OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) had a tremendous start to her senior season this week at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year notched both her second and third career no-hitters defeating then-No. 21 Stanford 6-0 and then-No. 5 Oregon 12-0, in five innings. For her efforts, Ricketts has been named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for week 1 of the NCAA season the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today. It is the second Player of the Week selection for Ricketts who won the honor in week two of her freshman year in 2010.
Â
“It’s really exciting and such an honor to receive this achievement,†said Ricketts. “I know it wouldn’t have been possible without the defense making clutch plays behind me, as well as the explosive bats on offense that kept me relaxed and confident in the circle this week.â€
Â
Entering the season ranked No. 2 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Preseason Top 25 poll, the Sooners picked up five wins over the week including three run-rule victories and outscoring it’s opponents 50-7. In the season opener, the lefthander recorded 14 strikeouts and hit a solo homerun in the first inning. She yielded just five base runners and allowed only one ball to reach the outfield.
Â
Ricketts threw her second no-hitter in as many games on Saturday morning as the Sooners cruised to the 12-0, five inning run-rule of No. 5 Oregon. Picking up her 100th career win, the senior allowed just two base runners on a walk and an error. Ten of the 15 outs recorded by the Sooners defense in the contest came by way of a Ricketts strikeout.Â
Â
“It is a tremendous honor to earn this award because there are so many unbelievable athletes in softball today,†said Oklahoma Head Coach Patty Gasso. “To be singled out, whether for a week or the season, it’s very special for our program and for Keilani.â€
Â
Ricketts finished the week with 28 strikeouts, a 2.00 ERA and a .096 opponents batting average in 14 innings in the circle. A double threat, the senior also notched three hits, three runs and three RBI en route to a .300 batting average, .600 slugging percentage and .533 on-base percentage.
Â
Impart to Ricketts contributions, Oklahoma earned the No. 1 ranking in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll released earlier today by ASA. The Sooners were ranked second in the pre-season poll.
Â
About ASA The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.  About USA Softball USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles including the last seven consecutive as well as claimed five World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.
Â
About the NCAA Women’s College World Series
The ASA Hall of Fame Stadium serves as the home to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS). For the 23rd year, the top eight college teams in the nation will head to Oklahoma City and complete for a National Championship title. Last year, over 75,000 fans attended the WCWS. Experience It Live May 30 to June 5 in Oklahoma City. Tickets for the 2013 NCAA WCWS are on sale now, click here to purchase your tickets and make a date with champions!
Â
Â
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steven Embree | ASA/USA Softball
Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications 2801 NE 50th | Oklahoma City, OK 73111 Work: 405-425-3422 | Cell: 405-207-1004 E-mail: sembree@softball.org | Web: www.usasoftball.com
Â
