Tag: Clemson Tigers Softball

Sooners No. 1: Updated look at D1Softball’s top 10 after opening week of action

Oklahoma Sooners still No. 1 in the latest softball rankings. What do the rest of the rankings look like?

The opening week of softball action has come and gone. It was a great opening week of tournaments across the country. There were several surprises but a number of the top teams showed that they were indeed contenders to start the season.

Of the surprises, perhaps none was bigger than UCLA struggling with Maryland and San Diego while losing big to Texas and Oklahoma State in Southern California. The Bruins were bounced from the Los Angeles regional last May. Are they heading in the wrong direction as a program, or is this just an early-season funk.

Florida State dropped their opener to Charlotte, but responded well over their final four games of the week.

It’s just week one, but teams like Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma State made statements about their status as contenders in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners remained the No. 1 team in the nation in both D1Softball and Softball America’s latest top 25 rankings released on Monday.

Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in D1Softball’s top 25 and where they ranked according to Softball America.

Sooners unanimous No. 1 in ESPN.com/USA Softball preseason top 25

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation by ESPN/USA Softball. How does the rest of the top 25 look?

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the season as the No. 1 team in the nation following a 61-1 season and third straight national championship.

Though they lost a number of impact players off of last year’s squad, they still feature some of the best that college softball has to offer. With Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen and Alyssa Brito at the plate and Nicole May and Kelly Maxwell in the circle, the Sooners have a ton of star power that gives the Sooners a chance to do something that’s never been done before; win four consecutive national titles.

They’ll face challenges from across the country, but the Oklahoma Sooners have had a target on their back for years and continue to fend off all comers.

Who are the teams that are expected to be the biggest threats to the Queens of Softball’s crown? Here’s a look at the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25.

D1Softball’s way-too-early 2024 Women’s College World Series predictions

Taking a way-too-early stab at the 2024 season, D1Softball shared their predictions on which teams make the Women’s College World Series next year.

Coming off a national championship three-peat it should come as no surprise that the Oklahoma Sooners are expected back in the Women’s College World Series in 2024.

Looking ahead to 2024, D1Softball issued its way-too-early predictions (subscription required) for which teams make next year’s WCWS.

Of course, Oklahoma is expected to be in the mix.

Even without Bahl, the Sooners aren’t going away. Oklahoma still brings back a lot of talent from its 2023 roster. Every major contributor returns for the back-to-back-to-back champions aside from Bahl, Alex Storako, Haley Lee and Grace Lyons. Kierston Deal’s role will likely increase and become the second arm alongside Nicole May. Expect the Sooners to also add another big-time pitcher through the portal like they have done in the past few seasons. Jocelyn Erickson or Sophia Nugent can fill the designated player role. Who plays shortstop is a big question, but there are plenty of candidates – and potential transfer additions – that could take over. – Brady Vernon, D1Softball

Nugent entered the portal, but Oklahoma has options on the bench to  replicate Haley Lee and Grace Lyons’ production from 2023.

From their No. 1 scoring lineup, the Sooners return everyone but Grace Lyons in the batting order. Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings lead the way for a squad hoping to do what no team has done: Win four in a row.

But they’ll have to do so without staff ace Jordy Bahl, who entered the transfer portal on Monday after two years with the Sooners.

Still, Oklahoma has Nicole May, who was fantastic in 2023, finishing with a sub-1.00 ERA. They’ll also put more on Kierston Deal’s plate after she  showed well in relief in 2023.

Here’s who D1Softball is predicting to be back in Oklahoma City in 2024.

Oklahoma Sooners win 47th straight game in 9-2 victory over Clemson

The Oklahoma Sooners tied the all-time record for consecutive wins with their 9-2 win over the Clemson Tigers.

Oklahoma shrugged off a slow start to beat Clemson 9-2 in the first game of the Norman Super Regionals. The Sooners tied the all-time NCAA softball winning streak at 47 games in a row, which was previously held by the 1996-97 Arizona Wildcats. The Sooners are now 55-1 on the year.

To start the game, Clemson didn’t do much and only got one hit in the first inning. Haley Lee then helped Oklahoma with a sac-fly that brought in Jayda Coleman to make the score 1-0 after one inning.

In the second, the Sooners took advantage of a Clemson error to extend their lead to 2-0. While Oklahoma was leading, Clemson’s Valerie Cagle was keeping the Sooners’ bats in check for the most part.

In the fourth, Cydney Sanders broke the game wide open. for the Sooners with a two-run home run to make the score 4-0. It was the third straight game with a home run for Sanders, who now has seven on the season.

The game got interesting again in the top of the fifth.

Clemson scored two runs thanks to a double by Caroline Jacobsen that scored McKenzie Clark and Ansley Houston. The Tigers had been getting to Jordy Bahl throughout the contest but finally broke through to give the Sooners a scare.

Staying steady, Oklahoma pulled away for good in the bottom of the fifth. Rylie Boone got the inning going with a leadoff bunt single. Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings followed suit with singles of their own to load the bases. Haley Lee then came to the plate. After working a 3-1 count, Lee went deep to center for a grand slam and an 8-2 lead.

Alyssa Brito provided the exclamation point in the game with her 15th home run of the season to make it 9-2.

The sixth and seventh innings were very quiet with neither team getting a hit the rest of the game.

Jordy Bahl started the game for the Sooners with 5.1 innings pitched. She allowed eight hits, two runs and had six strikeouts. She battled throughout the game, stranding Clemson runners in the first three innings. Bahl moved to 17-1 on the season. Alex Storako provided 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to close the game for Oklahoma.

National Player of the Year finalist, Valerie Cagle, had a strong start to the game. And despite the two runs allowed in the first two innings, she limited the Sooners lineup from making more noise until the fourth and fifth. Cagle pitched four innings and allowed eight runs on seven hits and had two strikeouts in the game.

Oklahoma and Clemson will meet again in the second game of the Norman Super Regional on Saturday at 12 p.m. An Oklahoma win would send the Sooners to the WCWS, while the Tigers need a win to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament.

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No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 16 Clemson: how to watch, weekend preview, key players

No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 16 Clemson: how to watch, weekend preview, key players. Can Clemson end the Oklahoma incredible run?

Oklahoma (54-1) has been the most dominant team in softball this year. The Sooners are riding a 46-game winning streak and can break the record for the longest winning streak in college softball this weekend.

Oklahoma’s offense exploded in the Norman Regional, outscoring its opponents 38-3. None of the games against Hofstra, Missouri and California was remotely close.

Clemson got here after it beat UNC Greensboro, 17-2, in the opener before beating Auburn, 7-0, to advance to the regional finals. In the final, Auburn forced a winner-take-all game with a 5-2 win, but the Clemson Tigers bounced back to advance with a 5-1 win.

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Game times announced for the Norman Super Regionals between Oklahoma and Clemson

Game times announced for the Super Regionals between Oklahoma and Clemson.

Oklahoma has its next opponent: The Clemson Tigers visit the Sooners in the super regionals of the NCAA Softball Tournament. The Sooners play the Tigers on Friday, May 26 at 1 p.m. CT and Saturday May 27 at noon CT. If necessary, the two sides would play on Sunday, but that time is still to be determined.

Oklahoma dominated its regional, outscoring Hofstra, Missouri and California 38-3. It looked every bit the national title favorite this weekend in Norman.

Clemson has had a great year and has been very good in the tournament. It dominated UNC Greensboro, 17-2, and won two of three games against against Auburn to survive.

Clemson is a very talented team and should challenge Oklahoma. The Tigers boast the No. 14 scoring offense, averaging 6.13 runs per game in 2023. Their 1.35 team ERA is second in the nation only to Oklahoma, which has an 0.80 ERA. The Sooners have been a juggernaut, and the Tigers play in a tough ACC, so they’ll be battle tested.

The winner will advance to the Women’s College World Series.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jake on Twitter @jake_faigus

NCAA Tournament super regionals set after a wild weekend of college softball

A look at the super regional matchups, which includes the Oklahoma Sooners welcoming the Clemson Tigers to Norman.

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament was fantastic. There were a pair of big-time upsets, fantastic back-and-forth action and most of the top softball teams advanced to what should be a great slate of super regional action next weekend.

There were big offensive outbursts and even a perfect game in a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday afternoon that highlighted a fabulous weekend for the sport of collegiate softball.

Three of the top 16 went home early. No. 2 UCLA, No. 10 LSU, and No. 11 Arkansas were unable to make home field hold up, and were sent home early. UCLA didn’t even get a chance to play Los Angeles Regional winner San Diego State because the Bruins were beaten by Grand Canyon and Liberty before the regional final.

With one more leg before the Women’s College World Series, here’s a look at each of the super regionals and what those teams had to do to advance.

Bedlam squads lead latest NFCA USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Having fantastic seasons, the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowgirls lead the way in the latest NFCA USA Today Sports Coaches Poll.

The Oklahoma Sooners continued their impressive dominance over Texas with a three-game sweep of the Longhorns.

As impressive was the turnout for the Friday night affair at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The regular season showdown set a new attendance record, with nearly 9,000 fans pouring into the stadium to witness the top 10 clash.

The Sooners outscored Texas 22-5 in the three-game sweep and are now 5-0 against top five opponents. In those five wins, Oklahoma has outscored the opposition 41-9.

For their efforts this weekend, they remain the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation in the NFCA USA TODAY Sports top 25.

Sitting just behind the Sooners at No. 2 are the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. OU’s Bedlam foe has had a remarkable season in their own right. Their two losses on the season include the series opener to Florida State and an 11-6 loss to Maryland on the opening weekend of the season down in Mexico.

They look like a legitimate threat to the Sooners’ national champion reign.

Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in the latest NCFA USA TODAY Sports poll.