Of course the No. 1 college softball team in the country would have some of the best players.
Oklahoma's Sam Landry and Kasidi Pickering on Wednesday were included on the list of 25 players as finalists for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which is considered the highest individual honor in Division I collegiate softball.
The Sooners were one of six programs with multiple finalists. Texas had the most with three. Former OU pitcher Jordy Bahl, who transferred to Nebraska, was also on the list of finalists.
Sam Landry, Kasidi Pickering finalists for 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
This is Landry's first season with OU after transferring from Louisiana. She has emerged as the Sooners' ace and as one of the best pitchers in the country. Landry boasts a 1.95 ERA and 17-3 record as a senior.
Pickering, an outfielder, entered 2025 with high expectations as Preseason All-SEC after a stellar freshman campaign last year that led her to being a Softball America Freshman All-American.
This season, Pickering leads the Sooners with a .431 batting average, which is also sixth-best in the SEC with one week left in the regular season. She has also tallied 53 hits, 13 home runs, 44 runs batted in and 46 runs scored.
Jocelyn Alo was the last OU player to win USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Alo won it back-to-back seasons in 2021-22. Keilani Ricketts also won it twice in a row in 2012-13.
This year's list of 25 finalists will be narrowed down to 10 on May 14. The group will then dwindle down to three on May 19. The winner will finally be announced before the start of the Women's College World Series, which begins May 29 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
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