Big 12 Softball Preview: Bedlam Highlights Stacked Weekend
This is it. We’ve reached the final weekend of the 2023 college softball regular season and two ranked Big 12 matchups await us.
The top matchup of the weekend is happening in Stillwater, where No. 6 Oklahoma State will play host to the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. OU has already secured the regular season Big 12 title and the top overall seed in the Big 12 tournament, but NCAA Tournament seeding is still on the line.
Meanwhile, No. 5 Texas is set to face No. 21 Baylor in an equally important series when it comes to seeding. As things stand, Texas should host Super Regionals later this month, but a sweep of Baylor would likely solidify the chances of that happening. Meanwhile, a series win for Baylor could keep them off the road for a week.
Iowa State and Kansas will also play this weekend, with the winner having a chance to move up the Big 12 tournament seeding hierarchy. Kansas, as crazy as it sounds, also has an outside chance of sneaking in the back door of the NCAA Tournament. So, a sweep this weekend would be key for the Jayhawks.
Here’s a look at each of the series and how we think they will go.
#1 Oklahoma (46-1, 15-0) at #6 Oklahoma State (41-9, 10-5)
This series has been the biggest and best that the Big 12 has had to offer for years now, and it will certainly be exciting yet again. The Cowgirls come into this game having gone 2-5 in their last seven games, while Oklahoma is on a 38-game winning streak. Don’t let that fool you into thinking the Sooners will have it easy this weekend. OSU is built to head back to Oklahoma City for a third straight season and is still one of the most talented teams in the country. OU will have a fight on its hands, but it will still come out on top.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State | May 5 (Fri) | 6:00 PM CT | Stillwater, OK | ESPN2 |
| #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State | May 6 (Sat) | 4:00 PM CT | Stillwater, OK | ESPN |
| #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State | May 7 (Sun) | 2:00 PM CT | Stillwater, OK | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA WINS SERIES, 2-1
#5 Texas (39-9-1, 11-4) vs. #21 Baylor (36-15, 5-10)
The Texas Longhorns are in a great spot to host Super Regionals for the first time since 2012 and with a series win over Baylor, they’ll likely lock themselves in. Baylor on the other hand is well within the tournament bubble, but has some work to do if it wants to host a regional. Get a couple of wins over Texas, and its a possibility. Lose the series, and it’s a guaranteed road trip through the tournament for the Bears.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5 Texas vs. #21 Baylor | May 5 (Fri) | 6:00 PM CT | Austin, TX | LHN |
| #5 Texas vs. #21 Baylor | May 6 (Sat) | 6:00 PM CT | Waco, TX | ESPN+ |
| #5 Texas vs. #21 Baylor | May 7 (Sun) | 1:00 PM CT | Waco, TX | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: TEXAS WINS SERIES, 2-1
Iowa State (21-28, 4-11) at Kansas (22-24, 4-11)
Iowa State is red-hot all of a sudden, winning eight of its last 11 games. Meanwhile, Kansas clawed its way into a good spot by taking down Texas Tech a couple of weekends ago. The Jayhawks face a Top 20 Wichita State team this week before hosting the Cyclones. If they can somehow catch fire and win all four of those games, it could send them to the NCAA Tournament. No, really. KU sits right outside the tournament bubble and could hop in with a perfect week.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | LOCATION | NETWORK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State at Kansas | May 5 (Fri) | 5:00 PM CT | Lawrence, KS | ESPN+ |
| #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State | May 6 (Sat) | 2:00 PM CT | Lawrence, KS | ESPN+ |
| #1 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State | May 7 (Sun) | 12:00 PM CT | Lawrence, KS | ESPN+ |
PREDICTION: IOWA STATE WINS SERIES, 2-1
