Oklahoma
Oklahoma Softball: Sooners Lose Big 12 Championship to Oklahoma State

By Joe Buettner
Bedlam softball’s fourth installment this season didn’t skimp on any dramatics, together with ESPN’s broadcast going out as quickly because the eighth inning began.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State battled to additional innings, however one week after the Sooners swept the Cowgirls to finish the common season, it was Oklahoma State that lastly prevailed 4-3 in eight frames on Saturday.
The victory supplied Oklahoma State with this system’s first Large 12 event championship and ended OU’s streak of 4 consecutive Large 12 event titles.
The highest-ranked Sooners will enter the postseason at 49-2.
The loss, which got here in entrance of a record-breaking Large 12 Softball Match Championship Recreation crowd of 5,410, isn’t prone to harm the Sooners’ postseason plans.
OU continues to be in line to be the highest general seed on this 12 months’s event and host by way of the Tremendous Regional spherical. The win does improve Oklahoma State’s odds, nonetheless, to lock up a top-8 nationwide seed, which might assure it internet hosting its regional and potential Tremendous Regional sequence in Stillwater.
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Oklahoma State pitcher Morgan Day secured the win, permitting three hits and one run in 5 innings. OU’s Hope Trautwein picked up her first lack of the season, permitting 5 hits and two runs after coming into late for starter Nicole Might, who struck out three and allowed three hits and two runs.
OU freshman Jordy Bahl, who just lately earned Large 12 Co-Pitcher of the Yr and Large 12 Freshman of the Yr honors, was not out there resulting from arm soreness. OU coach Patty Gasso mentioned she expects Bahl to return for the NCAA event throughout an in-game interview with ESPN.
The Sooners’ offense, which was out-hit seven to eight and left seven stranded on Saturday, struck first within the third body with sophomore Tiare Jennings’ RBI single that plated Hannah Coor. The Sooners then added one other run, because of an Oklahoma State error that scored Jennings.
The Cowgirls rallied within the prime of the fourth, plating their first run of the day on an RBI single from Hayley Busby and tied it with Taylor Tuck‘s sacrifice fly that scored Miranda Elish.
Oklahoma State took its first lead of the day within the prime of the fifth, utilizing an RBI bunt from Chyenne Issue to plate Chelsea Alexander. OU’s Jocelyn Alo erased the margin within the backside half of the inning, sending a solo shot to left subject.
The house run marked Alo’s twenty fifth of the season and 113th of her profession.
The Cowgirls regained their benefit on a bases-loaded stroll, however the Sooners had been unable to reply within the backside half of the body.
Regardless of the loss, Alo, Trautwein, Rylie Boone, Lynnsie Elam and Grace Lyons all represented OU on the 2022 Large 12 softball All-Match group. Oklahoma State’s Day earned Most Excellent Participant honors.
OU will now flip its consideration to the NCAA event, which begins subsequent weekend with regional play. The Sooners will study their postseason vacation spot throughout Sunday’s choice present, scheduled for a 7 p.m. begin on ESPN2.

Oklahoma
Beers, Verhulst Named to Preseason All-SEC Coaches Team – University of Oklahoma

On Oct. 13, a panel of media that cover the league picked Oklahoma to finish fifth and named Beers a first-team honoree.
Beers, a senior from Littleton, Colo., was named an All-SEC First Team selection last season after averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game last season. A finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, she led the SEC in player efficiency rating (35.9) and was the only player in the nation to average at least 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes. She was also a preseason All-SEC first-team selection by the league’s media and an AP All-America honorable mention.
Verhulst, a redshirt senior from De Soto, Kan., was an All-SEC Second Team selection last season when she averaged a career-high 14.9 points per game, shooting 42% from the field and 35% from deep. She was one of only two players nationally to average at least 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in under 30 minutes per game.
Oklahoma was picked fourth by the coaches, trailing Texas, South Carolina and LSU, and ahead of Tennessee, who was picked fifth.
Led by fifth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma returns the second-highest percentage of scoring (60.3%) in the SEC, led by Beers (17.3 PPG), Verhulst (14.9) and Sahara Williams (10.6). The Sooners enter the season ranked sixth in the Associated Press preseason poll, their highest ranking to open a season since 2009-10. Baranczyk also added the nation’s No. 8 recruiting class, highlighted by the country’s No. 1 freshman, Aaliyah Chavez.
Fans can get an early look at the Sooners in an Oct. 29 exhibition vs. Oklahoma Christian set for 6 p.m. in Norman. Admission to the exhibition is free as no television broadcast is scheduled. Fans can listen to a radio broadcast on the Sooner Sports Radio Network and Varsity App.
Oklahoma opens the regular season Nov. 3 against Belmont at Lloyd Noble Center at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Season tickets are on sale now starting at just $99 for general admission. Single-game tickets and mini plans are also available. For more information, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424, email outickets@ou.edu or visit SoonerSports.com/Tickets.
Courtside seats for the 2025–26 season are now available on the west sideline and south baseline near the Oklahoma bench. Fans interested in more information should contact the Sooner Club at (405) 325-8000 or soonerclub@ou.edu.
Stay connected with Oklahoma Women’s Basketball by following the Sooners on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Want to make an impact? Join the 3-Point Club and help power the program’s continued success.
MEDIA POLL
- Texas
- South Carolina
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Ole Miss
- Kentucky
- Vanderbilt
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Mississippi State
- Texas A&M
- Missouri
- Auburn
- Arkansas
PRESEASON ALL-SEC (COACHES)
First Team All-SEC
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Madison Booker, Texas*
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
* SEC Preseason Player of the Year
Second Team All-SEC
Essence Cody, Alabama
Liv McGill, Florida
Teonni Key, Kentucky
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention

Oklahoma State is set for more Big 12 action this weekend, but it could make the inevitable official.
On Saturday, OSU will head to Lubbock to face No. 14 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off their first loss of the season but still have arguably the best team in the Big 12. As one of the frontrunners for the conference’s spot in the College Football Playoff, they shouldn’t have many issues taking care of business against an OSU team that hasn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023.
Along with being on a years-long drought in conference play, the Cowboys haven’t beaten an FBS team since September 2024. With this being the eighth game of the season, that also means OSU is down to its final hopes of making a bowl game.
Of course, the Cowboys have effectively been out of bowl contention since losing to Tulsa. While at that point there were still plenty of games left to play, that loss showed that OSU might not be ready to compete with anyone of note.
That assumption turned out to be entirely correct, as OSU hasn’t had another game within one possession since that loss to its in-state rival, which also led to the firing of Mike Gundy. While falling out of bowl contention seemed inevitable for the Pokes for much of the season, this weekend could be when it officially becomes reality.
Sitting at 1-6, the Cowboys would need to rattle off five straight wins to get to bowl eligibility. Considering they will start that journey as nearly 40-point underdogs in Lubbock this weekend, it’s safe to say that won’t happen.
While this is the reality OSU football is in at this point, it’s still a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in college football. Just two years ago, OSU won 10 games, made the Big 12 title game, which led to an appearance in the Texas Bowl, marking the Pokes’ 18th straight bowl appearance.
The last time OSU missed bowl games in consecutive seasons was 2000-01, when Bob Simmons’ final season and Les Miles’ first season at the helm both ended with losing records. Of course, Gundy missed a bowl game only twice in his 20 full seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, but this year likely would have been his third had he gotten the opportunity to see it through.
While nothing about OSU’s outlook will change on Saturday when the Cowboys are likely eliminated from bowl contention, it is still a reminder of how far the program has fallen.
Oklahoma
Thunder receive NBA championship rings, raise title banner: Check it out

NBA teams with most pressure in 2025-26
Breaking down which NBA teams are under the most pressure to win going into the 2025-26 season.
The 2025-26 NBA season started Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder hosted Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
Before tip-off, the Thunder celebrated their 2024-25 NBA championship season and raised their first title banner since the organization moved to Oklahoma City.
OKC players were greeted by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as they were introduced to the home crowd and received their championship rings.
Here’s how the players reacted to the championship rings and banner being raised:
Thunder receive championship rings, raise title banner
Here’s a detailed view of the Thunder’s new bling:
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