The unthinkable happened over the weekend. Oklahoma lost! It’s not that they lost, it’s how they lost. It’s unrealistic to expect for a team not to lose again. However, the standard had been set at OU that they wouldn’t lose to an unranked team by committing error after error, after error. The idea, at least in my mind, was that they would eventually fall to a ranked opponent in a back and forth game filled with drama and spectacular plays. That wasn’t the case on Sunday at all. So, where does that leave us in terms of ranking the Big 12 this week?
2024 Heartland Sports Big 12 Softball Power Rankings, Week 4
| Ranking | Record | Last Week’s Ranking |
| 1. Texas | 17-1 | #2 |
| 2. Oklahoma | 18-1 | #1 |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 17-2 | #3 |
| 4. Baylor | 11-3 | #4 |
| 5. Texas Tech | 17-4 | #5 |
| 6. BYU | 14-4 | #6 |
| 7. Houston | 15-5 | #7 |
| 8. Kansas | 12-5-1 | #8 |
| 9. UCF | 11-7 | #9 |
| 10. Iowa State | 9-10 | #10 |
Notes
- Yes, you read that correctly. Oklahoma and Texas are the only two teams to be ranked in different spots this week. Everyone held held serve, so to speak.
- Baylor is surging. I still have them at #4 this week, but they are literally just behind Oklahoma State. The Bears have won ten in a row, included in that are wins over four ranked opponents.
- BYU, Kansas, and Iowa State have yet to play a game at home.
How Oklahoma Compares Against The Big 12
Batting
Despite the loss to Louisiana, Oklahoma increased its team batting average from .357 last week to .382 this week. They’re still firmly behind Texas but definitely trending in the right direction.
| Rank | TEAM | AVG | G |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS | .409 | 18 |
| 2 | OKLAHOMA | .382 | 19 |
| 3 | OKLAHOMA STATE | .358 | 19 |
| 4 | BYU | .355 | 18 |
| 5 | HOUSTON | .339 | 20 |
| 6 | UCF | .327 | 18 |
| 7 | KANSAS | .307 | 18 |
| 8 | IOWA STATE | .306 | 19 |
| 9 | TEXAS TECH | .296 | 21 |
| 10 | BAYLOR | .290 | 14 |
Worth Noting: Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in home runs with 33.
Best on the Team: Rylie Boone leads the team with her .447 batting average. She’s knocked in 11 RBI and has scored 12 runs.
Pitching
Pitching took a dip this week. The Sooners dropped from a team ERA of 0.73 to 1.39. This paved the way for Texas to take over as the top pitching staff in the conference.
| Rank | TEAM | ERA | W-L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS | 0.70 | 17-1 |
| 2 | OKLAHOMA | 1.39 | 18-1 |
| 3. | OKLAHOMA STATE | 1.66 | 17-2 |
| 4 | BAYLOR | 2.31 | 11-3 |
| 5 | KANSAS | 2.33 | 12-5 |
| 6 | TEXAS TECH | 2.58 | 17-4 |
| 7 | BYU | 2.62 | 14-4 |
| 8 | UCF | 2.95 | 11-7 |
| 9 | HOUSTON | 3.53 | 15-5 |
| 10 | IOWA STATE | 5.26 | 9-10 |
Worth Noting: The Sooners have two pitchers ranked in the Top 10 of the Big 12, in ERA, with Karlie Keeney at #6 and Nicole May at #8.
Best on the Team: May’s ERA of 1.50 is the best on the team. The senior is ranked second in the conference with six wins, and she’s fanned a total of 36 batters while only offering 13 walks.
Fielding
Ironically, every team in the Big 12 saw their fielding percentage hold steady or increase over the weekend except for Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners still remain at the top of the conference but Oklahoma State is gaining.
| Rank | TEAM | FLD% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OKLAHOMA | 0.986 |
| 2 | OKLAHOMA STATE | 0.984 |
| 3 | UCF | 0.984 |
| 4 | HOUSTON | 0.974 |
| 5 | TEXAS TECH | 0.971 |
| 6 | BYU | 0.966 |
| 7 | KANSAS | 0.964 |
| 8 | IOWA STATE | 0.958 |
| 9 | TEXAS | 0.957 |
| 10 | BAYLOR | 0.957 |
Worth Noting: Even with Sunday’s mistakes, the Sooners have committed the fewest errors in the Big 12 with just seven.
Best on the Team: As expected, the numbers of players remaining in the Big 12 with a perfect fielding percentage shrunk again last week. This time it was by five, leaving 16 fielders who have been perfect through the first four weeks of the season. Three of those fielders having a perfect percentage play for Oklahoma. Cydney Sanders, Riley Ludlam, and Jayda Coleman have all been perfect to this point of the season.
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