Oklahoma City is seeking its third-straight national championship at the Mark Campbell Invitational on Thursday, February 9 against Duke.
Unanimous preseason No. 1 team in the country, and back-to-back national champions, the Sosores are expected to make another run, despite the loss of Jocelin Alo and Hope Trautwein. Patty Gasso has assembled another talented group to welcome all comers in the 2023 season.
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It won’t be easy, it never is, but Oklahoma will be the team to beat for the 2023 national title. With the season less than two weeks away, Softball America has released its preseason All-American teams. Five of the 10 members were selected to the first team. UCLA was the only other team with multiple first-team picks with three and only five selections to be named three All-Americans.
See short excerpts here.
June 2, 2022; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma pitcher/relief pitcher Jordyn Bahl (98) throws a pitch during the fifth inning of the Women’s College World Series game against the Wildcats at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Laconia won 13-2. Brett Rojo-USA is playing today
Few players can match the raw intensity that emanates from Jordy Bahl’s pitcher. Like a lioness on the hunt, Bahl rams her trunks as she moves into a circle. Once there, his population of pitches kept the line of hitters in balance. She had a phenomenal freshman season, pitching 141.1 innings and 205 strikeouts. Bahl was 22-1 with 14 complete games on the season.
May 22, 2022; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State freshman infielder Cydney Sanders (1) celebrates a home run against San Diego State as the Sun Devil dugout applauds her as she approaches home plate in the Tempe Regional Championship at Farrington Stadium. Alex Gould/The Republic/USA TODAY LINUM
How will the Oklahoma City visitors restore the power that left Jocelyn Alo? One answer is Arizona State transfer Cydney Sanders. Sanders, a true freshman in 2022, hit .425 with 21 home runs and 63 RBIs last season.
We’re not saying he’s going to be Jocelyn Alo, but he’s going to have a big time with the protection that Tiare Jennings provides in a faster lineup.
June 9, 2022; Oklahoma City; Oklahoma Sooners second baseman Tiare Jennings (23) hits a single in the fifth inning against the Texas Longhorns in game two of the 2012 Womens College World Series finals at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Oklahoma won 10-5 to win the National Championship. Brett Rojo-USA is playing today
The Oklahoma Giants lost the best player in college softball, but you still have the best player in college softball. Tiare Jennings is on the all-time list for national player of the year and comes in at No. 1 in D1 Softball’s top 100 players for 2023. Jennings led Sosores in RBIs each of her two seasons in Sin Norman. And with other incredible lineups around that lineup, there’s no reason to think he won’t have ample opportunities to score runs in 2013.
June 4, 2022; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners shortstop Grace Lyons (3) hits in the seventh inning of the Women’s College World Series game against the Texas Longhorns at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Lacinia won 7-2. Brett Rojo-USA is playing today
Grace Lyons already had a stellar career as the best defensive player in college softball, and then she took hitting at her full level. She broke out in a big way in 2022 with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs.
June 9, 2022; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners center fielder Jayda Coleman (24) makes a catch to the wall for the outfield in the first inning against the Texas Longhorns in game two of the 2022 Women’s College World Series finals at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Brett Rojo-USA is playing today
Jayda Coleman is elite in every sport. She is the best leadoff hitter in college softball. She is an excellent defensive midfielder. And pain itself should be the author. That spark is what ignites the engine that is the Oklahoma Sooners.
June 9, 2022; Oklahoma City; Oklahoma State catcher Kinzie Hansen (9) hits a three-run home run in the fifth inning against the Texas Longhorns in game two of the 2022 Women’s College World Series finals at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. Oklahoma won 10-5 to win the National Championship. Brett Rojo-USA is playing today
It was an up-and-down 2022 season for Kinzie Hansen due to injuries, but he was only one season removed from hitting 20 home runs to return early in 2021. That key cog in the Oklahoma Sosores engine will start and go to the receiver and start. He will hit the middle of his pitching lineup.
Texas A&M’s Haley Lee (25) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning of a softball game between the University of Oklahoma, Moxers (OU) and Texas A&M in the Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla. Saturday, May 21, 2022. Lacinia won 3-2. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
One addition that has been flying a bit under the radar is Haley Lee, a former All-American catcher at Texas A&M. Kinzie Hansen’s ability to open the innings behind the plate will help the Charmers. Because of her hitting prowess, Patty Gasso will look for ways to get her on the field.
Oklahoma’s Nicole May (19) celebrates after the second game of the College World Series between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Thursday; On June 9, 2022, Oklahoma won the second game 10-5 to defeat Texas for the NCAA softball title. Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Quietly, Nicole May had a fantastic season for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was 15-1 on the year, and had a 1.30 ERA, which was 11th in the nation. He can be a front-of-the-rotation starter for 99% of collegiate softball teams.
Michigan pitcher Alex Storako (8) throws from the mound during the NCAA softball game against South Dakota State, Friday, May 20, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
It’s pretty incredible that Oklahoma City could have arguably the best pitcher in softball and then add another pitcher with 300 strikeouts and 200 innings pitched last year. They added a superstar guest in Alex Storako. The 1-2-3 iron that Bahl, May, and Stroko lead to the circle will be the fastest pivot this year.
