Big 12 Softball Preview: Oklahoma With a Chance to Clinch Regular Season Title
There are just two weeks of the regular season left in Big 12 softball and the conference race has taken a crazy turn as we head into the final stretch.
Texas’ three-game sweep of Oklahoma State last weekend opened up a gigantic lead for top-ranked Oklahoma, who just needs a sweep of Kansas this weekend to take home the regular season title.
Meanwhile, each of those three teams is vying to host two rounds of next month’s NCAA Softball Tournament, with Baylor squarely in the mix to be a regional host as well.
With that being said, this weekend’s matchups are mostly between teams on opposite ends of the Big 12 standings, so it appears we have a quiet weekend before Bedlam next weekend. Buckle up.
Kansas (22-21, 4-8) at #1 Oklahoma (42-1, 12-0)
Oklahoma is set to play its last home series of the regular season against Kansas this weekend, and if they can sweep that series, the Sooners will be the Big 12 regular season champions for the 11th straight season. Now, Kansas isn’t coming into this series without a shot at the postseason though, which sounds quite crazy. However, the Jayhawks are 60th in RPI, which means they are right outside the bubble for making the NCAA tournament. If they could do the impossible and take down OU this weekend, it could be the difference. That will be much easier said than done though.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas at #1 Oklahoma | Apr 28 (Fri) | 6:00 PM CT | Norman, OK | ESPN+ |
| Kansas at #1 Oklahoma | Apr 29 (Sat) | 2:00 PM CT | Norman, OK | ESPN+ |
| Kansas at #1 Oklahoma | Apr 30 (Sun) | 1:00 PM CT | Norman, OK | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA WINS SERIES, 3-0
#7 Oklahoma State (39-8, 8-4) at Texas Tech (30-19, 4-11)
Oklahoma State is on a five-game losing streak, its longest skid since it ended the 2022 regular season with five-straight losses, including two to No. 4 Florida State and three to No. 1 Oklahoma. That team went on to the Women’s College World Series and was a game away from playing in the Championship. This team is capable of making a run like that, but it needs to turn things around this weekend against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off a series loss against Kansas, but the offense is capable of catching fire, which has been Oklahoma State’s problem. They’d better find some offense in Lubbock, because Oklahoma comes knocking next weekend.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #7 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech | Apr 28 (Fri) | 6:30 PM CT | Lubbock, TX | ESPN+ |
| #7 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech | Apr 29 (Sat) | 2:00 PM CT | Lubbock, TX | ESPN+ |
| #7 Oklahoma State at Texas Tech | Apr 30 (Sun) | 12:00 PM CT | Lubbock, TX | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA STATE WINS SERIES, 2-1
#20 Baylor (35-13, 4-8) at Iowa State (19-27, 2-10)
Baylor is coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of Oklahoma, but it can turn things around this weekend in Ames. The Bears are headed to the NCAA tournament, and likely as an unseeded team on the road. I’ll be quite honest, I wouldn’t want to be the team responsible for hosting Baylor in Regional play. Dari Orme and company have proven to be good enough to take down two of the top three teams in the country, and that’s not easy. If Baylor can sweep this weekend, and get to 38-13, it will set them up nicely to be right on the cusp of hosting a Regional, or headed to a lower seed in the tournament.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #20 Baylor at Iowa State | Apr 28 (Fri) | 4:00 PM CT | Ames, IA | ESPN+ |
| #20 Baylor at Iowa State | Apr 29 (Sat) | 1:00 PM CT | Ames, IA | ESPN+ |
| #20 Baylor at Iowa State | Apr 30 (Sun) | 12:00 PM CT | Ames, IA | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: BAYLOR WINS SERIES, 3-0
