All Sooners

OU Softball: Oklahoma Dominates All-Region Honors

Seven Sooners were named to the 2023 NFCA All-Region Central team, making them eligible for All-American consideration.

Ryan Chapman

Recognition for Oklahoma’s outstanding season continues to roll in.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the All-Region Central team on Thursday, and it had plenty of OU flavor.

Seven Sooners made the All-Region teams, and they are all now eligible to be voted onto the 2023 NFCA All-America teams.

Pitcher Jordy Bahl, catcher Kinzie Hansen, second baseman Tiare Jennings, third baseman Alyssa Brito, center fielder Jayda Coleman were all named to the first team.

Shortstop Grace Lyons and utility player Haley Lee were Second Team All-Region selections.

Bahl, Coleman and Jennings also made the top 10 for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, but they were joined by plenty of teammates on the All-Region squad.

Brito, who was snubbed from both First and Second Team All-Big 12 honors, is tied with Lee for second on the team with 13 home runs, and Brito has also added 17 doubles and a triple for the No. 1-overall seeded Sooners this year.

Hansen has also been a huge bat for OU in 2023, batting .393 with 10 home runs after battling injuries in 2022.

Lyons, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, slotted back into the lineup after an illness saw her miss a bit of time in the non-conference slate, and she picked up right where she left off as well. Oklahoma’s captain is batting .353 with seven home runs while driving in 30 RBIs.

To be nominated for All-Region consideration, position players had to play 50 percent of the team’s total games, which 60 percent of those games coming at the nominated position.

Pitchers had to either pitch 100 total innings or 30 percent of the team’s total innings.

Both Nicole May and Alex Storako pitched just under 30 percent of Oklahoma’s innings during the regular season.

The NFCA DI All-American Committee will vote on this year’s All-American teams, and those selections will be announced on May 31.

Oklahoma will start its national title defense on Friday at 4 p.m. against Hofstra in first contest of the Norman Regional at Marita Hynes Field. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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