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How the SEC gutted Big 12, became a softball juggernaut, Oklahoma to Texas | Toppmeyer

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How the SEC gutted Big 12, became a softball juggernaut, Oklahoma to Texas | Toppmeyer


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The “Fantastic Four,” they called it.

The Big 12 rested on the brink of change in 2011 – much as it does now. Colorado and Nebraska had their bags packed for new conferences. Missouri and Texas A&M weren’t far behind, soon to be off to the SEC.

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The 2011 Women’s College World Series provided a moment of celebration and conference pride that briefly interrupted that period of Big 12 turbulence.

Four of the eight WCWS participants in 2011 hailed from the Big 12: Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Texas and Texas A&M also fielded top teams that season, although they were eliminated before reaching Oklahoma City.

“It’s a testament to this conference being one of the best,” Sooners softball coach Patty Gasso told a reporter at the time.

That was true then. By next spring, it’ll be but a memory.

One by one, the SEC gutted the Big 12. The ramifications are especially apparent in softball.

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Big 12 softball took a curtain call this past week. The WCWS finals pit rivals Oklahoma and Texas against one another. Oklahoma swept the best-of-three series to four-peat as national champions after Texas had earned the No. 1 seed.

[ This column was featured in our SEC Unfiltered newsletter, emailed free to your inbox five days a week. Want more commentary like this? Sign up here the USA TODAY Network’s newsletter on SEC sports. It’s free. We invite you to join the conversation. ]

In less than a month, both schools will call the SEC home.

By now, Missouri and Texas A&M know the terrain. The SEC qualified all 13 of its softball-playing members for the NCAA Tournament this season – the Tigers and Aggies among them.

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The decay of the Big 12, as we once knew it, coincided with the surge of SEC softball. Many analyses have been penned from softball aficionados about the shift in conference dominance from the Pac-10 to the SEC. The SEC invested in its coaches, facilities and recruiting to help fuel its softball takeover.

Part of the SEC’s ascent, though, simply stems from brute force and its seizure of Missouri and Texas A&M and now Oklahoma and Texas. The former two made the conference stronger in softball. The latter two will solidify it as a juggernaut.

I don’t blame the SEC. When desirable schools became available, it pounced and strengthened itself. It’s not personal. Just business. And good for the business of SEC softball, at the Big 12’s expense.

Missouri, Texas A&M and now Oklahoma and Texas became the SEC’s “Fantastic Four.”  

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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfilteredand newsletter, SEC Football Unfiltered. Subscribe to read all of his columns.





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Oklahoma

Crews respond after fireworks stand catches fire in Broken Arrow, no injuries reported

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Crews respond after fireworks stand catches fire in Broken Arrow, no injuries reported


BROKEN ARROW, Okla. –

Crews responded to a fireworks stand after it caught fire in Broken Arrow Saturday night.

Authorities urged people to avoid E. Kanosha Street near S. 236th E. Avenue as the road is closed and fireworks could spread in the area due to the fire.

Broken Arrow Fire Department released a statement confirming no injuries were sustained as a result of the explosions or fire.

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Fire crews quickly controlled the fire in about 20 minutes according to Broken Arrow Fire Department.

The initial cause of the fire is under investigation.

Viewer Leslie Maxey, who lives close to the fireworks stand, sent in video of the ongoing fire.

“We were putting our daughter to bed with a book when we heard an explosion that was gradually getting louder and louder,” Maxey said.

This is a developing story.

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Scouting the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of UNC matchup

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Scouting the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of UNC matchup



What you need to know about Oklahoma ahead of the College World Series

North Carolina will face a dangerous Oklahoma team that is on a roll.

Oklahoma (41-22) has been just as dominant. The Sooners, making their 13th College World Series appearance and first since 2022, surged through the postseason as road warriors. They won the Atlanta Regional by upsetting No. 2 seed and ACC champion Georgia Tech in the final, then swept Big 12 champion and No. 15 seed Kansas by a combined score of 21-3 in the Lawrence Regional.

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The Sooners, who are 3-0 in Omaha after beating No. 7 seed Alabama and knocking off No. 3 seed and SEC champion Georgia twice, are seeking their third national championship. Oklahoma won titles in 1951 and 1994 and finished as runner-up to Ole Miss in 2022.

Here are a few things to know about Oklahoma:

Best player: Catcher Deiten LaChance

LaChance is Oklahoma’s most powerful hitter. He is batting .333 with 12 doubles, two triples and team highs of 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Throughout the postseason, he is hitting .326 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. In Omaha, he is 5-for-14 (.357) with one home run and five RBIs.

Strengths

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Like North Carolina, Oklahoma is a balanced team that is good at a little bit of everything and is built to frustrate opponents.

Oklahoma is a balanced hitting team like UNC, but the Sooners have hit a few more homers with 91, compared to the Tar Heels’ 82. That is largely due to the Sooners smashing 26 home runs in their 10 postseason games. In Omaha, OU has homered eight times, including five homers in its win over Georgia in its previous game.

The Sooners have stolen 129 bases this season. That is good for 24th nationally and second in the SEC.

Pitching-wise, OU is 18th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings and leads the SEC in shutouts.

Weaknesses

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The most glaring weakness is the pitching staff, despite its ability to strike out opposing batters and record shutouts.

The Sooners have a 4.98 ERA as a staff. Only one pitcher with 10 or more appearances has an ERA under 3.60.

They also allow 4.51 walks per nine innings, which ranks 138th nationally.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.





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Oklahoma State Football Target Israel Hammons Commits to Cowboys

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Oklahoma State Football Target Israel Hammons Commits to Cowboys


It was a Friday Night Lights in June kind of moment for the Oklahoma State Cowboys as Israel “Izzy” Hammons made his commitment announcement.

The Choctaw, Okla., rising senior announced his decision to commit to Oklahoma State on Friday during an Instagram Live session. The Cowboys beat out a roster of schools vying for the linebacker, most notably Texas.

Hammons made just two official visits — one to OSU and one to Texas last week.

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His commitment pushed the Cowboys’ 2027 recruiting class back to nine players after the defection of Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) offensive lineman Chase Clark to Purdue.

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Commitments are non-binding. The earliest that Hammons can sign with OSU is in December.

Izzy Hammons to OSU

Hammons is the first four-star player to commit to the Cowboys this cycle. Their previous commitments all came from three-star players. The 6-3, 225-pound linebacker was considered a Top 200 player in the country by both On3/Rivals and 247Sports. Both services had him ranked as a Top 10 player in the state of Oklahoma at any position. He’s also considered the No. 1 linebacker in the state.

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He also runs track and field, competing in the high jump and the 100-meter days, with a personal best of 11.30 seconds in the latter.

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The Longhorns came in hot at the end but already had linebackers committed to the program this cycle. For the Cowboys getting a pledge from a player like Hammons is key to shore up a position where they didn’t have a commitment and where they plan to use senior transfers as starters in 2026. That means OSU and head coach Eric Morris must start building a pipeline now.

OSU’s Class of 2027

After Clark’s decommitment the Cowboys were down to eight recruits for 2027 entering Friday, most of which were on the offensive side of the ball and starting with Iowa Colony (Texas) quarterback Carson White, who was the cycle’s first commitment in April.

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Up front, OSU has two offensive line commitments Jake Baker of Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., and Sonny Mullen of Troy, Texas. When it comes to skill positions players the Cowboys have three commitments as well, including two wide receivers — Cooper Hooker of Pryor (Quapaw, Okla.) High School and Ake O’Neal of Argyle, Texas. Oklahoma State also has a pledge from tight end Talan Scott of Queen City, Ariz.

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Defensively, the Cowboys have commitments from safeties Chayce Davis of Euless (Texas) Trinity High School and Bryson Brown of Broken Bow, Okla.

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