The Oklahoma Sooners are the team to beat on the softball diamond in 2022. Of that there is no dispute. After being voted the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in D1 Softball’s preseason poll last week, the Sooners were also unanimously voted the preseason No. 1 team in the country by USA Softball.
According to the University of Oklahoma, it’s the second time in program history that they were the unanimous No. 1. It was also the third time the Sooners have been voted the No. 1 team overall.
A few notes đź“ť
▫️ Third time in program history the #Sooners start the season No. 1 in the @USASoftball preseason poll ('17 [🏆], '18). Second time being the unanimous pick
▫️ 15th straight season and 18th in the 20-year history of the poll that OU is in the preseason top 10 https://t.co/SKApzfi2tC
— Patrick Dunn (@patrickjdunn_) January 25, 2022
Bringing back the National Player of the Year in Jocelyn Alo, the Sooners hope to replicate their 2021 that saw them set a new all-time mark for home runs in a season. In addition to Alo, the Sooners return four other All-Americans: Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, and Grace Lyons.
Head coach Patty Gasso will be going for her sixth national championship, all with the Sooners. With all the returning firepower the Sooners have on offense, they’ll have a shot to be back-to-back national champions like they did in 2016 and 2017.
The Oklahoma Sooners were also selected as the preseason No. 1 by the Big 12 coaches and are the favorites to win the conference yet again.
The Sooners will open their season Feb. 10 in Southern California against UC-Santa Barbara.
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