Oklahoma
OU Softball: Five Oklahoma Players Named in Top 26 for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
Five Oklahoma Sooners are in the running for college softball’s top individual honor.
Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Alyssa Brito, Kinzie Hansen and Kelly Maxwell all made the cut as top 26 finalists for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, USA Softball announced on Wednesday.
Oklahoma’s five selections leads all teams, with Tennessee also adding three selections. Duke, Florida and Miami (OH) were the other three schools who also earned multiple selections.
Jennings is the only OU player to start all 49 games this year, and she paces the Sooners with 18 home runs, 55 RBIs and 12 doubles. She’s batting .386 in 2024, and has drawn 28 walks while striking out just nine times. Jennings made the top 10 a year ago alongside Coleman.
Coleman, the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year, is batting .488 entering the final weekend of the regular season with a slugging percentage of .722 and a 1.266 OPS. She driven in 77 runs and hammered 11 long balls to pair with her always show-stopping defense in center field.
Hansen leads OU with a .441 batting average and has been nothing short of sensational since returning to the lineup. She boasts a .488 on-base percentage, belting eight home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs.
Brito was again a steady hand for the Sooners at third base and an explosive bat in the lineup. She’s hit 18 home runs, four triples, three doubles and driven in 50 runs. Brito is batting .417 on the year and has a 1.369 OPS entering Bedlam.
In the circle, Maxwell has dazzled as Oklahoma’s ace. Appearing in 24 games, Maxwell has a 1.66 ERA is 16-1 on the year. She’s thrown seven complete games and four shutouts, striking out 107 batters while allowing 34 walks and holding opposing hitters to a .170 batting average in 2024.
The list of 26 will be cut down to 10 on May 15, and the top three finalists will be announced on May 20. Finally, the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed in the build up to the Women’s College World Series.
A Sooner has taken home the award four times. Jocelyn Alo won the award in both 2021 and 2022, and Keilani Ricketts won in both 2012 and 2013.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) offers support to residents affected by the severe storms that hit central and eastern Oklahoma on Jan. 8.
Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready emphasized the department’s commitment to helping those impacted.
“As we begin recovery after this severe weather, the Oklahoma Insurance Department is here to help,” Mulready said. “We want everyone affected to know that if you have questions about your policy, need assistance with the claims process, or just aren’t sure where to start, our Consumer Assistance Division is ready to support you every step of the way.”
Residents can reach out to OID’s Consumer Assistance division at 800-522-0071 or visit oid.ok.gov for support. Mulready also urged Oklahomans to report damage at damage.ok.gov.
The department provided several post-storm tips for victims, including documenting damage with photos or videos, making necessary temporary repairs, and consulting with trusted roofing contractors. Residents are advised to contact their insurance company after obtaining repair estimates and to save all receipts for any repairs made.
Additionally, the OID warned against contractor fraud, advising residents to get multiple bids, check references, and avoid paying upfront. Suspected fraud should be reported to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Consumer Protection Unit at 833-681-1895.
For more information on storm preparation and insurance coverage, visit oid.ok.gov/GetReady.
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8:45 p.m. Tornado Update from NWS Norman:
EF1 (high end) at Purcell
EF0 near Lake Thunderbird (south of Stella/northwest of Little Axe)
EF1 west and near the Shawnee Twin Lakes
EF1 in north Shawnee.
There are other areas of damage that we will continue to investigate.
Original story:
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Storms moved through parts of Oklahoma on Thursday morning, with at least five tornado warnings issued and two tornadoes that touched down in Purcell and Shawnee, leaving behind damage.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through central and eastern Oklahoma early Thursday that producing tornadoes, damaging winds, and power outages.
Preliminary information from the National Weather Service in Norman shows that at least EF-1 damage was found in Purcell. Survey teams are continuing to assess the damage that was left behind from the morning storms.
Officials also reported that widespread power outages occurred in the city, along with downed trees and powerlines, with nine homes having damaged roofs, and a semi-truck rollover accident on I-35 with one injury.
Shawnee also suffered some damage Thursday morning, which includes downed fences and partial roof loss at the Holiday Inn Express. As of Thursday evening, NWS officials confirm that a tornado did touch down in the northern portion of Shawnee; however, a preliminary rating hasn’t been given at this time.
According to Comanche County Emergency Management, damages related to the storms were reported across the City of Lawton, with roof damage at Sheridan and Lee, along with power pole and power line damage.
Lawton Fire Department responded to a rooftop fire at MacArthur High School on Thursday morning, caused by wind damage to AC units.
Lightning strikes in Edmond were reported to have caused a transformer fire near Covell and Kelly, with another lightning strike having caused a tree to fall on top of a vehicle near Covell and Broadway, resulting in one person being injured.
Straight-line winds were also reported to have destroyed a barn north of Guthrie, while structures were damaged in south Wynona, including a shop building that was devastated and a mobile home that was damaged.
Damage assessments are said to be ongoing at this time. News 4 will provide updates as we learn more.
According to NWS Norman officials, the last time the department issued a tornado warning in January was on January 10, 2020. However, Thursday’s reported tornado was not the earliest for a tornado to occur in Oklahoma. Tornadoes happened in Osage, Mayes, McIntosh, Ottawa, and Sequoyah Counties back on January 2, 2023.
Purcell OK resident recounts how tornado damaged home
Jennifer Fox says she didn’t hear any warning sirens but knew there was a tornado in the area after severe weather tore her garage awning from the ground.
PURCELL — Jennifer Fox had just fed the pigs behind her house early in the morning Thursday, Jan. 8, and began getting ready for work before she and her two sons heard something hit her bedroom window.
“I said, ‘Is it hailing?” she said. “My oldest looked out the window and he saw our awning across the back. He said, ‘Mom, the awning’s gone.”
Fox looked out the window and saw debris everywhere. She said she didn’t hear tornado sirens, but she and her sons immediately took shelter in a closet. By that time, the suspected tornado had already passed through her neighborhood off of Johnson Avenue in Purcell.
At first, Fox didn’t think there was a tornado and attributed the damage and debris to strong winds.
But just one street over, the roof of one house had been destroyed. When she looked at the house behind hers, Fox said she knew a tornado had hit her neighborhood.
“I was thankful at the time,” she said. “I told my kids, I said, ‘It could’ve been a lot worse.’ We weren’t prepared, obviously. I really felt like it just barely missed us.”
Severe weather passed through central Oklahoma early Thursday morning, bringing reports of damage from a possible tornado in Purcell. The National Weather Service in Norman reported on social media that survey teams have found at least EF1 tornado damage in the Purcell area.
The Purcell Fire Department reported a tornado touched down in the city, causing roof damage to nine homes, a semi truck rollover accident on Interstate 35 with one injury and widespread power outages, downed trees and powerlines.
On Norte Street in Purcell, the suspected tornado wiped out the roof of a newly-built home, throwing debris onto the road, including a Christmas tree and blue ornaments. The houses across the street and next door were untouched.
Community members and local high school students gathered pieces of trash, plywood, insulation and other debris and hauled them off.
Next door to Fox, a man and a woman removed debris from their yard that appeared to have blown over from Fox’s house. Like a puppy, a tall brown horse followed the man as he picked up each piece of trash. Across the street, cattle laid in the middle of a field and watched as one person after another drove into the neighborhood to lend a hand.
About five miles northeast of Fox’s house, the suspected tornado knocked over a few powerlines near Purcell’s football stadium. A tree fell onto a small white house and took the tin roof off a large warehouse.
Ron Musgrave, the warehouse’s owner, lives six miles north of Purcell. He said he learned his property was damaged through a local news broadcast.
“They had the people out front and they had the helicopters, so I could see it,” Musgrave said. “They were flying over here. There’s a football field, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. If that’s the football field, that’s my warehouse.”
The retired home builder and property owner said he keeps building supplies in his warehouse and a black and white cat who’s in charge of exterminating any trespassing mice.
The cat was happy to see Musgrave as he surveyed the water damage inside of the warehouse. Though there was some wet spots, the roof took most of the impact.
“It’s a project,” Musgrave said with a smile. “I am down for it.”
Severe weather damage reported in Shawnee, Norman
Tree damage was reported in Cleveland County at 156th Street and East Tecumseh Avenue, according to Alyse Moore, Cleveland County communications director, along with damage to a car port and barn at 800 Moffatt Road north of Lexington.
Storm damage was also reported in Shawnee. Social media posts show damage to the Holiday Inn Express and Walmart Supercenter off of Interstate 40.
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