POWER RANKINGS
With three new programs and two teams playing in their last seasons in the league, Big 12 softball will look a lot different in 2024.
But there doesn’t figure to be much change at the top.
Oklahoma has dominated the conference — and the sport — of late and enters the season as the prohibitive favorite to win the league once again. Texas and Oklahoma State figure to be Women’s College World Series contenders as well, while newcomers UCF and BYU are coming off successful seasons in other conferences.
The first weekend of the season is highlighted by several high-powered nonconference matchups — Tennessee at Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma State vs. UCLA, and Oklahoma vs. Washington and Duke among others.
Here are the Big 12 power rankings entering the season:
1. Oklahoma
2023 record: 61-1, 18-0 Big 12
What to know: Was there any doubt? The Sooners have won the last three Women’s College World Series and have gone 121-4 in Big 12 play since 2016. OU is the clear favorite to win the Big 12 in its final season in the league. OU lost Jordy Bahl to the transfer portal in the offseason, but replaced her with former Oklahoma State star Kelly Maxwell.
2. Texas
2023 record: 45-15-1, 11-7 Big 12
What to know: If anyone can stop the Sooners rolling to another national title, it might be the Longhorns. Mia Scott posted a .377/.444/.503 slash line last season. Mac Morgan was 18-4 with a 2.50 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 145 2/3 innings last season.
3. Oklahoma State
2023 record: 41-16, 10-8 Big 12 What to know: The Cowgirls lost a good chunk of last season’s Women’s College World Series team, but Kenny Gajewski’s team still has plenty of firepower. With Kelly Maxwell transferring to OU, Lexi Kilfoyl takes over as the clear No. 1.
4. UCF
2023 record: 40-21, 15-3 AAC
What to know: The Knights have the strongest program among the three Big 12 newcomers, and return last season’s American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year Sarah Willis. Willis was 19-4 with a 1.65 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 152 1/3 innings.
5. Baylor
2023 record: 40-18, 8-10 Big 12 What to know: The Bears struggled with inconsistency last season, beating Oklahoma in non-conference play before slumping to a below-.500 finish in the Big 12. Shaylon Govan returns after hitting .369 with a teambest 11 home runs last season.
6. Texas Tech
2023 record: 31-22, 5-13 Big 12
What to know: The Red Raiders are led by sophomore catcher Kailey Wyckoff, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season. Wyckoff hit .393 with a .740 slugging percentage last season. An early matchup vs. Florida State is the biggest on the Red Raiders’ non-conference schedule.
7. BYU
2023 record: 35-17, 11-4 WCC
What to know: Huntyr Ava was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year last season, leading the Cougars with 50 RBIs, 16 home runs and a .746 slugging percentage. BYU has plenty of other returning starters, including Ailana Agbayani, who hit .337 with 22 RBIs and had a 2.43 ERA in 31 2/3 innings.
8. Kansas
2023 record: 25-27, 5-13 Big 12
What to know: The Jayhawks finished last in the Big 12, hitting .243 last season. They do return their leading hitter from a year ago, Lyric Moore. Moore hit .303 with a .528 slugging percentage as a junior.
9. Iowa State
2023 record: 25-30, 6-12 Big 12
What to know: The Cyclones will be challenged right out of the gate, with games against Duke and Washington at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico. Outfielder Malaysia Ochoa returns after starting all 55 games last season, hitting .319 with 12 home runs and 33 RBIs.
10. Houston
2023 record: 20-30, 7-10 AAC
What to know: The Cougars’ coaching staff already had a Big 12 feel with former Oklahoma standout Kristin Vesely as head coach, but added more conference ties with the addition of former Texas standout Nadia Taylor and former Sooners pitching star Hope Trautwein as assistants in the offseason.