Tag: LSU 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.

Oklahoma No. 1 seed: NCAA softball tournament matchups set, outlook for regional round

A look at who’s playing where and teams to watch in the Regional round of the NCAA Softball Tournament.

The growth of collegiate softball has turned the NCAA tournament into must-see television over the last several years. That growth was felt on selection Sunday as anticipation built for the 64 programs and teams on the bubble that awaited their fate from the selection committee.

This next weekend marks the first step in the march to the Women’s College World Series for the Oklahoma Sooners and the 63 other teams that hope to knock off the reigning, defending undisputed back-to-back NCAA champions.

With tournament play beginning this Friday, here’s a look at each of the 16 regional sites.

Jordy Bahl continues dominance in Sooners 3-0 win over No. 12 LSU Tigers

Jordy Bahl struck out 13 Tigers to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a 3-0 road win over No. 12 LSU.

The Oklahoma Sooners went into a hostile environment in Baton Rouge and came up with a big 3-0 win against the No. 12 LSU Tigers. Jordy Bahl was phenomenal, throwing a complete game shutout, and striking out 13 batters for the win.

At the plate, the Sooners scored three in the top of the second, and that’s all the offense they’d need for the win.

[autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] reached on an error and advanced to second on an errant throw. [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] then drove her in with a single up the heart of the Tigers’ defense. Then with two outs in the inning, [autotag]Alyssa Brito[/autotag] gave the Sooners a pair of insurance runs with a two-run home run to make it 3-0.

On Tuesday night, in a big-time nonconference matchup getting the ESPN2 nationally televised broadcast, Bahl delivered.

Only in the sixth inning did the Tigers threaten to put a dent in Oklahoma’s 3-0 lead. LSU was able to get runners on first and second with two outs and [autotag]Georgia Clark[/autotag] at the plate. Coming into the matchup with Oklahoma, Clark had three home runs in her previous four games, according to the ESPN2 broadcast. She battled Bahl to a full count before lining to Alyssa Brito at third base to end the inning.

Bahl allowed just three hits on the evening and walked one batter to continue a dominant run that dates back to March 13. Since allowing two runs in two innings pitched to Mississippi State on March 11, Bahl’s allowed only one run in her last 38 innings pitched.

In that same span, she’s recorded 53 strikeouts and allowed just 12 hits. To say she’s been on a roll of late is an understatement. Against a good LSU squad, Oklahoma needed Bahl to step up, and she did in a big way. She’s shown time and again in her first two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners that she’s made for the moment.

Bahl moved to 12-1 on the season and lowered her ERA 1.30. She’s recorded 105 strikeouts in 81 innings in 2023.

The Sooners moved to 37-1 on the season and remain undefeated against top-25 opponents at 13-0. This was their 23rd shutout of the season. Oklahoma has won 29 in a row as they get set for the Miami (Ohio) Tournament, where they’ll face Oakland, Louisville, and Miami this weekend.

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