.png&width=40&type=webp)
UMKC Set to Face No. 13/14 OU in the Sooner State
3/24/2016 12:25:00 PM | Softball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The UMKC softball team is set to travel south to the Sooner state to take on No. 13/14 Oklahoma in two games.
The 'Roos and Sooners will square off on Friday, March 25 at 6p.m. in Norman, Oklahoma at OU's home facility, Marita Hynes Field at the OU Softball Complex.
The two teams will travel to Oklahoma City on Saturday, March 26, to play at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex, home of the NCAA Women's College World Series. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Fan Information
Both games will be available for free audio broadcast via The Franchise 1560 Sports Radio. Fans in the Oklahoma City area can tune the radio dial to 1560 AM to listen in, and all fans can visit the UMKC softball schedule page for a direct link to a free online stream.
Friday's game will be available for live streaming via OU's SoonerSports.TV with a paid subscription. Fans wanting to watch the game are required to sign up with packages starting at $9.99.
Saturday's game will be broadcast in the Kansas City area on Fox Sports Plus, available with most cable providers. For more information on channel lineup and availability visit FoxSports.com. The game will also be available on Fox Sports Go via FoxSportsGo.com or the Fox Sports Go app available for download in the iTunes App store.
Base Hits
- UMKC holds and all-time record of 390-835.
- Head coach Meredith Smith Neal is the winningest coach in UMKC softball history with an all-time record of 190-288.
- The 'Roos are 0-4 in the all-time series against OU, and 0-2 under Smith Neal.
Coming Home, Coming Home, Tell the World They're Coming Home (Kind Of)
Five 'Roos lay claim to the Sooner State as their native land, and will be returning to their stomping grounds for the two-game set against Oklahoma. Freshmen Maegan Rollow, Lacie Bullard and Kameron Fisher will all be playing in their home state for the first time since becoming a Kangaroo, while senior Katie Kelley and sophomore Kelsey Goodwin had the opportunity to play in Stillwater last season. Rollow, Bullard, Kelley and Goodwin all hail from the Tulsa metropolitan area, while Fisher is from Lawton. The Tulsa area is approximately two hours from Norman and just a bit less to the Oklahoma City area. Fisher's fans will have a shorter drive as Lawton is around an hour-and-a-half from Norman and OKC.
More Honors for KK
Senior Katie Kelley took home her second WAC Weekly award this season after being named pitcher of the week for the week of March 14-20. The honor marks the sixth weekly award of her career, earning four hitter of the week awards and two pitcher. Kelley earned the weekly honor by posting a 0.00 ERA in two appearances in the Rock Chalk Invitational, picking up a win and pitching 11 innings and striking out 10 batters. Seven of the 10 strikeouts came in a win against Saint Louis, the second time this season she has reached the mark.
Turn Two!
The 'Roos have been put in numerous situations this year where they have needed big plays from the defense to get them out of a jam, and the defense has stepped up in major ways, turning 13 double plays, three more than UMKC turned in all of 2015. In recent history, the 'Roos turned 25 doubles plays in 2009 and 20 in 2011, both numbers that could be surpassed if the defense keeps up the pace. The 13 double plays ranks fifth in the nation in double plays per game. Freshman Bri Sims has been a major part of the double plays, as she has been involved in seven of the 13 turned this year.
Up Next
The 'Roos open Western Athletic Conference play against the Lopes of Grand Canyon on April 1 and 2. UMKC will head to Phoenix, Arizona for three games, a double header on Friday, April 1 starting at 8 p.m. CST, and will wrap the series on Saturday April 2 tilt at 8:30 p.m. GCU currently sits atop of the WAC standings with a 23-10 overall record.
