Tag: 2022 Oklahoma Sooners Softball

Oklahoma Sooners lead USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen were named to USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners come into the 2022 season with incredibly high expectations. Based on their 2021, they’re warranted. After setting a new record for home runs in a season and returning much of the team that set a new standard for run-rule wins, the Oklahoma Sooners are the far and away favorite for the 2022 national title based on preseason rankings.

Both D1 Softball and USA Softball voted the Sooners their unanimous preseason No. 1. With just a couple of weeks until the Sooners’ season opener against UC-Santa Barbara, USA Softball released its preseason National Player of the Year watch list.

The 2021 National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo leads the way and is the favorite to repeat as winner of the prestigious award. Joining her are freshman of the year Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen.

Alo was a force all season from her designated hitter role, setting career highs across the board. She hit .475 with 34 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.109. Her home runs and slugging percentage were the best in the NCAA.

Tiare Jennings was just as remarkable in her freshman season for the Sooners. She was second in the country with 27 home runs and collected an NCAA freshman record 92 RBIs. She had an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and led the nation in doubles with 25.

Fellow freshman Jayda Coleman was impressive in her first year with the Sooners. She was electric in center field, providing highlight-reel defense for the No. 1 team in the nation. On the season, she hit .444 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs while leading the team with 20 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-American and National Freshman of the Year Finalist.

Starting 58 games for the Sooners last season, Kinzie Hansen hit .438 as a sophomore. Her 24 home runs were fifth in the nation and added 66 RBIs. Hansen registered a .990 fielding percentage from behind the plate with 279 putouts and 21 assists.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a ton of talent in their lineup and will be a force to be reckoned with on the diamond. Any one of these four on the preseason watch list could end up as National Player of the Year.

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Oklahoma Sooners unanimous No. 1 in USA Softball preseason top 25

As they get set to defend their 2021 national championship, the Oklahoma Sooners were voted unanimously the preseason No. 1 by USA Softball.

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.

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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Oklahoma Sooners Softball favorites in Big 12 preseason poll

Coming off of a historic 2021, the Oklahoma Sooners softball team was voted the preseason favorites to win the Big 12 in 2022.

While a lot of things have changed in Oklahoma athletics over the past year, one thing remains the same; championship expectations for Patty Gasso and her crew.

Coming off a historic season in which they set a new record for home runs, the Oklahoma Sooners Softball team was voted the No. 1 team in D1 Softball’s preseason rankings. The unanimous vote is just the first poll the Sooners sit atop of as they land at the top of the Big 12 preseason rankings as well.

The Sooners garnered all but one first-place vote from the seven participating schools. With nine returning all-conference selections including the Big 12 and national player of the year Jocelyn Alo, the Sooners look primed to bring home more hardware in 2022.

Last season, the Sooners were 16-1 in Big 12 play and hold a combined 144-14 record over the last nine seasons according to SoonerSports.com. Each of the last nine seasons has seen the Oklahoma Sooners win the regular season conference championship and 2022 should be no different.

The Sooners are stocked once again with great offensive talent. Run rule wins will once again be prevalent as the Sooners launch offensive barrages upon their opponents. They’ll need Nicole May to rise to the occasion as the ace of the staff with Giselle Juarez and Shannon Saile graduated. May had a fantastic true freshman season in 2021 and should be ready to take the next step in her development.

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Oklahoma Sooners are unanimous No. 1 in DI softball’s 2022 preseason top 25

The staff over at DI Softball voted the Oklahoma Sooners unanimous No. 1 in the 2022 preseason rankings.

Just as they did at the plate several times during the 2021 season, the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to go back-to-back heading into 2022. Instead of homers though, they’re looking to collect back-to-back national championships.

Returning a roster that made run rules the standard in 2021, the Sooners look primed to make another run at the 2022 College World Series and national championship.

DI Softball recently released its preseason rankings, and the Oklahoma Sooners were named the unanimous No. 1 heading into the 2022 season.

Oklahoma set an NCAA record with 161 home runs a season ago and held the top position in our rankings for the majority – since Week 3 – of the 2021 season. – DI Softball Staff

Patty Gasso and the Oklahoma Sooners return the key components to their dominant offense from 2021: Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman and emotional sparkplug Mackenzie Donihoo.

Oklahoma will have to replace Giselle Juarez and Shannon Saile, the key pitchers from the 2021 College World Series. Both have graduated, and Saile has moved into a graduate assistant role. Nicole May, who was great for the Sooners at times in 2021, will be expected to take on a larger role this season.

Oklahoma opens its season Feb. 10 in California against UC Santa Barbara. The Sooners will take part in several tournaments to start the season. Traveling to southern California, Houston and back to California before they host their home opener against Minnesota on March 7 at Marita Hynes Field. After that one-off at home, Jocelyn Alo will lead the Oklahoma Sooners to the power hitters’ home state of Hawaii for the Rainbow Wahine Classic. The team returns to Oklahoma City for the Hall of Fame Classic on March 18. Big 12 plays opens against Baylor on March 25.

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