Oklahoma has been selected as the favorite in the 2022 Big 12 softball preseason poll for the 10
th straight year in a vote by the league’s head coaches. This marks the 13
th occurrence in the last 14 years for the Sooners and continues OU’s Big 12 record for most consecutive years as No. 1 in the poll (10). The preseason favorite has won the league each completed season since 2013.
Oklahoma is the unanimous favorite for the eighth time under the league’s current seven-team configuration. The Sooners are the defending Big 12 and National Champions after capturing their fifth Women’s College World Series title last summer (2000, ’13, ’16, ’17, ’21).
Oklahoma State received its highest spot in the poll’s history, coming in at second. The Cowgirls finished second in the conference last season and made the school’s 12th trip to the WCWS.
Texas is third in the poll and has now appeared in the top three in the preseason rankings for 12 straight years dating back to 2011.
Baylor is fourth for the second straight season while Iowa State is fifth, which marks the Cyclones’ highest Big 12 preseason rank in program history. Texas Tech and Kansas follow at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
The inaugural Big 12 Softball Preseason Team will be released on January 20 at 10:00 a.m. CT. Follow Big12Sports.com and the Conference’s social media platforms for the reveal of the team.
Note: The first preseason poll was conducted prior to the 1999-2000 season.
2022 Big 12 Softball Preseason Poll
| 1. Oklahoma (6) |
36 |
| 2. Oklahoma State (1) |
31 |
| 3. Texas |
26 |
| 4. Baylor |
19 |
| 5. Iowa State |
18 |
| 6. Texas Tech |
10 |
| 7. Kansas |
7 |
* - denotes unanimous favorite
Parentheses indicate first-place votes