Completed Event: Softball versus Oklahoma Christian on October 15, 2025
Final
Softball
vs Oklahoma Christian
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma
Five Sooners Named USA Softball Player of the Year Top-26 Finalists
May 01, 2024 | Softball
NORMAN – Five members of the University of Oklahoma softball team are among the top 26 finalists for the 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, USA Softball announced Wednesday.
Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings and Kelly Maxwell represent Oklahoma among the 26 finalists for the national player-of-the-year honor. OU's five finalists lead the nation, followed by Tennessee's three and two each from Duke, Florida and Miami (OH).
The Top 26 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 15, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 20. The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed prior to the Women's College World Series, which is scheduled to take May 30 – June 7 at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Brito has started 48 games at third base for the Sooners, slashing .417/.494/.875 for a 1.369 OPS. The senior adds 16 home runs, 10 doubles and four triples alongside 50 RBIs and 52 runs scored. Her .573 weighted on-base average (wOBA) leads OU, as does her 60 base hits.
Coleman has followed her 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year campaign with a phenomenal senior season, slashing .405/.543/.722 for a 1.266 OPS across 48 starts. She has blasted 11 home runs and seven doubles, scoring a team-leading 54 runs and driving in 37. Coleman's terrific approach sees her walk in 23.3% of her plate appearances and strike out at a minuscule 2.3% clip, owning a 4:41 K:BB ratio.
Hansen owns the Sooners' best batting average at .441 entering the final week of the regular season, reaching base at a .488 clip and slugging .712 for a 1.200 OPS. She adds eight home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs while providing her exceptional defense behind the plate. The OU backstop has thrown out five runners at a 35.7% caught-stealing rate and has allowed just one passed ball and 12 wild pitches on over 3000 pitches handled this spring.
The lone Sooner to start all 49 games this season, Jennings leads Oklahoma with 18 home runs, 12 doubles and 55 RBIs. OU's shortstop slashes .386/.475/.841 for a 1.316 OPS, walking in 15.8% of her trips and striking out in just 5.1% of her plate appearances. In the field, Jennings has committed just two errors in 285.0 innings at shortstop, logging a .986 fielding percentage and a 3.39 range factor.
Maxwell is 16-1 with a 1.66 ERA in her debut season as the OU ace, appearing in 24 games and making 16 starts. The left-hander has thrown seven complete games and four shutouts, striking out 107 across a staff-leading 101.0 innings pitched. Opponents are batting just .170 off Maxwell with a meager .522 OPS.
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter/X and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.
Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings and Kelly Maxwell represent Oklahoma among the 26 finalists for the national player-of-the-year honor. OU's five finalists lead the nation, followed by Tennessee's three and two each from Duke, Florida and Miami (OH).
The Top 26 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 15, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 20. The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed prior to the Women's College World Series, which is scheduled to take May 30 – June 7 at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
Brito has started 48 games at third base for the Sooners, slashing .417/.494/.875 for a 1.369 OPS. The senior adds 16 home runs, 10 doubles and four triples alongside 50 RBIs and 52 runs scored. Her .573 weighted on-base average (wOBA) leads OU, as does her 60 base hits.
Coleman has followed her 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year campaign with a phenomenal senior season, slashing .405/.543/.722 for a 1.266 OPS across 48 starts. She has blasted 11 home runs and seven doubles, scoring a team-leading 54 runs and driving in 37. Coleman's terrific approach sees her walk in 23.3% of her plate appearances and strike out at a minuscule 2.3% clip, owning a 4:41 K:BB ratio.
Hansen owns the Sooners' best batting average at .441 entering the final week of the regular season, reaching base at a .488 clip and slugging .712 for a 1.200 OPS. She adds eight home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs while providing her exceptional defense behind the plate. The OU backstop has thrown out five runners at a 35.7% caught-stealing rate and has allowed just one passed ball and 12 wild pitches on over 3000 pitches handled this spring.
The lone Sooner to start all 49 games this season, Jennings leads Oklahoma with 18 home runs, 12 doubles and 55 RBIs. OU's shortstop slashes .386/.475/.841 for a 1.316 OPS, walking in 15.8% of her trips and striking out in just 5.1% of her plate appearances. In the field, Jennings has committed just two errors in 285.0 innings at shortstop, logging a .986 fielding percentage and a 3.39 range factor.
Maxwell is 16-1 with a 1.66 ERA in her debut season as the OU ace, appearing in 24 games and making 16 starts. The left-hander has thrown seven complete games and four shutouts, striking out 107 across a staff-leading 101.0 innings pitched. Opponents are batting just .170 off Maxwell with a meager .522 OPS.
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter/X and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
UTL
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LHP
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