LOOK: 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship Bracket Released
The 2023 Big 12 Softball regular season is over and the bracket that will be used to determine a tournament champion has been set.
With four teams from the conference vying for national seeds, the tournament in Oklahoma City this week should be quite the spectacle for Big 12 softball fans across the country.
Here’s a look at the Big 12 Championship Bracket, courtesy of a press release from the Big 12.
The tournament will be held at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City from May 11-13. The 2023 tournament will be the second year of a single-elimination format with the regular season champion, Oklahoma, receiving a first-round bye.
Oklahoma earned the tournament’s top seed after securing its league-record 11th straight Big 12 softball regular season title. The Sooners finished with an 18-0 record in conference play, OU’s first undefeated Big 12 season since 2019.
Texas the No. 2 seed, their highest regular season Big 12 finish since tying for second in 2015. The Longhorns are looking to win the conference tournament for the first time since 2005.
Oklahoma State completed the regular season in third place, the Cowgirls’ sixth consecutive season finishing in the top third of the league. OSU will look to go back-to-back after winning its first Big 12 Championship last season.
Baylor is the fourth seed while Iowa State is the fifth. Both teams are looking for their first Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in program history.
Kansas finished in sixth place with the Jayhawks compiling their most Big 12 wins in a season since 2016. KU last won the Conference’s postseason title in 2006. Texas Tech placed seventh and will compete for its first Big 12 Championship title.
The tournament will begin at 12:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, with (4) Baylor taking on (5) Iowa State, followed by (2) Texas facing (7) Texas Tech. The final game of the day will be (3) Oklahoma State taking on (6) Kansas. All three games will be televised on ESPN+.
The semifinals will begin at 1:00 p.m. CT on Friday with (1) Oklahoma taking on the winner of Game 1 on ESPNU, with the second semifinal scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
The Championship Final is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday and will be aired on ESPN2.
