Oklahoma softball: Jordy Bahl wins National Freshman of the Year

Just as Oklahoma softball has dominated the college sport this spring, it is only fitting that the Sooners would also take home the top individual awards.

The University of Oklahoma churns out talented softball players. They will every year for the foreseeable future, as well. In back-to-back seasons, the National Freshman of the Year award has gone to a Sooner: second baseman Tiare Jennings a season ago and pitcher Jordy Bahl this year.

An Oklahoma player has also been named National Player of the Year for two successive seasons. Jocelyn Alo lays claim to that high national honor.

The National Freshman of the Year award has existed for only a few seasons. Oklahoma is dominating it so far. With coaches like Patty Gasso, JT Gasso and Jen Rocha on your staff you are able to recruit these talented players and have these young women ready to go.

Bahl was so dominant this season as a pitcher, you could make a strong argument that she was the best pitcher in the country, not just the best freshman. She has allowed just 63 hits all season, which puts her No. 4 in the country in hits per seven innings.  She has struck-out 199 batters (good for 10.5 per 7 innings), has a 6.86 K/BB and has a highly impressive 0 .95 ERA.  She also showed out in the biggest moments, like her 14 strikeout performance against then-No. 3 UCLA, topped only by her 15 K day against the Texas Longhorns. Where she was so on fire, she could not help but strut in the circle.

The wonderful thing is the future for Jordy Bahl may be brighter down the road, not the best news for the future opponents on the Sooners’ schedule. She has been out since the Oklahoma State regular season series with an injury that is reported to be arm soreness. Though Patty Gasso is still optimistic that she can return this postseason and noted that she had been able to throw some during practice leading up to the Super Regional against UCF.