Five Sooners Named All-Americans

NORMAN — Five members of the No. 1 Oklahoma softball team were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans, the organization announced Wednesday.

Senior Jocelyn Alo and freshmen Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings were named First Team honorees. Junior Grace Lyons and sophomore Kinzie Hansen collected Second Team accolades.

The five selections tied for most in the country with UCLA and the three first team honors is second best in the nation.

Jennings was one of just five unanimous first team All-Americans.

Alo receives her third career All-America honor and second first-team accolade after garnering the status as a freshman. The other four Sooners earn the first honor of their careers.

Alo, named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Tuesday night, has paced the explosive Oklahoma offense in 2021. The Big 12 Player of the Year holds the nation's lead in home runs (30) and slugging percentage (1.135) and ranks second in RBIs (82) and fourth in batting average (.487). Her 30 home runs entering the World Series is tied for the program record she set herself in 2018, along with Lauren Chamberlain in 2012 and '13.

Also the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jennings is OU's first unanimous All-America selection since Caleigh Clifton in 2019. Jennings has hit 25 home runs to go with 84 RBIs in her first-year campaign. Her RBI mark leads in the nation and she's tied for second in the country for home runs, just five behind fellow national award winner Alo's 30. She holds an exceptional slash line of .485/.537/1.059. The San Pedro, Calif., product has homered in 21 of OU's 52 games and hit multiple homers in a game three times. Jennings has been steady in the field as well, starting every game of the season at second or third base and holding a .972 fielding percentage with 55 putouts and 48 assists to just three errors.

Coleman, a First Team All-Big 12 selection and Top-3 Finalist for National Freshman of the year, is first on the team with a .578 on-base percentage and holds an on-base streak of 43 games and ranks second on the team with 32 walks drawn. The product of The Colony, Texas, leads the team with 19 stolen bases on 23 attempts in 2021. She's fourth on the team in doubles with nine on the year and has hit eight home runs.

The Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Hansen, has been a force both at the plate and behind it in 2021. She's hit 21 home runs to go with a .453 batting average and 58 RBIs. Her 21 homers ranks seventh in the country and her batting clip ranks 14th. She has struck out just five times on the year in 150 at-bats. The sophomore holds a .996 fielding percentage at catcher and has helped turn nine double plays on the year and allowed just two runners to steal on her on six attempts.

Lyons, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, has started all 52 games of the year at shortstop for the Sooners. She anchors the No. 1 defense in the country, holding a .974 fielding percentage and has turned 10 double plays to go with 59 assists, 54 putouts and just three errors. Equally impressive at the plate, Lyons has blasted 14 home runs in 2021 for fourth on the team in a locker room full of big bats. She's batting .428 on the year to go with 51 RBIs and 59 runs scored. The junior from Peoria, Ariz., has also hit 12 doubles on the year, good for second on the team.

The OU All-Americans and the rest of the team set its sights on the Women's College World Series, beginning Thursday in Oklahoma City. Top-seed OU meets James Madison Thursday morning at 11 a.m. for the WCWS opener.

The game can be seen on ESPN and heard on The Franchise (107.7 FM) in Oklahoma and nationwide on the TuneIn app with OU play-by-play announcer Chris Plank on the call. Fans can also listen to the game via SiriusXM channel 85 and through Westwood One Sports.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.