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Oklahoma softball rules the Big 12 in every category, even postseason honors

By Chip Rouse

TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: A general view of the helmets and bats of the against the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: A general view of the helmets and bats of the against the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the Grapefruit League spring training game against the New York Yankees at Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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If you didn’t know better, you’d think that the Big 12 announcement of the 2019 All-Big 12 Softball Awards was an Oklahoma softball awards party and nobody else was invited.

Once again, Sooners sweep Big 12 weekly softball awards. light. Related Story

That’s not true, of course — at least the part about no one else being considered. Every Big 12 school was in play; it’s just that the Sooners were the most worthy, and that’s why Oklahoma swept all of the top individual honors and makes up most of the All-Big 12 First Team.

Senior OU third baseman, Sydney Romero, is the Big 12 Player of the Year, junior Giselle Juarez is the Pitcher of the Year in the conference, senior second baseman Caleigh Clifton is the Defensive Player of the Year and infielder Grace Green is the Freshman of the Year.

In addition, longtime Sooner head coach Patty Gasso was named Big 12 coach of the Year.

This is the first time in the 24-year history of the Big 12 Conference that one school has won every postseason individual award, as well as Coach of the Year.

This is the 12th time Gasso has received the coach’s award in her 25-year career at Oklahoma. The Sooners finished a second straight year with an 18-0 conference record, the only team in Big 12 history to accomplish that feat, and an eighth consecutive regular-season conference title. OU will go after its 10th consecutive Big 12 tournament championship this weekend.

Romero and Juarez are both finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year, while Green has been named a finalist for NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) Division I  National Freshman of the Year.

Romero leads the Big 12 in several offensive categories this season. She hit .431 in the regular season, with a Big 12-best 17 home runs, 55 runs batted in and 144 total bases. She ranks second in the conference in slugging percentage (.862), runs scored (55) and hits (72).

This was Juarez’s first season at OU, having transferred after two seasons at Arizona State. The junior left-hander made the most of her new environment, winning a Big 12-best 21 games without a loss in the regular season. She recorded two perfect games this season and six times was recognized as Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.

Clifton has been a major contributor to Oklahoma’s nation-best defense during the record-setting 2019 season. She has committed just one error in 49 games this season.

Green led all Big 12 freshman with 14 home runs, 48 RBI, 42 runs scored, a .403 batting average, a .478 on-base percentage and a .761 slugging percentage.

Six Oklahoma players were named to the All-Big 12 First Team. In addition to the four Sooner individual award winners sophomore outfielder Jocelyn Alo and senior outfielder Falepolima Aviu made the All-Big 12 First Team, giving the Sooners six of the 12 first-team selections.

Two other Sooners — junior pitcher Shannon Saile and senior infielder Shay Knighton were named to the second team.

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