OU softball: Things to watch in massive Bedlam series

NORMAN — There's no shortage of storylines heading into this weekend's Bedlam series at Love's Field.

OU ace pitcher Kelly Maxwell facing off against her former team? The final Bedlam regular-season series? The Cowgirls hoping to catch the Sooners in the Big 12 standings? The Sooners honoring their seniors on the final weekend of the regular season?

Fans can take their pick. But first and foremost for the Sooners will be keeping a formidable Oklahoma State team at bay.

The No. 2-ranked Sooners (45-4, 21-3 Big 12) control their own destiny for the postseason, as they sit atop the conference standings. With a sweep, the Sooners can clinch the No. 1 seed for next week's conference tournament while likely locking up home-field advantage through the regional and super regional tournaments.

But none of that is a given. Top-ranked Texas sits just one game behind the Sooners in the standings, and it holds the tie-breaker. The Cowgirls sit just two games behind with an opportunity to surpass the Sooners with a series win.

OU coach Patty Gasso knows it won't be easy against a No. 4-ranked OSU team (42-8, 19-5 Big 12) that has been one of the best teams in softball this season.

“They’re good. Very good pitching staff," Gasso said on Tuesday. "I think everyone knows Lexi Kilfoyl is one of the best in the country and her numbers show that. They’ve got an exciting style, an aggressive style. Good hitters. Good baserunners. Their numbers look really good across the board. So they’re ranked high for a reason.

"We’re just going to have to play some of our best softball this weekend in order to get what we want and there’s a lot of things we want out of the weekend. So that’s what we’re ready for. But we know it comes with a great challenge."

Here's an overview of Oklahoma State and some things to watch this weekend:

When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 12 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Love's Field

TV: FS1 (Friday), ESPN (Saturday), ESPN2 (Sunday)

Record: 42-8 (19-5 Big 12)

Conference series wins: Texas, Baylor, BYU, Houston, Texas Tech, Kansas, UCF

Conference series losses: Iowa State

Offense: 6.26 runs per game (20th nationally)

ERA: 1.92 (11th nationally)

The Maxwell-Kilfoyl duel

Fans of both teams and softball as a whole will likely be treated to some of the sport's best pitching this weekend.

Both pitchers have been stand outs for their respective teams. Maxwell has been the Sooners' ace, boasting an ERA of 1.59 in conference play while striking out 69 batters and allowing just 39 hits in 66 innings.

But Gasso is right about Kilfoyl, who has staked her claim as one of the best in the circle. Her 1.16 ERA ranks seventh nationally, and she has the Big 12's best ERA since conference play began. The Cowgirls have leaned heavily on her — her 88 innings pitched in conference play is the most of any Big 12 pitcher.

Now the question is, how much time will each pitcher spend in the circle?

The Sooners have purposely tried to limit Maxwell's usage. Both Kierston Deal and Nicole May have thrown at least 30 innings in conference play. Deal, in particular, has emerged as a real weapon in the circle, and her 1.00 ERA leads the entire Big 12. May has struggled by her standards — her 3.61 ERA in conference play is far below her career numbers — but is still very much in the rotation. However, the Sooners have shown a willingness in recent weeks to throw Maxwell more than once in a weekend. If the going gets tough against OSU, expect the Sooners to live or die with Maxwell in the circle.

The Cowgirls have shown less restraint with Kilfoyl. She's pitched 56% of the innings the Cowgirls have played in conference play — Maxwell has pitched 43%, for comparison — and has been the biggest reason for OSU's success. Ivy Rosenberry has been a solid No. 2 pitcher for the Cowgirls with an ERA of 2.8 in 45 innings, but it's mostly been the Kilfoyl show in Stillwater.

— The Cowgirls' offense ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring despite being middle of the pack in most statistics. They rank sixth in batting average (.270%), seventh in hits (159) and fifth in on-base percentage (.365%). However, they rank second in home runs (38), second in RBIs (132) and tied for best with Oklahoma in errors (13).

— The Sooners have been walked 150 times in conference play, 59 more than any other team. But OSU's pitching staff has been fantastic at limiting walks. They've walked just 46 batters in conference play, the fewest in the Big 12. That will be something to monitor.

— The Sooners have won 43 of the last 48 games in this series dating back to 2000.

— The Sooners' batting lineup has largely been the same group this season, with some occasional tweaks in the order. Alynah Torres and Avery Hodge have taken turns at second base, with the coaching staff leaning on Torres for offense and Hodge for defense. The offensive production in Game 1 will likely play a role in how the Sooners manage that the rest of the weekend.

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