work with our pitchers."
Before her coaching return to OU, Parker was the assistant pitching coach at William Jewel (Mo.) College for one season, helping that school post a .500 record.
"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the TU family. I am very grateful to be able to work with Coach Strimple and Coach Owens as we continue to build on the success and tradition of the Tulsa Softball program," said Parker, "Oklahoma has become a second home to me. I cannot wait to get started this fall, working with our student-athletes in their pursuit of becoming the best person, student and athlete they can be."
During her extraordinary playing career, Parker was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team All-Conference all four seasons. She was the 2015 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and the 2016 Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year and the 2018 Big 12 Female Sportswoman of the Year. She was the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, a four-time NFCA All-American and four-time first-team all-region selection. Parker was also named to the WCWS all-tournament team three years. She added CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades three times.
Parker finished her career ranked second in OU history for career win percentage (.872), wins (123), appearances (174), strikeouts (968) and shutouts (37). She was fourth all-time in games started (134), innings pitched (867.1), saves (six) and strikeouts per seven innings (7.81).
The Independence, Mo., native played one season with the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch league. She helped lead the Pride to the 2018 Cowles Cup Championship, taking home the title.
In 2018, Parker graduated from Oklahoma with her bachelor's degree in arts and sciences with an emphasis in coaching and leadership.
Parker joins the Hurricane staff as Tulsa's pitching coach after spending one season as an Oklahoma volunteer assistant coach. During her season coaching with the Sooners, Oklahoma posted an overall 20-4 record and was on a seven-game winning streak before the season was cut short from Covid-19.
The Most Outstanding Player at the 2016 Women's College World Series and two-time national champion at OU, Parker was a top-four finalist for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and finalist for the 2018 Honda Sport Award.
"We are thrilled to welcome Paige to our university and softball program. She was an outstanding collegiate player at Oklahoma as well as professionally and throughout this process her tremendous passion for the sport of softball was clear," said Strimple. "Our pitching staff has always been a strength of our program and bringing in a coach with Paige's knowledge and game aptitude is the best fit to lead this group of ladies. We are excited to have her work with our pitchers."
Before her coaching return to OU, Parker was the assistant pitching coach at William Jewel (Mo.) College for one season, helping that school post a .500 record.
"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the TU family. I am very grateful to be able to work with Coach Strimple and Coach Owens as we continue to build on the success and tradition of the Tulsa Softball program," said Parker, "Oklahoma has become a second home to me. I cannot wait to get started this fall, working with our student-athletes in their pursuit of becoming the best person, student and athlete they can be."
During her extraordinary playing career, Parker was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team All-Conference all four seasons. She was the 2015 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and the 2016 Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year and the 2018 Big 12 Female Sportswoman of the Year. She was the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, a four-time NFCA All-American and four-time first-team all-region selection. Parker was also named to the WCWS all-tournament team three years. She added CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades three times.
Parker finished her career ranked second in OU history for career win percentage (.872), wins (123), appearances (174), strikeouts (968) and shutouts (37). She was fourth all-time in games started (134), innings pitched (867.1), saves (six) and strikeouts per seven innings (7.81).
The Independence, Mo., native played one season with the USSSA Pride in the National Pro Fastpitch league. She helped lead the Pride to the 2018 Cowles Cup Championship, taking home the title.
In 2018, Parker graduated from Oklahoma with her bachelor's degree in arts and sciences with an emphasis in coaching and leadership.
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