Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma softball: Sooners dominate USA Softball Player of Year Top-25 finalists

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings (23) scores a run as Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates in the second inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Monday, March 13, 2023. Oklahoma won 8-0 in five innings.Ou Sotfball
Oklahoma's Tiare Jennings (23) scores a run as Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates in the second inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Marita Hynes Field in Norman, Okla., Monday, March 13, 2023. Oklahoma won 8-0 in five innings.Ou Sotfball /
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The two-time defending national champion Oklahoma softball team is 44-1, about to win its 11th consecutive Big 12 regular-season championship and, at this late stage of the season is the prohibitive favorite to make it three straight national titles.

The 2023 Sooner softball squad is, pardon the expression, an embarrassment of riches when it comes to softball talent — and in all aspects of the game. Proof in point: Oklahoma leads all of NCAA Division I softball in scoring, batting average, on-base and slugging percentage, staff earned-run-average and fielding percentage.

It’s pretty tough to beat — or even stay close to — a team with those second-to-none attributes. Only one team has been able to outscore the Sooners so far this year. To be completely fair, though, not every OU game this season has been one-sided. The Sooners have won five games this season by a single run and eight by three runs or less.

On a team with this much All-American type talent, it’s extremely difficult to single out one or even two star players. This Sooner team has superior talent at virtually every position and on the bench as well.

It’s not particularly surprising, then, that five different Sooners are among the top-25 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year award: Pitchers Alex Storako, a transfer from Michigan, Nicole May and Jordy Bahl; outfielder Jayda Coleman; and infielder Tiare Jennings. And truth be told, there are several other Sooners that might merit that might also merit that distinction.

No other school has more than two players among the 25 Player of the Year finalists.

May, Storako and Bahl rank one-two-three in the Big 12 based on ERA and all have 14 wins. And if that’s not enough, May’s 0.45 ERA ranks second in the nation, Storako is third nationally with a 0.73 ERA and Bahl is 13th (1.18). The three prime OU starters have combined for a nation-best 28 shutouts this season.

Coleman and Jennings rank No. 1 and 2 in the Big 12 with batting averages of .460 and .420, respectively. The pair make up five of the top six hitters in the Big 12. Coleman and Jennings also rank among the top 25 hitters nationally in batting average. Coleman also ranks 9th nationally in on-base percentage (.471) and 18th in slugging percentage (.831).

The top-25 finalist list will be trimmed to 10 on May 3 and down to three on May 17.

The last two Player of the Year awards have gone to an Oklahoma player, NCAA career home-run leader Jocelyn Alo won the award in both 2021 and 2022. The Sooners also had a back-to-back winner in 2012 and ’13, when pitcher Kelani Ricketts took home the honor.

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