Can anyone stop OU softball early in NCAA Tournament? Meet Norman Regional opponents
NORMAN — Advancing past this weekend won’t be easy for Boston University softball.
The Terriers are in the Norman Regional as the third seed behind host OU, the top seed in the regional and the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Oregon.
But don’t expect Boston to back down.
“I don’t care who we’re playing. I do not fear losing, I fear not competing,” Terriers coach Ashley Waters said earlier this season for a story on Boston’s website. "If we go against the best in the country and we compete, in my mind that’s a win.”
Waters and the Terriers open the Norman Regional against the Ducks at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Love’s Field.
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When Waters took over at Boston in 2016, the Terriers had been in regionals seven times.
Boston returned there in 2016 and will make their sixth postseason appearance under Waters.
The signature win of Waters’ tenure came in her third season in 2018, when Boston took down the top-ranked Sooners in an early season event in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Since, the Terriers have been on a steady rise.
They went 52-10 last season before going 52-4-1 so far this season.
They come into the regional on an 11-game winning streak.
In the offseason, Waters signed a multiyear extension to remain at Boston.
“I wanted to make BU relevant. I wanted to make BU a team to bear. I wanted to put us on the map,” Water said. “I don’t need to go somewhere else for that. We’re doing that here.”
Here’s a look at the field for the Norman Regional:
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No. 2 Oregon Ducks
Record: 28-19 (13-10 Pac 12)
NCAA Tournament history: 82-53 record, 24th appearance
Leading hitter: Redshirt junior outfielder Kai Luschar is hitting .423 with 46 runs and just 10 strikeouts. Luschar also has 27 stolen bases on 32 attempts.
Leading pitcher: Redshirt sophomore Elise Sokolsky is 8-3 with a 2.41 ERA, 63 strikeouts and 26 walks in 72 ⅔ innings pitched.
OU’s all-time record vs. Ducks: 10-6 (3-0 in Norman)
Last meeting: 5-0 Oregon win, April 19, 2018
Short hops: Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi played at OU in 1995-96 and was on Patty Gasso’s staff from 1997-2018 before being hired as the Ducks’ head coach. … Associate head coach Sam Marder was a volunteer analyst for the Sooners in 2021. … Assistant coach Sydney Romero starred for the Sooners from 2016-19 and began her coaching career as a graduate assistant under Gasso. … Ariel Carlson leads the Ducks with 15 home runs, 13 doubles, 1.217 OPS and .766 slugging percentage.
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No. 3 Boston Terriers
Record: 52-4-1 (18-0 Patriot League)
NCAA Tournament history: 8-24 record, 13th appearance
Leading hitter: Senior outfielder Lauren Keleher leads the Terriers with a .407 batting average, 1.129 OPS, 52 runs, 17 doubles and eight home runs.
Leading pitcher: Kasey Ricard is 27-3 with a 1.20 ERA and 261 strikeouts in 204 ⅔ innings. She’s held opponents to a .142 batting average.
OU’s all-time record vs. Terriers: 4-2 (1-0 in Norman)
Last meeting: 9-0 Sooners win, May 18, 2018
Short hops: The Terriers’ four losses are the fewest in Division I softball this season, with Duke, Oklahoma and Texas tied behind them with six losses each. … The only teams to beat Boston are Dartmouth, Duke, Northwestern and South Carolina. … The Terriers were in the Norman Regional in 2018 and the Stillwater Regional in 2021. … Boston became the first Patriot League team since 2005 to go undefeated in both regular-season conference play and the conference tournament. … Boston’s 1.26 ERA is the nation’s best.
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No. 4 Cleveland State Vikings
Record: 22-24 (15-10 Horizon League)
NCAA Tournament history: 0-4 record, third appearance
Leading hitter: Sophomore catcher/infielder Emma Gilkerson is hitting .353 with a team-high six home runs to go along with 20 RBIs. She’s also drawn 23 walks, more than double any other player on the roster.
Leading pitcher: Junior Melissa Holzopfel is 19-9 with two saves and 1.77 ERA. Holzopfel has 195 strikeouts and 74 walks in 193 ⅓ innings. She’s also hitting .326 with four home runs and 31 RBIs.
OU’s all-time record vs. Vikings: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Short hops: The Vikings dropped their first game Sunday, 5-4, to Northern Kentucky before rebounding to beat NKU 6-1 to clinch a regional berth. … Cleveland State hit just 24 home runs this season, with no player totaling more than six. … The Vikings are in the field for the first time since 2009. Cleveland State’s other appearance came in 1997. … Cleveland State’s .277 batting average ranks No. 123 nationally and their 3.67 runs per game is No. 205 nationally.
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Norman Regional schedule
Double elimination from Friday-Sunday (May 17-19) at Love's Field in Norman:
Friday's games
Game 1: Oregon vs. Boston University, 4:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. Cleveland State, 7 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Saturday's games
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 2 p.m. CT
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 4:30 p.m. CT
Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7 p.m. CT
Sunday's games
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, TBD
*-Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, TBD
*-if necessary
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Norman Regional schedule in NCAA softball tournament: Bracket, TV info
