Big 12 Softball Power Rankings: Oklahoma State Stakes Its Claim as League’s Best
After a month of league play, the Big 12 softball landscape has taken shape for the home stretch of the regular season through April.
The league’s top three teams are well above the rest of the pack, with OU, Oklahoma State, Texas all playing like Top 10 teams to this point.
Many teams have had brutal starts to Big 12 play with a front-loaded schedule full of juggernauts, but now there’s a chance to see them rise quickly as the schedule eases up.
What do the Big 12 Softball power rankings look like heading into the first weekend of April? Let’s take a look.
Tier One
1. Oklahoma (34-1, 12-0); Last Week: 1
Oklahoma continues to be the most consistent team in softball as the Sooners have now ripped of 16 wins in a row and have quietly established themselves as a juggernaut statistically. OU ranks first nationally in batting average (.390), fielding percentage(.984), second nationally in on-base percentage (.488), slugging percentage (.727), third nationally in home runs per game (2.15), ERA (1.38), and scoring (9.03). It feels like the Sooners are starting to hit their stride as conference play rolls along, outscoring Big 12 opponents 126-18 through the first four weeks. The competition is about to get tougher, but the track record suggests that OU is right where they want to be heading into the Red River Rivalry.
Tier Two
2. Oklahoma State (29-6, 9-3); Last Week: 3
3. Texas (29-5, 9-3); Last Week: 2
Oklahoma State made a statemant this weekend as well, taking down the second-ranked Texas Longhorns in a three-game series in Stillwater. The Cowgirls now hold a tie-breaker over Texas with both teams sitting at 9-3 in Big 12 play. Caroline Wang (.368), Rosie Davis (.359), and Karli Godwin (.358) are killing it at the plate, while Lexi Kilfoyl (0.80 ERA) has been one of the best pitchers in the country and holds opponents to a .161 batting average. Meanwhile, Texas’ offense seemed to hit its first wall as the Longhorns managed just two runs all weekend. That, combined with persistent fielding issues has cost UT in its five losses. Through 34 games, Texas has 36 errors and a .960 fielding percentage.
Tier Three
4. Kansas (22-11-1, 7-5); Last Week: 4
5. UCF (16-15, 4-8); Last Week: 7
6. Baylor (19-12, 3-9); Last Week: 6
This group of teams is capable of surprising the teams above them on any given night, but lacks the consistency to be ranked any higher. Kansas is coming off a sweep at the hands of Oklahoma, and no fault there, as they’ve gone 7-2 agaisnt everyone else. However, how much can we really value their sweep of Baylor right now? And for the Bears, why are they losing a game to Iowa State? BU hasn’t lived up to the hype yet, and I’m starting to believe it’s just not in the cards. One team I feel could be on the verge of a steep climb is UCF. The Knights had played No. 24 Kansas, No. 2 Texas, and No. 4 Oklahoma State coming into this weekend. After winning two of three against Texas Tech in Lubbock, the Knights are 4-8 in league play. In the coming weeks they’ll face BYU, Houston, and Baylor, and could win each of those series.
Tier Four
7. Texas Tech (22-10, 3-6); Last Week: 5
8. BYU (20-13, 4-8); Last Week: 8
Texas Tech is starting to cool off a bit after running through their nonconference schedule and starting Big 12 play with series win over BYU. The Red Raiders are 1-5 in their last two weekends and have a tough road ahead with Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas all still on the schedule. Meanwhile, BYU outscored Houston 34-27 in an all-offense series in Provo. Until the Cougars or the, well, Cougars can find a reliable arm and defense, they’ll be hard to take seriously in the Big 12 race.
Tier Five
9. Iowa State (12-18, 3-6); Last Week: 10
10. Houston (21-14, 3-9); Last Week: 9
After picking up a win over Baylor, Iowa State gets a bump up to No. 9 in the Power Rankings, leaving Houston in the dreaded No. 10 spot. I beleive Iowa State is better than its record indicates, but the Cyclones will have to figure things out in the circle with a Big 12-worst 5.96 ERA (277th nationally). Meanwhile, I believe the Cougars’ Big 12 opening win over Texas might’ve been a fluke, as they’re now 2-8 in their last 10 Big 12 matchups and seem to struggle mightily in the circle as well with a 4.85 ERA (239th nationally). Both of these teams must still face two of the top three teams in the league, which is a bad omen for where things could be headed in the weeks to come.
