Photo credit Josh Gateley/OU Athletics
Oklahoma Softball has won nine consecutive Big 12 championships and, according to the conference coaches, a tenth is very likely. On Wednesday the defending national champions were selected to take home another conference crown, earning 36 points in the preseason poll. Oklahoma State picked up 31 points, and a second place predictions, followed by Texas and then Baylor. This marks the 10th straight year and 13th in the last 14 seasons that the Sooners have topped the conference’s preseason poll. Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Kansas rounded out the poll.
2022 Big 12 Softball Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes)
1. OU (6) – 36
2. OSU (1) – 31
3. UT – 26
4. BU – 19
5. ISU – 18
6. TTU – 10
7. KU – 7
In 2021 the Sooners posted a 16-1 conference record on their way to the post season tournament championship. OU has won 20 Big 12 titles (13 regular season titles and seven Big 12 tournament championships), all under head coach Patty Gasso and hold a combined record of 144-14 the past nine seasons and has not lost a conference series since 2011.
The Sooners will open the 2022 season February 10 in Santa Barbara, Calif., vs. UC-Santa Barbara. The home slate begins at Marita Hynes Field on March 7 vs. Minnesota. The 2022 schedule features 14 home games, including three Big 12 series in Norman, highlighted by Bedlam for the regular season finale. Oklahoma returns nine all-conference selections from a season ago including the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year (Jocelyn Alo), Freshman of the Year (Tiare Jennings) and Defensive Player of the Year (Grace Lyons).
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