Oklahoma softball: OU freshman named Big 12 Player of Week
By Chip Rouse
It was the kind of college debut that most can only dream about, but for Oklahoma softball freshman Tiare Jennings it was very real.
The Sooner second baseman collected 12 hits in 13 at bats, including clearing the fence five different times in Oklahoma’s four-game sweep in the season-opening Miner Invitational in El Paso.
On Tuesday Jennings was not only named Big 12 Player of the Week, but also National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Player of the Week.
Jennings’ weekend production included 12 runs batted in, a .983 batting average and a team-leading 30 total bases and eight extra-base hits. The San Pedro, California native hit three home runs and drove in six runs in her first college game.
The Sooner freshman wasn’t the only Oklahoma player who had an outstanding season-opening tournament. Oklahoma pitching surrendered just two runs and nine hits in 20.0 innings of work, and the Sooner offense was on fire, producing 70 runs in the four wins on 69 hits and an incredible 24 home runs.
After the opening weekend, Jennings leads the team in hits, extra bases, and total bases and is second to junior shortstop Grace Lyons, who clubbed six home runs in the four games.
Iowa State’s Ellie Spelhaug was named Pitcher of the Week in the conference after pitching her team to three weekend wins, allowing three runs in 14.0 innings pitched along with 12 strikeouts.
The Sooners are back in action again this weekend in the Lone Star State with single games on Friday against the University of Texas-San Antonio and Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, and a doubleheader on Saturday at the University of Houston.