2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE PATTY GASSO HEAD COACH | 14TH SEASON | 639-208-2 (.754) RECORD AT OKLAHOMA

As she begins her 14th season at the , head coach Gasso’s Sooner teams have fi nished second or higher nine different times Patty Gasso has molded the OU softball program into a national power and since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996. They have won 74 percent of their permanently placed herself among the elite college softball coaches in the Big 12 contests and OU has claimed three Big 12 regular season and three country. tournament titles under her direction.

The Sooners have reached the Women’s College World Series in fi ve of the Numerous Sooner players have prospered under Gasso’s tutelage and last eight years and, in the process, advanced to the postseason in each garnered national, regional and conference recognition. She has directed 27 of her 13 seasons. The WCWS run began in 2000 when her team won the All-Americans, 50 All-Midwest Region honorees and 87 all-conference selec- NCAA National Championship in OU’s fi rst appearance. tions. In the Big 12 era, fi ve Sooners have been named Big 12 Player of the Year, two have been selected as Big 12 Freshman of the Year, one as Big 12 Gasso holds an overall record of 639-208-2 (.754) at the University of Okla- Newcomer and Lauren Eckermann was named OU’s fi rst Big 12 Pitcher of the homa and continues to distance herself from her counterparts in the Big 12 Year in 2007. In addition, 2005 graduate Heather Scaglione was a two-time and her predecessors at OU. She has won more Big 12 games (156-55) than Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. any coach in the league’s history and has doubled up every other coach who ever led the Sooners. The OU softball success under Gasso has also spilled over into the classroom where 68 individuals have earned academic all-conference recognition and Gasso is coming off one of the best seasons in school history as she led the six of those have gone on to become Academic All-Americans, including Lana 2007 squad to a 55-8 overall record and a Big 12 Postseason Championship. Moran, the 2000 Academic All-American of the Year. In addition, Gasso led to the Sooners to a No. 1 ranking in the top 25 poll and OU advanced to its second NCAA Super Regional in three years. Gasso and her staff have consistently been recognized for their efforts on and off the fi eld. The staff was awarded three consecutive Speedline/NFCA Is she the best coach in the history of Oklahoma softball? Undoubtedly. Is Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards from 1999-2001, received she the greatest coach in Big 12 history? The stats say she is. Could she be the national honor in 2000. Gasso and staff have claimed the Midwest honor one of the best coaches to ever coach college softball? Each season, she in fi ve of their 13 seasons with the most recent award coming in 2004. In ad- continues to build what is a very strong argument. dition, Gasso has been named the Big 12 and Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1996, 1999 and 2000. Currently in her 18th season as a head coach, Gasso has a career collegiate coaching record of 801-267-2 (.749).

62 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES 2007 BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSPLAYERS PATTY GASSO THE GASSO FILE Gasso’s career with the Sooners began in 1995 when she arrived at OU after fi ve successful years Birthdate ______May 27, 1962 at Long Beach City College. Her accomplishments during her tenure at LBCC and since led to Gasso Hometown ______Torrance, Calif. being named to the LBCC Hall of Champions in 2004. High School ______Bishop Montgomery College ______Long Beach State, 1984 Later during the 2004 summer, Gasso was inducted into the inaugural class of the Long Beach City Family ______husband, Jim Baseball and Softball Hall of Fame. Her success in her hometown of Long Beach set the foundation sons, J.T. (19) and D.J. (13) for a spectacular career in Norman.

In her fi rst season at the helm, the Sooners recorded a 43-23 record, fi nished second in the confer- COACHING HISTORY ence and reached the regional fi nal. Several Sooners received awards for their play during the 1995 Oklahoma ______1995-Present season, including 11 players who garnered all-conference accolades (four on the fi rst team). Record ______639-208-2 (.754) Gasso and the Sooners reached new heights in 1996, recording a 50-20 record, a fi rst-ever Big 12 Long Beach City College ______1991-94 Championship, and another regional fi nal berth. OU dominated the inaugural Big 12 Tournament, Record ______162-59 (.733) putting fi ve players on the all-tournament squad. Pitcher Jill Most was named the tourney MVP. Gasso’s 1996 squad also became the fi rst team outside of the states of California or Arizona to win CAREER ACCOLADES the prestigious Pony Tournament. • 2000 Big 12 Coach of the Year • 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year Gasso was recognized by her peers for her team’s performance, earning the Big 12 Coach-of-the- • 1996 Big 12 Coach of the Year Year award. Again, Sooner players were mentioned as some of the league’s best with 10 players • 2000 NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year receiving All-Big 12 recognition. • 2004 NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year • 2001 NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year Gasso continued the trend of reaching new heights in 1997 when the team recorded the then-second • 2000 NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year best record in school history (55-19). The season was highlighted by two impressive 12-game win- • 1999 NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year ning streaks that helped the team to a second-place fi nish in the Big 12. For the fourth consecutive • 1996 NFCA Region Coaching Staff of the Year year, OU advanced to a NCAA Regional. It marked the fi rst time in school history that OU hosted the • NFCA 800-Win Club event. • 2004 Inductee to Long Beach City Hall of Champions The 1998 season was probably one of Gasso’s best coaching jobs. However, it wasn’t because of OU SOFTBALL THEN AND NOW the number of wins and losses or the tournaments won by the Sooners. It was due to the fact the The years before and after Patty Gasso’s arrival.... team featured six freshmen. Gasso led the young group to a 49-15 record, a second-place confer- ence fi nish and a No. 1 seed in a NCAA Regional. Five Sooners were named to the all-conference Before Since squad and three players were named to the All-Midwest Region team. (1982-94) (1995-Present) Overall Record 372-317 639-208-2 No. of weeks in AP Top 25 1 170 National Titles 0 1 Conference Titles 0 3 Postseason Conference Titles 0 3 Women’s College World Series 0 5 NCAA Tournament Appearances 1 13 All-America Selections 1 27 All-Conference Selections 60 87 All-Conference Academic 28 64 Years Among fi nal Top 25 1 13 Years Among fi nal Top 10 0 6 Finish in the Top 2 in Conference 0 9

63 THREE BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE WCWS APPEARANCES 2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE PATTY GASSO OKLAHOMA UNDER GASSO SEASON RECORD WINNINGEST DIVISION I TEAMS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS 2007______55-8 2006______40-21-1 TEAM NATIONAL TITLES WCWS WINS LOSSES PERCENTAGE 2005______50-17 1. Arizona 2001, 2006, 2007 9 559 95 .854 2004______45-22-1 2. Louisiana-Lafayette 1 490 109 .818 2003 ______47-14 2002 ______49-16 3. Michigan 2005 4 499 128 .796 2001 ______50-9 4. LSU 2 536 138 .795 2000 ______66-8 5. UCLA 1999, 2003, 2004 9 470 123 .793 1999 ______40-16 1998 ______49-15 6. OKLAHOMA 2000 5 491 146 .771 1997 ______55-19 7. Alabama 4 516 167 .755 1996 ______50-20 8. Fresno State 1998 2 435 143 .753 1995 ______43-23 Overall Record ______639-208-2 9. Washington 7 450 165 .732 10. Massachusetts 410 151 .730 CONFERENCE RECORD AND FINISH * Based on final records from 1998-2007 2007______14-4 (Second) 2006______8-10 (Fifth) 2005______12-6 (Second) In 1999, Gasso led OU to its sixth straight NCAA regional playoff appearance and her team continued to 2004______11-7 (Fifth) demonstrate that she is one of the top coaches in the country. Along the path to the regional playoffs in 2003______12-6 (Fourth) Baton Rouge, La., the Sooners seized several awards and honors. For the second time in the three-year 2002______14-2 (Second) history of the , OU was crowned regular season champion. The Sooners, who fi nished 2001______14-2 (Second) with a 40-16 overall record, won the Big 12 with an 11-3 record. Oklahoma fell just short of its goal, the 2000______17-1 (First) Women’s College World Series, but the Sooners proved once again that they were a national power- 1999______11-3 (First) house. That year, OU defeated several top-25 teams including Louisiana State, Texas, Massachusetts, 1998______12-5 (Second) Oregon, Texas A&M, Missouri and Nebraska. In addition, the Sooners swept the four-game series with 1997______14-4 (Second) state rival Oklahoma State. The last victory against the Cowgirls in the regular season fi nale clinched the 1996______17-5 (First) Big 12 title. 1995______12-4* (Second) *Big 8 Conference Not only were Gasso’s players honored for their accomplishments in 1999, but she was also recognized for her solid coaching effort. Gasso was named the 1999 Big 12 Coach of the Year and joined her staff as Big 12 Record ______156-55 (.739) the Midwest Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. Big 8 Record ______12-4 (.750) Overall Conf. Record ______168-59 (.740) The 2000 Sooners won their third Big 12 regular season title since the league began in 1996 and hosted their fi rst NCAA Regional since 1997. Behind an explosive offense and a dominant defense, the Sooners POSTSEASON rolled to a 66-8 record and won their fi nal eight games of the season to capture the fi rst softball national 2007______NCAA Super Regional championship in school history. 2006______NCAA Regional 2005______NCAA Super Regional Four Sooners earned All-America honors, with Lisa Carey and Ashli Barrett earning fi rst team recognition. 2004______NCAA Regional, WCWS Outfi elder Erin Evans and pitcher Stewart were both third team All-Americans and Jennifer Stewart was 2003______NCAA Regional, WCWS named the Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS. 2002______NCAA Regional, WCWS 2001______NCAA Regional, WCWS The accolades rolled in as Gasso was named the Dallas Morning News Big 12 Coach of the Year. She 2000______NCAA Regional, WCWS* and her staff also earned the Midwest Region Coach of the Year award and Speedline/NFCA Division I 1999______NCAA Regional National Coaching Staff of the Year. 1998______NCAA Regional 1997______NCAA Regional Following the 2000 National Championship season, Gasso’s 2001 squad continued the string of success. 1996______NCAA Regional The 2001 team went on to match many of the accomplishments of the previous year, including a return 1995______NCAA Regional trip to the Women’s College World Series, a 50-win season and four All-America selections. The team * National Champions also established its own successes by compiling a school-record 23-game win streak and the program’s fi rst Big 12 Tournament title since 1996.

In 2002, Oklahoma went 49-16 and 14-2 in the Big 12. Taking their team motto “Triple Threat” to heart, the Sooners swept their third consecutive NCAA Regional and advanced to a third straight Women’s College World Series.

64 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES 2007 BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSPLAYERS PATTY GASSO

AVERAGE FINAL RANKINGS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS TEAM 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 AVERAGE 1. Arizona 1 1 4 8 3 2 1 3 6 2 3.1 2. Washington 3 15 14 7 6 14 13 5 2 3 8.2 3. Michigan 13 10 1 10 12 7 8 13 16 6 9.6 4. OKLAHOMA 11 18 13 6 5 8 5 1 23 11 10.1

Based on final ranking in NFCA Coaches Top-25 Poll Qualifying teams must be ranked in the final NFCA poll for all 10 seasons.

Regional, the Sooners were one of the best hitting teams in program history The 2003 squad was led by fi ve seniors and sophomore hurler Kami Keiter. (fourth in the nation with a .320 batting average). OU reached its fourth consecutive WCWS by becoming the fi rst Sooner squad to claim a regional championship away from Norman. OU ended the The highlight of the season was OU’s record 29-game winning streak that season with a 47-14 record and won one game before being eliminated from spanned 36 days and was extended during play in fi ve different states. The the 2003 WCWS. Sooners outscored opponents 218-40, run ruled 10 opponents and claimed fi ve tourney championships during the streak. Five Sooners were named to the All-Big 12 Conference fi rst team including senior Leah Gulla, who led the conference in batting average, hits and RBI. In 2006, Gasso led the Sooners to their 13th straight 40-win season. The Underclassmen Keiter, Heather Scaglione and Kristin Vesely joined senior young Sooner squad made a strong postseason run, winning 12 of its fi nal 15 Erian Evans on the all-conference team. The NFCA bestowed All-America contests while fi nishing second in the Big 12 Championship and advancing to honors on Keiter and Gulla, while Evans joined the duo on the the NCAA Regional Finals for the seventh consecutive year. Midwest Region Team. Gasso and her husband, Jim, reside in Norman with their youngest son, D.J The OU program reached a couple of milestones during (13). The couple’s oldest son, J.T. (19) plays baseball at Eastern Oklahoma the 2003 season. The program recorded its 1,000th State University for former Oklahoma baseball player Aric Thomas. victory when the Sooners knocked off Bethune-Cookman in its regional opener on May 15. Justifying its nickname, the Sooners also became the fi rst Big 12 team to reach the 100-win mark in conference play. OU beat Ne- braska, 1-0, in Lincoln on March 20, 2003, to be the fi rst squad to reach the century mark.

The 2004 season went down as one of the most memorable in Sooner history. OU battled through injuries during the entire regular season and peaked at the right time. OU, seeded second in the NCAA Region I Championship, stormed through Tucson, Ariz., knocking off No. 1 Arizona and No. 9 Louisiana-Lafayette en route to the Sooners’ fi fth consecu- tive WCWS. The Sooners entered the WCWS as the hottest hitting team in the postseason and held onto that recognition, despite being eliminated after winning their opener against Washington.

Gasso’s staff was recognized for a fi fth time as the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year, thanks to one of the most memorable postseason runs in NCAA history.

In 2005, the Sooners made their 11th straight NCAA postseason appearance under Gasso and claimed the Regional 14 Championship in front of the home crowd in Norman. Despite missing out on its sixth straight WCWS appear- ance after dropping a best-of-three series to Arizona in the NCAA Super

65 THREE BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE WCWS APPEARANCES 2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE MELYSSA LOMBARDI As a catcher for Oklahoma in 1995-1996, Melyssa Lombardi Lombardi’s protégé Kami Keiter turned it up another notch dur- helped direct the Sooner pitchers to new heights. Now in her ing the postseason when she garnered All-Big 12 Tournament 11th season as a full-time assistant coach, Lombardi continues and Region I Championship MVP honors. to guide the Sooner pitchers and catchers to even greater accomplishments. In 2003, Lombardi guided Keiter out of the shadows of Sooner great Jennifer Stewart and into stardom. In just her second Lombardi was promoted to Associate Head Coach in July of collegiate season, Keiter led the Big 12 in wins (47) and was 2007 after assisting the Sooners to a 55-8 overall record during ranked in the NCAA top 15 in two pitching categories. The the 2007 season and developing OU’s first Big 12 Pitcher of the Sooner pitching staff combined for an ERA of 1.40, which Year. Lauren Eckermann also earned All-America honors and ranked as the 18th best in the NCAA. tied the school record for most wins in a season with 37. In her first year on the coaching staff as a student assistant in “The title of associate head coach is a testament to the com- 1997, the OU pitching staff produced one of the lowest earned mitment, loyalty and dedication Coach Lombardi has shown for run averages in school history and in the country. The staff the Oklahoma program,” Sooner head coach Patty Gasso said. finished with a 1.14 ERA to rank seventh in the nation. The “She has had many opportunities to go other places, but her Sooners’ pitching performances continued to rank among the heart and soul has always been invested in Oklahoma. She is nation’s elite in 1998 and 1999 and the Sooners’ improvement a huge part of our consistent success by her efforts on the field culminated in 2000 with a national championship. as well as in recruiting and in the office. We would like to see ASSOCIATE Coach Lombardi at Oklahoma for a very long time.” In the national championship season, the team registered a 1.44 ERA which was good enough for second in the Big 12 Drawing from her playing days as a catcher for the Sooners, and ranked 25th nationally. The staff posted 24 shutouts and HEAD COACH Lombardi has been able to lend her valuable experiences in its best strikeout total in three years with 301. Lombardi helped tutoring the Oklahoma catchers and pitchers. During Lombardi’s guide the one-two punch of Lana Moran and Jennifer Stewart 11TH SEASON AT OKLAHOMA tenure, the Sooners won the 2000 National Championship and that year. Moran went 26-2 and led the Big 12 with a 1.28 ERA. have won seven NCAA Regional Championships in 10 post- Stewart was a third team All-America selection and the MVP season appearances. In addition the Sooners have claimed two of the Women’s College World Series. Lombardi also helped THE LOMBARDI FILE Big 12 regular season titles (1999, 2000) and two conference catcher Ashli Barrett reach new heights as the junior was Birthdate ______Dec. 19, 1974 tournament championships (2001, 2007). named a first team All-American. Hometown ______Glendale, Ariz. High School ______Greenway HS A former all-conference catcher for the Sooners, Lombardi The Glendale, Ariz., native ended her two-year playing career College ______Oklahoma, 1997 has also coached the Oklahoma battery to a combined nine with the Sooners with a spectacular senior season in 1996. Her All-America honors, 14 All-Region accolades and 20 All-Big 12 team-leading .345 batting average was a key factor during OU’s Family ______husband, John selections during her time in Norman. Big 12 Conference Championship run that year.

Lombardi guided catcher Heather Scaglione to two straight She was also instrumental in helping Jill Most and Jennifer COACHING CAREER All-America first team honors in 2004 and 2005. The only two- Jaime record two of the best pitching seasons in school history. Oklahoma Assistant ____1998-Present time first team All-American in school history was also named Lombardi caught all three of Most’s wins in OU’s conference Oklahoma Student Asst. ______1997 the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year in those same years. tournament games and was named to the all-tournament team Scaglione remains the only player in Big 12 history to receive after going 3-for-8 (.375) at the plate with four RBI, two runs the honor twice. scored, a triple and a stolen base. PLAYING CAREER Oklahoma ______1995-96 In 2004, Lombardi may have had her biggest challenge since Lombardi graduated from OU in 1997 with a degree in health Central Arizona ______1993-94 joining the OU staff. The pitching coach had to hold together a and sports science. The former Melyssa Panzer married John staff that was missing its No. 1 and No. 2 pitcher for a combined Lombardi on Nov. 10, 2000. The couple currently resides in total of 51 games. Despite the shortage of arms, the Sooners Norman and is expecting their first child in March. COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS were the third best staff (in terms of ERA) in the Big 12. • Member of 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2004 NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staffs of the Year

• Coached four pitchers and two catchers to nine combined All-America honors

• At least one pitcher or one catcher has garnered All-Big 12 honors each year since 1998, with 20 total honors for the battery since 1997

• 15 NFCA Midwest All-Region honors have gone to OU pitchers and catchers since 1997

PLAYING ACCOMPLISHMENTS • 1996 NFCA All-Midwest Region • 1996 Second Team All-Big 12 • 1995 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 66 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES 2007 BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSPLAYERS TRIPP MACKAY Tripp MacKay is beginning his first season as an assis- He spent the last seven years as a private hitting tant on the Oklahoma softball staff where he is respon- instructor in Dallas and was a partner of the Dallas sible for OU outfielders and offensive instructing. Performance Edge Training Center since 2004. MacKay was instrumental in all aspects of the softball side of the MacKay is a familiar name in the state of Oklahoma academy including pitching, hitting, fielding, catching, as he began his collegiate career at the University of base running and position specific skills. Florida and played his final two seasons at Oklahoma State. He was a two-time All-American and a member While serving as an instructor at Performance Edge, of the 1996 College World Series squad at Oklahoma MacKay found time to broaden his coaching credentials. State. MacKay graduated with a degree in Physical The Columbus, Miss., native served the last two years Education from Oklahoma State in 2000. as the hitting instructor at ’s University of Arizona Summer and Holiday Camps and served as a The second baseman moved on to the professional coach at the University of Oklahoma softball camp this ranks after being drafted by the Montreal Expos in the past summer. 1996 draft. MacKay played for the Vermont Expos and ASSISTANT the Cape Fear Crocs in the Montreal Expos organization Prior to his stint at Dallas Performance Edge, MacKay from 1996-97 and finished his professional play in the served as a hitting instructor at the Dallas Baseball Northern League with the Winnipeg Goldeyes (1998-99) Academy of Texas from 2000-04 while also serving as COACH and Sioux City Explorers (1999-00). the head coach of the Dallas Tigers baseball team for three years. FIRST SEASON AT OKLAHOMA “I am thrilled that Tripp will be joining our staff,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “I have known Tripp and his “I’m so excited for this opportunity and am looking THE MACKAY FILE family for a while and I have followed his career, both forward to working for an elite program like Oklahoma,” Birthdate ______Aug. 15, 1973 as a successful college player and an instructor. He has MacKay said. “It will be great experience getting to work Hometown ______Mt. Pleasant, Texas an extreme passion for the game and has a talent for with Coach Gasso and Coach Lombardi and I’m ready High School ______Mt. Pleasant HS getting the most out of his athletes. He was brought up to dig in and get started.” College ______Oklahoma State, 2000 on hitting and will quickly make a huge impact on this Family ______wife, Holly program. This will be a great fit for us and I am anxious Growing up with a baseball family, MacKay’s father, Jack daughter, Ali (3) to get Tripp started.” MacKay, was a bat designer for Louisville Slugger from son, Jack (2) 1990-1997.

MacKay began his career with valuable coaching experi- COACHING CAREER ence at the high school and collegiate level as an assis- The 34-year-old MacKay is married to the former Holly Oklahoma Assistant ____2007-Present tant coach from 1997-2000 with stops at Blinn College, Cooper and the couple has two kids: Ali (3) and Jack Private Hitting Instuctor _____ 2001-07 Palm Beach Community College and Northeast Texas (2). Blinn College ______1999-2000 Community College. Vol. Coach Palm Beach CC _____1998 Vol. Coach Northeast Texas CC _1997

PLAYING CAREER Sioux City Explorers ______1999-00 Winnipeg Goldeyes ______1998-99 Cape Fear Crocs (A) ______1997 Vermont Expos (A) ______1996 Oklahoma State ______1995-96 University of Florida ______1993-94

PLAYING ACCOMPLISHMENTS • 1995 All-American • 1996 All-American • Member of the 1996 Oklahoma State College World Series squad

67 THREE BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE WCWS APPEARANCES 2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE KAYCEE CLARK Kaycee Clark enters her second season as a full-time As a second baseman at UCF, Clark recorded a .940 staff member of the Oklahoma softball staff. Clark is no fielding percentage for the Golden Knights. Also excel- stranger to the Sooner program as she was a member ling academically, Clark received Academic All-Big 12 of the 2001 and 2002 Women’s College World Series honors in 2002 at Oklahoma and was a member of the teams. Atlantic Sun All-Academic team as a junior at Central Florida. Clark will be responsible for the day-to-day operations off the field while serving as a liaison for athletic depart- After her playing career, the Midwest City, Okla., native ment staff and the Diamond Club. worked as a land assistant for Chesapeake Energy from November 2004 until June 2006. “Kaycee brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and passion to our program,” head coach Patty Gasso Additionally, she served as coach of the Oklahoma Ice, said. “She was that way as a player and I’m looking a 14 and under travel squad, as well as giving various forward to working with her on an everyday basis again. private hitting and fielding lessons. She’s going to be an excellent representative for our DIRECTOR OF team and our university,” Gasso said. “She’s a winner Born on Jan. 29, 1982, in Midwest City, Okla., Clark and knows the expectations of this program.” earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts while at the University of Central Florida. OPERATIONS Following her sophomore season at OU, Clark trans- 2ND SEASON AT OKLAHOMA ferred to the University of Central Florida where she earned Atlantic Sun All-Tournament honors as a junior. THE CLARK FILE Birthdate ______Jan. 29, 1982 Hometown ______Midwest City, Okla. High School ______Midwest City HS College ______Central Florida

PLAYING CAREER Central Florida ______2003-04 Oklahoma ______2001-02 SUPPORT STAFF

SCOTT BLACK SARAH CAHILL Grounds Strength and Conditioning Coach

MORGAN DONLEY JAMIE FOX Trainer Softball Student Assistant

MARY ELLEN ENIGK TODD KNISLEY Academic Advisor Marketing

BLAKE KUENZI JACKIE LIVINGSTON Equipment Student Manager

COURTNEY SCOTT LINDY ROBERTS Softball Graduate Assistant Game Management 68 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES 2007 BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSPLAYERS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT for legislation discouraging administration and congressional staff from cashing in on government experience and contacts by becoming lobbyists. In addition, he introduced legislation seeking to limit gifts and travel subsidies that government workers, including members of Congress, can receive from lobbyists. Boren also chaired the special 1992-93 Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, which produced proposals to make Congress more effi cient and responsive by streamlining congressional bureau- cracy, reducing staff sizes and reforming procedures to end legislative gridlock.

Boren left the U.S. Senate in 1994 with an approval rating of 9l percent after being reelected with 83 percent of the vote in 1990, the highest percentage in the nation in a U.S. Senate contest in that election year.

Boren served from 1988 to 1997 as a member of the Yale University Board of Trustees. His university experience also includes four years on the faculty of Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was chairman of the Department of Political Science and chairman of the Division of Social Sciences. In 1993, the American Association of University Pro- DAVID L. BOREN fessors presented Boren with the Henry Yost Award as Education Advocate of the Year. 13th President, The University of Oklahoma In April 2004, Boren received the Mory’s Cup from the Mory’s Association at Yale University. In making the presentation to Boren it was noted that he was the fi rst Yale David L. Boren, who has served Oklahoma as governor and U.S. senator, became the graduate in the university’s history extending over three centuries to have served as a thirteenth president of the University of Oklahoma in November 1994. He is the fi rst Governor, U.S. Senator and President of a major university. person in state history to have served in all three positions. Under Boren’s leadership, the University of Oklahoma has developed and emerged Boren is widely respected for his academic credentials, his longtime support of educa- as a “pacesetter university in American public higher education,” with 20 major new tion, and for his distinguished political career as a reformer of the American political programs initiated since his inauguration. They include establishment of the Honors system. A graduate of Yale University in 1963, Boren majored in American history, College, the Charles M. Russell Center for the Study of Art of the American West, a new graduated in the top one percent of his class and was elected Phi Beta Kappa. He was expository writing program for freshmen modeled on the program at Harvard, an inter- selected as a Rhodes Scholar and earned a master’s degree in politics, philosophy and disciplinary religious studies program, the Artist-in-Residence Program, the International economics from Oxford University, England, in 1965. Programs Center, and the Faculty-in-Residence Program putting faculty family apart- ments in student residence halls. The Retired Professors Program has been started, In 1968, he received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, bringing 50 retired full professors back to the University to teach freshmen. where he was on the Law Review, elected to the Order of the Coif, and won the Bled- soe Prize as the outstanding graduate by a vote of the faculty. The number of new facilities started or completed on the campus during the Boren years has matched the explosion in new programs. Since 1994, almost $1 billion in As Oklahoma’s governor from 1974 through 1978, Boren promoted key educational ini- construction projects have been completed or are under way on OU’s three campuses. tiatives that have had an enduring impact on Oklahoma. Established during his tenure Among the largest of the recent projects are the $18.7 million renovation and expansion were the Oklahoma Arts Institute, the Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, and of historic Holmberg Hall, home of music and dance programs; the $67 million National the Oklahoma Physicians Manpower Training Program, which provides scholarships for Weather Center; the $19 million addition to the Michael F. Price College of Business; medical students and medical personnel who commit to practice in underserved rural the $17 million Gaylord Hall for journalism and mass communication; the $27 million areas. Also, the fi rst state funding for Gifted and Talented classes was provided in 1976 Stephenson Research and Technology Center; and the $83.5 million stadium project. and, from 1976 through 1978, Oklahoma ranked fi rst among all states in the percentage The Health Sciences Center has a new Student Union, and the new $24 million Stanton increases of funding for higher education. L. Young Biomedical Research Center.

One of Boren’s most far-reaching projects in promoting quality education at all levels is Presidential Travel Scholarships, students from 111 countries on campus, more the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, which he founded in 1985. The foundation reciprocal international exchange agreements than any other university and the new recognizes outstanding public school students and teachers and helps establish private International Programs Center are all making OU more international. The new Honors local foundations to help give academic endowment grants to local public schools. As College helps to assure that no students need to leave Oklahoma to fi nd an educational a senator, he was the author of the National Security Education Act in 1992, which experience to match their potential. provides scholarships for study abroad and for learning additional languages, as well as legislation to restore the tax deductibility of gifts of appreciated property to universities In 1995, Boren launched the “Reach for Excellence” fundraising campaign with a in 1993. fi ve-year goal of $200 million, which was twice as large as any fundraising drive in Oklahoma history. The drive exceeded $500 million, raising OU into the top 15 public Boren, also a former state legislator, spent nearly three decades in elective politics universities in the United States in private endowment per capita. Since 1994, endowed before becoming the president of the University of Oklahoma. Boren was the youngest professorships have more than quadrupled and the OU donor base has grown from governor in the nation when he served from 1974 to 1978. Known as a reformer, Boren 18,000 to more than 107,000 friends and alumni. During the fi rst 10 years of Boren’s campaigned with a broom as his symbol. During his term, he instituted many progres- tenure over $1 billion in private gifts were donated to the university. sive programs, including confl ict-of-interest rules, campaign-fi nancing disclosure, stron- ger open meeting laws for public bodies, more competitive bidding on state government Above all, the Boren years have been marked by an emphasis on putting students fi rst. contracts, and reform of the state’s prison system, including expanded education There is not a university president in the country that is more committed to students as programs for fi rst-time offenders and the largest expansion of the work-release program his number one priority. He teaches a freshman-level course in political science each in state history. semester and is one of the few presidents of major universities to teach.

During his time in the U.S. Senate from 1979 to 1994, Boren served on the Senate Fi- Boren is married to Molly Shi Boren, a former judge and English teacher. Mrs. Boren is nance and Agriculture Committees and was the longest-serving chairman of the Senate President Emeritus of the Oklahoma Arts Institute, which provides education programs Select Committee on Intelligence. From his days as a state legislator and governor of in nine arts disciplines for high school students from across the state who are gifted in Oklahoma to Washington, Boren carried a commitment to reform, leading numerous ef- the arts. Molly Boren has two degrees from the University of Oklahoma, a master’s forts to make government work better for American citizens. As chairman of the Senate degree in English and a Juris Doctorate from the OU College of Law. A native of Semi- Intelligence Committee, he strengthened oversight of secret government programs and nole, Boren has two children, Carrie Christine Boren, an Episcopal minister, and David reformed the procedures for Presidential notice of such programs to Congress. Daniel Boren, a member of the United States Congress from Oklahoma. Devoting much of his life to public service, Boren drew from the example of his parents, the late For more than 10 years, he led the fi ght for congressional campaign fi nance reform and Congressman Lyle H. Boren and Christine Boren. 69 THREE BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE WCWS APPEARANCES 2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS student-athletes and record-setting grade point averages for Sooner teams; dramati- cally increased donor giving; huge increases in ticket sales for all sports; major facility improvements, and development and construction of new facilities. And, as aggressive JOE CASTIGLIONE as the push to improve, expand and excel has been, he has produced a balanced Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics/A.D. budget in every year of his tenure, a fi rst since the early 1980s. The University of Oklahoma Other highlights of Castiglione’s tenure include:

Principle Centered Leader …Visionary ... Passionate Advocate for Student-Athletes • An annual or consistent fi nish among the top 25 in the standings for the Director’s Cup ... Establishes Standards of Excellence & Cultural Values ... Builder of Championship which measures overall athletics success in seven of the last eight years, including an Programs all-time program best of 15th in 2003-2004. • A total of 25 OU teams that have ranked among the top 10 in season-ending polls. Each of those characteristics, standing alone, describes the 11th director of athletics • A school-record and Big 12-best graduation rate of 74% in 2003. in University of Oklahoma history. However, just as he has brought together different • Three appearances in the BCS National Championship Game and the college football groups who are committed to one goal, you must combine those traits to get the com- national championship in 2000. plete picture of the person who has led the OU athletics department since 1998. • Appearances by the men’s and women’s teams in their respective Final Fours in 2002. Joe Castiglione has established a pattern of excellence that few in his profession can • A Division I record of 74 combined victories produced by the football team and both match. In an environment where every decision is made refl ecting the department’s basketball squads in the 2001-02 school year. mission statement “Inspiring champions today … Preparing leaders for tomorrow,” form- • An average of more than 17 out of 20 OU teams per year represented in postseason ing the background, Castiglione is leading the department that has written one of the play. most successful eras in school history. Credited with energizing OU’s fund-raising efforts, Castiglione was instrumental in the Quick to give credit to the student-athletes and coaches, the staff and the university athletics department’s major campaign, Great Expectations: The Campaign For Sooner administration, the donors and the fans, Castiglione was the one who implemented the Sports. The campaign ended in November of 2003 with more than $125 million raised changes that led to success. When he was hired in 1998, the search committee be- or pledged. Unique in its approach, the largest fund-raising effort in OU athletics history lieved they had found a rising star in the fi eld of intercollegiate athletics administration. included projects that impact each of OU’s nearly 500 student-athletes and has become Everything that has happened since his arrival at OU has cemented that reputation. a national model for intercollegiate athletics.

The accomplishments of the department and its student-athletes, coaches and staff Castiglione has cultivated numerous million dollar gifts, including the largest capital gifts have earned national recognition for the university and the department. Recognized as in history for athletics at OU, and some of the largest ever for the university as a whole. the 2007 PRISM Award winner by the School of Sports Management at the University He has driven dramatic facilities projects, including a $70 million project at Gaylord of Massachusetts, OU was just the second Division I winner and all of the programs Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Others include a $17.2 million renovation of Lloyd recognized by the selection panel were started under Castiglione’s leadership. The Noble Center; phase I of The Headington Family Tennis Complex; John Jacobs Field; PRISM Award annually recognizes one Division I intercollegiate athletics department the Everest Training Facility, one of the largest indoor practice areas in the country; that demonstrates industry-leading excellence and innovation in sports management. and Phase II of the soccer-tennis complex. Other projects completed in his tenure have included the redesign of the Sooner football practice fi elds; the Port Robertson Wres- His peers have honored him for the department’s achievements as well. In October tling Facility; phase I of the Sooner Soccer Complex and John Crain Field as well as 2004, the Bobby Dodd Foundation named him Athletics Director of the Year. In 2003, he additional renovations to the McCasland Field House; L. Dale Mitchell Park, the Charlie was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators Hall Coe Golf Learning Center, the OU Softball Complex and Barry Switzer Center. His ad- of Fame. In June 2001, he received the General Robert R. Neyland Athletic Director ministrative work, which has seen signifi cant reorganization and the hiring of nine head Award for lifetime achievement from the All-American Football Foundation. The National coaches, also included the negotiation of multi-million dollar multi-media rights contract Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) named him Central Region AD that produces more than $5 million in annual revenue for the athletics department. of the Year in 2000. Castiglione was hired on April 30, 1998, after serving as athletics director at Missouri. Perhaps his most unique In his 17-year career with the Tigers, Castiglione, who was named director of athletics achievement over the at Missouri on Dec. 15, 1993, was credited with rebuilding sports programs, hiring last nine years for Cas- outstanding coaches, implementing an innovative master plan for facilities, inspiring tiglione, though, came record-setting increases in fund-raising and balancing the budget in each of his fi ve when he received his years as athletics director. master’s of education degree from OU in May A 1979 Maryland graduate, Castiglione received the University’s Distinguished Alumnus 2007. To understand Award in April 2007. He began his career as the sports promotions director at Rice. He the need for education then worked a year as director of athletic fund-raising at Georgetown before being hired and lifelong learning, in 1981 at Missouri as director of communications and marketing. OU’s student-athletes just have to look at their Active on the national and conference level, he is currently serving on the Board of AD who started and Directors for the Collegiate Women Sports Awards, the Gatorade Collegiate Advisory completed his master’s Board, and the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. He degree while running has been named to the executive committee of the National Football Foundation and the department and College Hall of Fame. He served two terms as chair of the Big 12 Board of Athletics maintaining his priorities Directors and is a past president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association and to his family. NACDA. He served a four-year term on the NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet and the NCAA Baseball Committee and is a past member of the NCAA Football Special The 11th director of Events Certifi cation Committee. He recently agreed to serve on the NCAA Diversity athletics at the Univer- Leadership Strategic Planning Committee and the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball sity of Oklahoma has Discussion Group. In 2007, he was named to the Phi Delta Theta Foundation Board of celebrated six national Trustees. team championships and numerous confer- A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Castiglione was born Oct. 8, 1957. He is married to ence team titles; record the former Kristen Bartel, a 1990 graduate of the University of Missouri. They are the numbers of graduating parents of two sons, Joseph Robert, Jr., born on December 20, 1996, and Jonathan Edmund, born on March 21, 2000. 70 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES 2007 BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSPLAYERS ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATION

LARRY NAIFEH DR. GERALD GURNEY Executive Associate Athletics Director Senior Associate A.D. for Academics and Student Life

JASON LEONARD KENNY MOSSMAN Executive Director of Compliance Senior Associate A.D. for Communications

GREG PHILLIPS GLORIA NEVAREZ Senior Associate A.D./Chief Financial Officer Senior Associate A.D. for Administration

STEPHANIE REMPE MATT TRANTHAM Senior Associate A.D./Senior Woman Administrator Associate A.D. for Event Management

DEREN BOYD TIM GEORGE Assistant A.D. for Development Assistant A.D. for Marketing

BILLY RAY JOHNSON DR. NICKI MOORE Assistant A.D. for Ticket Operations Assistant A.D. for Psychological Resources

JOE WASHINGTON GREG TIPTON Executive Director of Varsity O Assocation/Special Assistant to Assistant A.D./General Manager of the Athletics Director

MERV JOHNSON CONNIE DILLON Special Assistant to the Athletics Director Faculty Athletics Representative

OU ATHLETICS PHONE DIRECTORY Medical Training ______8332 Unless otherwise noted, numbers are (405) 325 + four-digit extension O-Club ______8224 Publications ______8367 Academics & Student Life ______8265 Soccer ______8296 Administration ______8200 Softball ______8361 Baseball ______8354 SoonerSports.com ______4274 Basketball, Men’s ______4732 Sooner Sports Properties ______2148 Basketball, Women’s ______8322 SoonerVision ______8261 Business & Finance ______8440 Spirit ______8366 Compliance ______8561 Strength & Conditioning ______8330 24 Hour Hotline ______6479 Tennis, Men’s______8362 Development & Sooner Club ______8000 Tennis, Women’s ______8325 Toll Free ______(866) 766-6372 Ticket Office ______2424 Equipment ______8379 Toll Free ______(800) 456-4668 Events & Operations ______8235 Track & Field ______8361 Facilities ______8290 ______8364 Football ______2345 ______8209 Graphic Design ______8223 Golf, Men’s ______8342 Golf, Women’s ______8343 , Men’s ______8341 Gymnastics, Women’s ______8333 Marketing ______7811 Media Relations ______8231 71 THREE BIG 12 REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE BIG 12 POSTSEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE WCWS APPEARANCES 2008 OKLAHOMA SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE HEAD COACHES

SUNNY GOLLOWAY - BASEBALL JEFF CAPEL - MEN’S BASKETBALL Third Year Second Year

SHERRI COALE - WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MARTIN SMITH - CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD 12th Year Third Year

BOB STOOPS - FOOTBALL JIM RAGAN - MEN’S GOLF Ninth Year Eighth Year

CAROL LUDVIGSON - WOMEN’S GOLF MARK WILLIAMS - MEN’S GYMNASTICS 23rd Year Ninth Year

K.J. KINDLER - WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS NICOLE NELSON - SOCCER Second Year First Year

PATTY GASSO - SOFTBALL PAUL LOCKWOOD - MEN’S TENNIS 14th Year 21st Year

MARK JOHNSON - WOMEN’S TENNIS SANTIAGO RESTREPO - VOLLEYBALL 20th Year Fifth Year

JACK SPATES - WRESTLING PHILOSOPHY 15th Year The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department promotes excellence in ath- letics without compromising excellence in academics or integrity in its commit- ment to rules or conduct. Student-athletes are encouraged by the coaching and OU ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT administrative staff to maintain a balance between athletics, academics, and University of Oklahoma Athletics Department the social aspects of college. McClendon Center for Intercollegiate Athletics 180 W. Brooks, Norman, OK 73019 It is believed that athletic participation gives an added dimension to the stu- dent’s overall college experience and provides an opportunity for social, moral, OU ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT emotional, and cultural growth and development. The mission of the University of Oklahoma Athletics Department is to inspire champions today and prepare leaders for tomorrow by providing an excellent The athletic programs strive to create traits that once acquired will carry over environment to enable student-athletes to achieve their highest academic, ath- and benefi t student-athletes in their personal and professional endeavors. The letic and personal aspirations. University of Oklahoma maintains a tradition of excellence in intercollegiate sports. CORE VALUES • Integrity The Athletics Department continues to uphold this tradition by striving to make • Passion for Excellence each athletic team and individual of championship caliber. Its staff members • Commitment work to instill in student-athletes an appreciation for hard work, perseverance, • Respect & Responsibility for Self & Others and pride in accomplishment. It is believed these attributes will be utilized • Appreciation for and Encouragement of Gender & Cultural Diversity throughout the student-athlete’s life.

72 2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 14 STRAIGHT NCAA APPEARANCES 28 ALL-AMERICANS 47 FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG 12 HONOREES