STARKVILLE, Miss. – Oklahoma sophomore Keilani Ricketts has been named as the NFCA National Player of the Week for games played May 2-8, 2011. Ricketts got it done from both sides of the plate last week, as the sophomore helped the Sooners end their 2011 regular-season on a three-game win streak. In the circle, Ricketts was 3-0 over 13.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA, just two hits and 22 strikeouts. At the dish, she was equally as impressive by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, four runs, four walks and a home run.
The San Jose, Calif., native limited opponents to a miniscule .049 batting average last week, while herself turning in a .600 clip to go along with a .778 on-base percentage and a 1.200 slugging percentage. Her best showing of the week came in her team’s regular-season finale against Iowa State when she turned in a two-hit complete game gem in and struck out 14 of 27 batters faced.
For the year, Ricketts is 25-12 with a 1.45 ERA and 389 strikeouts. Her nearly 400 strikeouts on the season is the most of any Big XII pitcher and is third-most in all of Division I softball, behind Sara Plourde of Massachusetts (463) and Morgan Melloh of Indiana (458).
With the three wins last week, the 13th-ranked Sooners ended their regular season at 38-16 overall and at 10-8 in the Big XII. After a fifth-place finish in the league, Oklahoma must now wait until next Sunday evening when the NCAA reveals it 64-team field for the 2011 Division I Softball Championships to see if they have earned an at-large bid.
Other Top Performances
Hofstra’s Olivia Galati helped lead the Pride to the CAA regular-season title by going 2-0 in the circle with 26 strikeouts and hitting .571 at the dish… Kelsi Weseman of Georgia Tech went 7-for-10 last week with nine RBIs and two home runs as the 19th-ranked Yellow Jackets went 2-1 vs. Florida State… Florida’s Hanna Rogers picked up all three wins and struck out 13 in the third-ranked Gators’ sweep of then No. 5 Tennessee… Nicole Hudson of Missouri helped the ninth-ranked Tigers earn a split with then third-ranked Texas last week by batting .692 with five RBIs.
NFCA DI National Player of the Week
May 10 – Keilani Ricketts – Oklahoma – So. – P – San Jose, Calif.
May 3 – Raven Chavanne – Tennessee – So. – OF – Thousand Oaks, Calif. (co)
May 3 – Jen Mineau – Fordham – Jr. – P – Schaghticoke, N.Y. (co)
Apr. 25 – Adrienne Monka – Northwestern – Jr. – 1B – Ranch Cucamonga, Calif.
Apr. 18 – Jolene Henderson – California – So. – P – Elk Grove, Calif.
Apr. 11 – Kristyn Sandberg – Georgia – Jr. – C/IF – Island Park, N.Y.
Apr. 5 – Sara Plourde – Massachusetts – Jr. – P – Bristol, Conn.
Mar. 29 – Jacqueline Grim – Loyola (IL) – Sr. – 1B – Beecher, Ill.
Mar. 22 – Blaire Luna – Texas – So. – P – Austin, Texas
Mar. 15 – Kelly Hmiel – Pittsburgh – Jr. – 3B – York, Pa.
Mar. 8 – Chelsea Thomas – Missouri – So. – P – Pleasantville, Iowa
Mar. 1 – Lori Spignola – North Carolina – Fr. – P – Atlanta, Ga.
Feb. 22 – Stephanie Brombacher – Florida – Sr. – P – Pembroke Pine, Fla.
Feb. 15 – Gabrielle Bridges – La-Lafayette – Sr. – 1B – Lafitte, La.
