Oklahoma Sooners

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops wasn’t shy about praising his former school, which knocked off Oklahoma State late Saturday night. Stoops was fired from Arizona midway through last season after eight years there.

“I was certainly happy for Arizona, happy for Coach (Rich) Rodriguez and all the players at Arizona there,” Stoops said. “They must have played an awfully great game. That’s a tough place to play there at night.”

Stoops singled out quarterback Matt Scott, whom Stoops signed out of high school. Scott finally won a starting job this fall after backing up Nick Foles for four years.

“We all knew Matt Scott was a great player,” Stoops said. “It’s not a shock. I saw what Matt Scott did for four years there. He got beat out by an NFL quarterback in Nick Foles and Matt is a tremendous talent.

“So I’m really happy and proud of what those guys did against a really good Oklahoma State team. It’s more personal for me because I coached at Arizona. I’m really proud of those guys. I had a feeling that game would be tougher than people thought.”

Keilani Ricketts made a strong case to be named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Saturday. The Oklahoma pitcher was outstanding for the second straight game leading the Sooners to a 7-1 win over Arizona to sweep the Norman Super Regional at Marita Hynes Field.

Oklahoma advanced to the Women’s College World Series with the victory and recorded its second straight Super Regional win over the Wildcats to make its seventh appearance in the WCWS.

Turning point: The Sooners scored five runs in the first inning to blow the game wide open and give Ricketts a sizable cushion throughout much of the contest.

Player of the game: Ricketts. The junior was simply dominant on Saturday, allowing one hit in the first five innings and striking out 13 batters in the complete game win. At one point, she struck out nine straight batters.

Ricketts, one of three finalists for the USA player of the year award, also got the scoring started with a bases loaded RBI single in the first inning. She allowed one run in 14 innings pitched to earn both wins for the Sooners.

Player of the game not named Ricketts: Jessica Shults. The sophomore catcher was 2 for 3 with a home run, 2 RBI and one stolen base in the win. She also did a terrific job managing Ricketts pitches from behind the plate.

Unsung hero of the Super Regional: Brianna Turang. The speedy outfielder was 3 for 5 in the two games and had three stolen bases for the Sooners. She consistently put pressure on the Wildcats defense.

Stat of the game: One walk. While Ricketts struck out 13 Wildcat batters, she only walked one batter. Her command of her pitches was outstanding.

What it means: The Sooners will play in the WCWS in Oklahoma City, Okla., beginning May 31 when they face the winner of the Hofstra/South Florida Super Regional.

Quotable: “They’ve got the ingredients you need... strong pitching, strong offense.” -- Arizona coach Mike Candrea on the Sooners chances in the WCWS.

“We’re playing our best softball right now.” -- OU coach Patty Gasso.

“She went out there and knew what she wanted to do. She didn’t want to be denied. She was lights out today.” -- Shults on Ricketts pitching performance.

“Last year our goal was to get to the World Series, you could tell by our celebration. This year, we made our goal bigger.” -- Ricketts.

“It’s a good feeling as a coach. You don’t have to say much because they’re on the same page. They get it, all of them, freshman to seniors. There’s no animosity, no pouting.” -- Gasso on her team’s chemistry and confidence.

Oklahoma is one win away from the Women’s College World Series. The Sooners defeated Arizona 6-0 on Friday afternoon to take command of the Norman Super Regional at OU Softball Complex. OU advances to the WCWS with a win on Saturday, while Arizona would have to win games 2 and game 3 to earn a WCWS berth.

Turning point: The Sooners got out of the first inning without allowing a run after a clutch third-to-first double play with two Arizona runners on base with one out. It was the only double play of the game. OU went on to score two runs in the bottom of the inning then controlled the game throughout.

Player of the game: Keilani Ricketts. The Sooners starting pitcher scored more runs than she gave up. She pitched a complete game shutout and added a home run in the sixth inning. The junior allowed seven hits while striking out nine batters. Ricketts secured her 32nd win (32-7 overall record) and 16th home run in the victory.

Unsung hero of the game: Lauren Chamberlain. After Georgia Casey and Destinee Martinez got on base to start the game, the freshman’s two-run double in the first inning set the tone for the Sooners. OU scored in five of its six innings and the first was OU’s lone multiple-run inning. She was 1 for 3 and had three of OU’s six RBIs in the game.

Stat of the game: Zero Arizona runs. It was Ricketts' second-straight shut out and she has allowed just one run in three games since the NCAA tournament began.

Missed opportunity: Arizona left 10 runners on base in its loss. The Wildcats left runners on base in the first three innings, while the Sooners put up four runs in the same span.

What it means: The Sooners are one win away from a berth in the Women’s College World Series. OU appears to be peaking at the right time having won seven straight games.

Quotable: “Lauren opening it up with a hard shot to left center, set the tone. It was very important that we came out fast.” -- OU softball coach Patty Gasso.

“In my eyes, she’s probably one of the best pitchers in the country right now.” -- Arizona coach Mike Candrea on Ricketts.

“I just wanted to come up big for them, they worked so hard to get on.” -- Chamberlain on her two-run double after Casey and Martinez got on base with no outs in the first inning.

“They got runners on [base] every inning, it was tough getting out of those situations but the defense came up with key plays.” -- Ricketts on holding the Wildcats scoreless despite several scoring threats.

When defensive back Cortez Johnson was trying to decide which school to choose as a member of the 2011 class, the University of Arizona didn't stand out to the New Orleans native. But then-Arizona head coach Mike Stoops and his coaching staff made a big impression on the defensive back. Johnson said he connected immediately with Stoops and could tell Stoops cared about him as a lot more than just a football player.

Stoops also kept his word when he said Johnson, 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds, would get his chance to play as a freshman. Johnson played in eight games and started two, registering 16 tackles. He had a season-high seven stops against Washington.

But Johnson didn't feel right after Wildcats coaches Stoops, Tim Kish and Ryan Walters left Arizona for Oklahoma. So he decided to join them. After visiting the OU campus over the weekend, Johnson confirmed Saturday night that he will transfer to Oklahoma, enrolling at the school this summer.

“I just wanted to get back with Coach Stoops and be closer to home,” Johnson said. “Oklahoma – it just felt right. Everything went great and fell right in place.”

One thing Johnson will bring to OU’s secondary is versatility. He can play either cornerback or safety, and he also knows Mike Stoops won’t put him in a position to fail.

“They were talking about how whichever position is going to help me get on the field first is the one I’m going to play,” Johnson said. “For me, though, I really don’t care. I just want to play.”

Johnson didn’t need any more convincing, but he received it when he talked to OU head coach Bob Stoops. Expectations will be high for Johnson to come in immediately and make an impact and he said he has no problems with that.

Johnson spent a lot of his time on his visit with wide receiver Kenny Stills and defensive back Tony Jefferson. And as the “Cali trio” did numerous times with the 2012 class, Stills and Jefferson helped reel in another Sooners prospect.

“Those guys are great guys. What I like about them is that they told me how things are going to be,” Johnson said. “They didn’t tell me what I want to hear. They told me how it will be. I had a great time and definitely enjoyed talking with the coaches.”

Johnson finished his classes at Arizona on Friday and said he is going to report to OU on June 4. Because of NCAA transfer rules, he will likely sit out the 2012 season and still have three years left to play for the Sooners.

At this point, however, that doesn’t matter because Johnson and his family are happy he has found a home.

“My family is very excited because they know how good of a school Oklahoma is,” Johnson said. “I’m going to work for everything. I know the guys at Oklahoma are bigger, faster. I’m going to get better, too.”

“This is a blessing.”