Big 12 Softball: Three Must-Watch Games of Week 5
We’ve seen a full month of softball in 2023 already, and four teams in the Big 12 have emerged as legitimate postseason contenders.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State opened up the season as the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the nation respectively, and that is where they remain. Meanwhile, Texas and Baylor are starting to creep up in the polls after impressive starts to the year.
This week, we will see several huge matchups in the Big 12, including a three-game series between two top-six teams in Stillwater.
Here are three games that you can’t miss in Week 5 of Big 12 softball.
3.) #1 Oklahoma (17-1) at Mississippi State (16-5)
Date: Friday, March 10 | Time: 6:00 PM CT | Location: Starkville, MS | TV: SECN+
The Oklahoma Sooners spent their first weekend at home last week and made the most of it, outscoring its opponents 39-1, including outscoring #16 Kentucky 25-1 over two games. Now, the Sooners head into SEC country for the Bulldog Invitational. There, OU will face Mississippi State (16-5) who is receiving votes in the latest ESPN Top 25 Poll. The Sooners and Bulldogs will face each other twice this weekend, with the first game on Friday night, and the second game on Saturday afternoon (3:00 PM CT). After back-to-back impressive weekends, OU has taken the national lead in batting average (.391), slugging percentage (.709) fielding percentage (.992), while being ranked in the top three in most other major statistical categories. Oklahoma should handle both games, but the Bulldogs have the talent to push the Sooners if Patty Gasso’s group comes in flat.
2.) #9 Alabama (19-3) at #10 Texas (18-2-1)
Date: Saturday, March 11 | Time: 6:30 PM CT | Location: Austin, TX | TV: LHN
Texas will welcome the ninth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to Austin this weekend for the Bevo Classic, and the Longhorns will play them not once, but twice. Texas has gone 4-2-1 against ranked foes this season, but Alabama will arguably be the best team that they’ve seen to this point. Last week, Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts threw her third career perfect game in an 8-0 (5 inn.) win over Mercer. The Texas bats have been red-hot this season, and ranks second nationally in batting average (.383). and the matchup against Fouts should be a fun one to watch. Most weeks, this would be the premier matchup in the Big 12, but there is another series going on in Stillwater that takes the cake.
1.) #6 Florida State (20-3) at #3 Oklahoma State (18-1)
Date: Friday, March 10-Sunday, March 12 | Time: 6:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM CT | Location: Stillwater, OK | TV: ESPN+
The Oklahoma State Cowgirls have been one of the most dominant teams in softball to this point in the season, especially with Kelly Maxwell in the circle. Now, the Cowgirls will face their biggest test of the season to date with a three-game series against the sixth-ranked Florida State Seminoles. Florida State brings an 11-game winning streak into Stillwater but has played just five games away from home this season and has gone 3-2 in those games. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is playing just its second weekend of games in Cowgirl Stadium and will look to build upon the boatload of confidence that this team already has. All three games will be televised on ESPN+, so grab your popcorn and get comfortable this weekend, because this is a matchup that will definitely have postseason vibes written all over it.
