Keilani Ricketts

Personal: Ricketts is the youngest of four children in her family. Her brother, Richard, played football at Air Force, while her sisters, Stephanie and Samantha, were standout softball players—Stephanie earned All-America honors at Hawaii, and Samantha was an All-America at Oklahoma and is now the head softball coach at Mississippi State. She married her husband, Sean, a military veteran from American Samoa, in 2017 in San Jose, California, and they have a daughter named Elizabeth. Ricketts lists her pitching coach, Kenny Gardner, as a person who has made a significant impact on her life. As a child, she participated in basketball, volleyball, swimming, and was active in the Asian Pacific Islander Student Union. She completed her first season as an assistant softball coach at the University of the Pacific in 2025 and previously served as an assistant coach at Mid-America Christian University in 2024, where she helped lead the Evangels to a 37-17 record and an NAIA National Tournament appearance. Ricketts enjoys spending time outdoors with her daughter and considers being at a pitching lesson with Monica Abbott a moment when she felt starstruck. Her proudest accomplishments include being a mom and continuing her professional softball career. In her free time, she enjoys visiting farmers markets, attending seasonal festivals, checking out food trucks, and playing basketball.

2024 AUX Season: Ricketts secured 856 leaderboard points while making her Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball debut. She collected 700 win points and 156 stat points. She did not record a decision in six appearances in the circle, including four starts. Ricketts registered 11 strikeouts over 20.1 innings. She threw a season-high 5.1 innings in the season finale against Team Mazon, allowing one earned run on five strikeouts with two strikeouts. Ricketts notched a season-best three strikeouts against Team Alo on June 19 over 4.0 innings and also threw 4.0 innings on June 23 against Team Alo.

International Experience: Ricketts led the United States to a Gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, posting a 4-0 record with a 0.43 earned run average and 22 strikeouts over 16.1 innings. She also went 1-for-4 at the plate with a run batted in. In 2019, she guided Team USA to a Gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, with a 2-0 record, 11 strikeouts, and a 0.00 earned run average over 6.1 innings. Ricketts was also a member of the Gold medal squad at the 2019 Japan Cup, recording four strikeouts in 6.0 innings. She propelled Team USA to a Gold medal at the 2018 WBSC World Championship with a 0.89 earned run average and 13 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. At the 2012 WBSC World Championship, she earned a Silver medal, achieving a 4-0 record with 25 strikeouts and a 1.03 earned run average. Ricketts also competed in the 2018 Japan Cup and the USA Softball International Cup. She registered two wins and a title-clinching save for Team USA at the 2012 World Cup of Softball.

Other Professional Experience: Ricketts spent the 2023 season with the Oklahoma City Spark of Women's Professional Fastpitch. She posted a 5-3 record and achieved a team-best 3.03 earned run average. Over 57.2 innings, she accumulated 28 strikeouts with just eight walks. Ricketts was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2013 National Pro Fastpitch Draft by the USSSA Pride. From 2013 to 2018, she compiled a 41-24 record in the circle over 86 appearances with the Pride. In 2017, she earned NPF All-Star distinction after posting an 11-4 record with a 1.48 earned run average and 82 strikeouts over 18 games. During the 2014 campaign, she recorded a 1.94 earned run average with a 6-6 record and 56 strikeouts. Ricketts achieved a career-best 90 strikeouts in 2016, collecting eight wins in 21 appearances, including 14 starts. She posted a perfect 6-0 mark in eight games during the 2018 season, with 51 strikeouts over 41.0 innings. Additionally, she played in the Japan Softball League from 2013 to 2018 for Toyota Industries Shokki.

College Experience: Ricketts was a four-year letter winner at Oklahoma, starting 208 out of 220 games from 2010 to 2013. She made 192 appearances in the circle with 163 starts, compiling a 133-35 record with a 1.26 earned run average. She was the first player in program history to be named USA Softball Player of the Year, receiving the award in 2012 and again in 2013. Ricketts also holds the distinction of being the first student-athlete in Oklahoma history to win the Honda Cup after claiming the award in 2013. She was a two-time winner of the Honda Cup Award for Softball and a four-time NFCA All-America selection, earning First-Team honors in each of her final three seasons. As a freshman in 2010, she received Second-Team All-America accolades. Ricketts was a four-time NFCA All-Region First Team pick and a two-time member of the NCAA Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team. She was named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2013 NCAA Women's College World Series after going 4-0 in the circle with a 1.35 earned run average and 39 strikeouts over 31.0 innings. She threw a no-hitter against Michigan on May 30, 2013, in the NCAA Women's College World Series. Ricketts garnered First-Team All-Big 12 Conference accolades during all four seasons and secured Big 12 Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2012. She also collected Big 12 Pitcher of the Year plaudits as a senior and was a member of the 2013 Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Throughout her career, she was honored as Big 12 Pitcher of the Week 16 times. Ricketts holds Oklahoma career pitching records for wins (133), appearances (192), games started (163), complete games (123), innings pitched (1,074.1), strikeouts (1,605), and shutouts (54). She also tallied eight saves in her career, which ranks fourth in program history. Ricketts threw seven no-hitters during her career, including a perfect game against Kansas on March 30, 2012. She ranks seventh on Oklahoma's all-time list with a .503 career on-base percentage and 10th with a .674 slugging percentage. She is ninth in program history with 50 career home runs and drew 170 walks, the third-highest total in school history. Ricketts posted the best winning percentage by a pitcher in program history, compiling a 35-1 record during the 2013 season. She set the Oklahoma single-game record with 19 strikeouts against Iona on May 20, 2011. During the 2012 NCAA Women's College World Series, she recorded 64 strikeouts, the third-highest total in tournament history. She tied the NCAA Women's College World Series record by driving in four runs against Tennessee on June 4, 2013, and set a single-game mark by throwing 12.0 innings against Tennessee on June 3, 2013. As a senior, she started 51 games, including 31 as a pitcher and 20 as a designated player. She authored a 35-1 record with two saves over 45 appearances in the circle, ranking eighth in the nation with a 1.23 earned run average and collecting 350 strikeouts. As a junior, Ricketts earned starting assignments in 63 games, ranking second in the nation with a 1.08 earned run average, 37 victories, and 457 strikeouts. She also fashioned 15 shutouts to rank third in the country and paced Oklahoma with a .395 batting average and 13 doubles. As a sophomore in 2011, Ricketts threw 33 complete games with nine shutouts while starting 42 games. She opened her career with a 32-10 record and a 1.24 earned run average in 2010, throwing 29 complete games and 14 shutouts as a freshman.