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Oklahoma softball: Three Sooners named finalists for National Player of Year

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates after scoring a run in the first inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns at USA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 31, 2023.ousoft -- print1
Oklahoma's Jayda Coleman (24) celebrates after scoring a run in the first inning of a college softball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns at USA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 31, 2023.ousoft -- print1 /
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Three of the 10 finalists for the USA Softball 2023 National Player of the Year are Oklahoma softball players.

Juniors Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings and sophomore pitcher Jordy Bahl are the three Sooners in the running for this year’s award. Two other Sooners, pitchers Alex Storako and Nicole May were among the top-25 finalists announced earlier.

The list of finalists for one of college softball’s most prestigious awards was cut down to 10 from 25 and announced on Wednesday.

Oklahoma leads all teams with three finalists remaining for the award. Two other teams, UCLA and Tennessee have two finalists each vying for the 2023 Player of the Year.

Coleman’s .454 batting average is second best in the Big 12, and her 13 home runs is a team high this season. The Sooner center fielder also leads the Big 12 in slugging percentage (.862). Her batting average, slugging and on-base percentage rank in the top-10 in the country.

This is the third consecutive year Patty Gasso’s top-ranked Sooners have had three finalists after the field had been trimmed to 10. Moreover, Oklahoma has had at least two top-10 finalists in five straight years.

While this is Coleman’s and first time as a top-10 finalist for National Player of the Year, this is the second time for Jennings. The Sooner second baseman ranks third in the Big 12 with a .435 batting average. She leads OU with 49 runs batted in and has 12 home runs and 10 doubles.

Bahl was a top-10 finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year honors last season, as an OU freshman. She is one of three prime weekend starters in the Oklahoma pitching rotation and has also made a number of appearances in relief. Bahl’s 1.06 ERA is third best in the Big 12 and ranks seventh nationally. She has 14-1 record this season, has six sole shutouts and has combined for 10 along with one no-hitter and two others in which she combined.

The reigning National Player of the Year is an Oklahoma player. Jocelyn Alo, the NCAA career leader in home runs, won the award in back-to-back years (2021 and 2022). Alo is Oklahoma’s second back-to-back winner in the last 10 seasons. Pitcher Keilani Rickets won the award in 2012 and 2013.

The list will be further trimmed to three finalists for 2023 National Player of the Year on May 17 with the winner to be named on June 1 prior to the Women’s College World Series.

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