Eight Sooners Named to Player of the Year Watch List

NORMAN — Eight members of the Oklahoma softball team have been named to the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, the organization announced the 50-player watch list Wednesday.

Redshirt seniors Haley Lee, Grace Lyons and Alex Storako, senior Kinzie Hansen, juniors Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings and sophomores Jordy Bahl and Cydney Sanders are among the 50 student-athletes on the preseason watch list.

OU's eight selections lead the nation, followed by three representatives from Arkansas, Florida and UCLA.

Recognized as the most distinguished individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, the trophy has stayed in Norman each of the past two seasons with 2022 graduate Jocelyn Alo claiming the award in 2021 and 2022. All-time, OU has four USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year honors with Alo's two and 2013 alumna Keilani Ricketts' back-to-back crowns in 2012-13.

The top 25 finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 19. While an athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the top 25 finalists. The top 10 finalists will be announced May 3 and the top three announced May 17. The 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed prior to the Women's College World Series. Freshmen can be considered for the Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level.

Lee, one of OU's four transfer additions this offseason, comes to Norman with 47 career home runs throughout her time at Texas A&M. A versatile player that was an NFCA Third Team All-American in 2021, Lee looks to be a weapon across the field for the Sooners in 2023.

A Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year a season ago, Lyons returns for her super senior year in 2023 as the two-time defending Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time NFCA All-American. Lyons had a career year at the plate in 2022, hitting 23 homers and batting in 70 runs.

Storako brings with her to Norman over 900 career strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA from her four years at Michigan. An NFCA Second Team All-American and the unanimous Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2021, Storako joins a loaded OU pitching staff that looks to lead the nation for the second straight season in ERA.

Another All-American and 2021 WCWS All-Tournament Team selection, Hansen looks to replicate the success she's seen since her freshman season as a true senior in 2023 with two years of eligibility remaining. The catcher has 36 career homers and has been a force behind the plate for OU with a .993 career fielding percentage.

A two-time NFCA First Team All-American, Coleman led the team with 13 stolen bases a season ago and ranked second with a .424 batting average and .584 on-base clip to go with eight home runs, nine doubles and 40 RBIs.

Jennings, a twice unanimous NFCA First Team All-American, looks to continue her dominance at the plate, hitting 56 home runs in her two seasons in Norman and pacing the country in RBIs back-to-back seasons.

The reigning Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year and NFCA National Freshman of the Year, Bahl had a dominant first-year campaign for the Sooners. Also a 2022 Top 10 Finalist for player of the year, Bahl finished with a 22-1 record in 2022 to go with 205 strikeouts. She surrendered just 22 earned runs in 141.1 innings pitched en route to NFCA First Team All-America honors.

Another addition via the portal, Sanders transfers to the Sooners after an exceptional freshman season where she was one of three finalists for NFCA National Freshman of the Year and named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac 12 first team. The San Marcos, Calif., native started all 54 games at first base for Arizona State in 2022 and hit a program single-season record 21 home runs.

The seven Sooners and preseason No. 1 Oklahoma begin their back-to-back national title defense in Irvine, Calif., Feb. 9 vs. No. 19 Duke at the Mark Campbell Invitational, one of four ranked opponents OU meets on opening weekend. See the Sooners full schedule here.

A limited quantity of single-game tickets for home games will go on sale in the coming weeks. Tickets for the Omni Hall of Fame Classic at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City are currently on sale to the public via SoonerSports.com/tickets.

For any questions about 2023 OU softball tickets, please contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office during normal business hours – Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-456-4668 or via email at OUTickets@ou.edu.

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