The Oklahoma Sooners softball team had quite the season as the No. 1 team in the country for most of the season. They finished the season with a record of 45-2 after securing the regular season and conference tournament Big 12 championships. Both losses were avenged immediately in both instances. Now the No. 1 team in the country looks to secure the national championship.
One of their top players this year, Jocelyn Alo is now up for even more hardware after being named the Big 12 Player of the Year. According to a release from the Oklahoma Sooners athletic department, she is a candidate for more player of the year honors. This time for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Alo, the Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 selection, has paced the potent Oklahoma offense in 2021, holding the nation’s lead in home runs (27) and slugging percentage (1.120) and ranks second in RBIs (75) and fifth in batting average (.479).
The senior slugger has homered in 25 of OU’s 47 games, including two grand slams and two multi-home run games. She has successfully reached base in 59 of OU’s last 60 games dating back to last season, including going on a program record 40-game consecutive hit streak from Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Texas A&M to April 3, 2021 vs. Kansas.
Additionally, Alo tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a home run at seven from March 7 vs. Sam Houston through OU’s first matchup with Iowa State, March 26. The Hauula, Hawaii, native has 81 career homers, just 14 shy of the OU and NCAA career record for home runs (95), set by 2015 OU grad Lauren Chamberlain.
No. 1 Oklahoma was one of three programs to have multiple top-10 finalists for the award, as freshman Tiare Jennings was a Top-10 candidate for the award, considered the most prestigious honor in NCAA Division I softball.
The winner will be announced June 1 prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s College World Series