NORMAN, Okla. – Making its 13th NCAA tournament appearance, the third-seeded Boston University softball team is set to open the Norman Regional against second-seeded Oregon on Friday with three-time defending national champion and top-seeded Oklahoma serving as host. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Patriot League champion Terriers are ranked in three of four national polls, placing as high as No. 21 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). An at-large bid recipient from the Pac-12, the Ducks are sitting at No. 22 in the USA Softball/ESPN.com poll, which has BU only receiving the 27th most votes. The Big 12 champion Sooners are the No. 2 national seed and will face Horizon League champion Cleveland State at 8 p.m. ET. 

TERRIER TIDBITS

• BU is 8-24 all-time in the NCAA tournament and will try to reach the regional finals for the third time after accomplishing the feat in both 1996 and 2009. Last year, the Terriers went 1-2 at the Athens (Ga.) Regional with an 8-0(6) win over MEAC champion NC Central and pair of losses to No. 24/23 Virginia Tech.
• The Terriers are 0-2 this season against ranked opponents, dropping a 4-2 decision at then-No. 6 Duke, 4-2, and at No. 23/22 South Carolina, 3-0 (8). BU last defeated a ranked team in 2023 with a 2-0 decision against No. 12/16 Baylor and will try to defeat a ranked opponent in the NCAAs for the first time since dispatching No. 21 UMass (10-4) in 2010.
• BU ranks in the top 50 nationally in 12 categories, including No. 1 in shutouts (28), win-loss percentage (.921) and ERA (1.26) while ranking third in fielding percentage (.981) and 14th in batting average at .325.
• Senior Kayla Roncin, senior Lauren Keleher and graduate student Caitlin Coker all rank in the top 10 for hits this year and have all won at least one PL Player of the Year award.
• Keleher leads BU at .407 with eight homers, 17 doubles, 41 RBIs and 52 runs scored, while graduate student Caitlin Coker (.406) has seven homers, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs. Roncin (.384) leads BU at 44 RBIs.
• Sophomore Brooke Deppiesse (.373) has batted a team-high .486 over the last 27 games and currently leads BU with six triples . 
• PL Tournament MVP and Pitcher of the Year Kasey Ricard (27-3, 1.20 ERA) leads the NCAA with 261 strikeouts in 204.2 innings. Graduate students Allison Boaz (17-1, 1.41 ERA) and Lizzy Avery (8-0, 1.09 ERA) have combined for 152 strikeouts in 185.2 innings.
• BU is holding opponents to a .168 batting average with 85-28 advantage in doubles and 20-3 lead in triples while also finishing ahead in stolen bases, 51-13.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

#RV/24 Oregon (28-19, 13-10 Pac-12)

• The Ducks will try to reach their second consecutive Super Regional after going 3-0 last year at No. 13 Arkansas' Fayetteville Regional last season. Oregon edged Notre Dame, 5-4, and then dispatched the Razorbacks , 10-4 and 14-4, before falling at No. 9 Oklahoma State, 8-1 and 9-0.
• Oregon is 1-0 against the Patriot League this season with a 12-1(5) against Army West Point. The Ducks earned notable victories against then-No. 9 Washington (2x), No. 6 Stanford and No. 21 Arizona.
• 2024 All-Pac-12 First Team outfielder Kai Luschar leads Oregon at .423 with 27 stolen bases, while fellow First Team member Ariel Crlson (.366) owns 15 homers with 52 RBIs. A Third Team honoree, Alyssa Daniell (.308) has delivered double-digit homers (10) as well with 38 RBIs.
• In the circle, the Ducks have four pitchers with at least three wins. All-Pac-12 Second Team member Elise Sokolsky (8-3, 2.41 ERA) has posted 63 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. Morgan Scott (9-8, 3.45 ERA) has pitched the most innings at 101.1 while collecting five saves.
• Oregon is batting .308 and holding opponents to .267 with a 72-47 advantage in doubles and 86-23 lead in stolen bases.  
• Teams are meeting for the first time in program history.

#2/2 Oklahoma (49-6, 22-5 Big 12)

• The Sooners dropped a combined eight games over the last three seasons on their way to three national titles, highlighted by a 61-1 mark in 2023.
• Oklahoma has dropped two games to unranked opponents, including BYU and fellow NCAA Regional host Louisiana-Lafayette. The Sooners posted a 3-0 win against then-No. 9 Duke and went on to win the Big 12 title by a combined score of 28-4 against No. 1 Texas, BYU and Kansas.
• The Sooners have four batters hitting over .400 with 2023 First Team All-American Kinzie Hansen (.421) totaling eight homers and 33 RBIs. 2023 First Team All-American Alyssa Brito (.416) owns 16 homers and 55 RBIs, while three-time First Team All-American Tiare Jennings (.368) has 19 homers with 57 RBIs. 
• In the circle, four pitchers own at least five wins apiece. 2023 NFCA Second Team All-American Kelly Maxwell (18-2, 1.96 ERA) has posted 119 strikeouts in 114.1 innings of work. Kierston Deal (12-1, 1.62 ERA) and Nicole May (12-2, 2.58 ERA) have combined for 139 strikeouts in 139.2 innings.
• Overall, Oklahoma is batting .367 and holding opponents to .188 with 100-35 advantage in homers and 92-32 lead in doubles.
• The Sooners are 4-2-0 all-time in the series after splitting the two meetings in 2018. BU posted a 4-3 win in New Mexico but then fell in the NCAA opener, 9-0.

Cleveland State (22-24, 15-10 Horizon)

• The Vikings went 4-1 at the Horizon League tournament, winning the final game against Northern Kentucky (6-1) for the automatic berth. CSU dropped three games to UConn in Hawaii back in March (4-2, 6-0, 8-3) and earned notable non-conference wins against Saint Joseph's (8-4) and Iona (3-1).
• Emma Gilkerson (.353 avg.) leads the Vikings with six homers and 20 RBIs, while Brooke Albaugh (.349) owns three homers and 27 RBIs. Melissa Holzopfel (.326) leads CSU with 31 RBIs.
• In the circle, Holzopfel (19-9, 1.77 ERA) has claimed 195 strikeouts in 193.1 innings, while Torrie Jenkins (3-9, 6.00 ERA) owns 38 strikeouts in 77.0 innings of work.
• Overall, CSU is hitting .276 and holding opponents to .277 with a 61-58 advantage in doubles.
• The series is tied, 1-1, after the teams split a pair of meetings in 2014 in Clearwater, Florida. BU overcame a 5-3 loss with a 9-1(5) victory.

UP NEXT

• The Norman Regional winner will face the Tallahassee Regional victor on May 23-26.
• No. 15 national seed Florida State is hosting UCF, Auburn and Chattanooga.