The Oklahoma Sooners softball team jumped out to a 5-0 start to the 2022 season. Looking to defend their 2021 national championship, the Sooners wasted no time reasserting their dominance on college softball with three run-rule wins in their first five games.
Dominant offensive performances highlighted wins over UC Santa Barbara, Mississippi State, and UC San Diego, but it was the win over No. 3 UCLA and the performance by true freshman pitcher Jordy Bahl that stole the show.
Bahl continued the momentum from her perfect 2.2 innings of work against UCSB and dominated in the circle against UCLA. Bahl fanned 14 Bruins over seven innings and allowed one unearned run. She and the Oklahoma Sooners passed the early season test with flying colors against one of the best teams in the country.
In 12.2 innings of work this season, Bahl has an earned run average (ERA) of 0.00. She’s struck out 24 batters, allowed just five hits, and a batting average of .119 over three appearances.
The Oklahoma Sooners look to have found an ace to help an offense that has a chance to be even better than the 2021 version. If Bahl can keep it up, the Sooners will have gone from “incredibly difficult to beat” to “nearly impossible to beat.”
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Honorable Mentions
Tiare Jennings, Softball
Tiare Jennings started the season with an incredible showing the Sooners 5-0 start. She hit .357 with four home runs and seven RBIs. She also added two stolen bases and led Oklahoma with a 1.214 slugging percentage.
Ragan Smith, Women’s Gymnastics
According to SoonerSports.com, Ragan Smith’s back-to-back 10’s on beam were the first since Maggie Nichols performed the feat in 2018. Her perfect score helped the Sooners beat George Washington over the weekend. The Sooners are the No. 2 team in the nation overall.
Ivana Corley and Carmen Corley, Women’s Tennis
In women’s doubles, Ivana Corley and Carmen Corley are undefeated in doubles play at the ITA National Indoor Championships as the Sooners get set to take on the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday for the national championship.
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