The 2024 Preseason All-Big 12 Team was revealed by the conference on Thursday, and seven student-athletes from the University of Oklahoma’s softball program were among the 19 players selected.
The Preseason awards and recognition keep piling in for the Sooners softball team.
Seven University of Oklahoma softball student-athletes have been named to the 2024 Preseason All-Big 12 Team as the conference announced the 19-player team Thursday.
Senior pitchers Nicole May and Kelly Maxwell, senior outfielders Rylie Boone and Jayda Coleman, senior infielders Alyssa Brito and Tiare Jennings, and senior catcher Kinzie Hansen were among the 19 players chosen by the league’s head coaches. Jennings was one of three unanimous selections to the team.
Oklahoma was one of just two programs with multiple selections, as Texas ranked second with five representatives. Baylor, BYU, Houston, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech each had one honoree. Student-athletes were chosen regardless of position and coaches could not vote for their own players.
After winning its third national championship and holding an all-time best 53-game win streak, the Sooners have also been placed at the top of the Big 12 and D1 softball Preseason Polls. Those were announced earlier this week.
The Sooners may have lost Jordy Bahl (Nebraska) to the transfer portal. Still, legendary Head Coach Patty Gasso and award-winning assistant coach Jennifer Rocha have done a lot to buff up the Sooners bullpen.
Kelly Maxwell
The biggest addition there was four-year starter Kelly Maxwell from Oklahoma State this offseason. The lefthander has won 58 collegiate games while posting a 1.58 ERA and striking out 746 batters over 494.2 innings pitched (10.6 K/7). A two-year All-America selection, Maxwell earned second-team honors last spring after going 16-7 with a 1.91 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 142.2 innings.
Nicole May
She joins Nicole May, who’s coming off of an outstanding individual season as well. In 107.2 innings pitched last season, she went a perfect 18-0 with a 0.91 ERA while striking out 130 batters. May enters her senior season with a 48-3 career record and a 1.47 ERA across 285.0 innings in the circle, ranking second in program history with a .941 career winning percentage and seventh with 8.0 strikeouts per 7.0 innings pitched.
Riley Boone
In chase of the fourth national championship, OU will field very talented returning players, who were named to the Big 12 Preseason award list. Riley Boone enters her fifth season ranked fourth in program history with a .405 career batting average in 181 games.
Jayda Coleman
Jayda Coleman returns after being named as the Big 12 Player of the Year last season. She ranks among the top 10 of the program’s career leaders in multiple categories, including on-base percentage, batting average, slugging percentage, and more.
Alyssa Brito
Brito was a big addition as a transfer in 2022 and has proved she’s one of OU’s best. She was a first-team All-America selection last season after hammering 17 home runs and 60 RBIs with a .412 batting average.
Tiare Jennings
Jennings is one of the most accomplished hitters in program history, as she’s among Oklahoma’s top career leaders in multiple offensive categories. Last season, she hit 17 home runs and 16 doubles and recorded 66 RBIs.
Kinzie Hansen
Hansen won the 2023 Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s best catcher. Behind the plate, Hansen registered 268 putouts and nine assists with just two errors for a .993 fielding percentage as a catcher. She only allowed six stolen bases all season. Offensively, Hansen recorded a .409 batting average with 13 home runs, seven doubles, a triple and 57 RBIs.
