The Big 12 Conference has released its 2022 All-Big 12 Softball Awards. Oklahoma collected five individual awards while Oklahoma State secured Co-Pitcher of the Year. The honorees were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Sooner superstar Jocelyn Alo was voted Big 12 Player of the Year, becoming the first player to win the award in back-to-back years since OU’s Amber Flores in 2009 & 2010. Jordy Bahl became the first freshman to win Pitcher of Year (Co) since Oklahoma’s Paige Parker in 2015 and Grace Lyons won Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, the first player to repeat since Texas’ Megan Willis in 2006-07. Bahl was also selected as the Freshman of the Year, the seventh straight season a Sooner has earned the honor. Patty Gasso was voted Coach of the Year for an unprecedented 10th year in a row and the 14th overall time in her career. 

Oklahoma State’s Kelly Maxwell was voted Pitcher of the Year (Co), marking the second consecutive season a Cowgirl has taken home the honor.  

Alo ranks first in the country in slugging percentage (1.135) and on-base percentage (.624) while placing second in home runs (24) and RBI (67). The senior broke the NCAA Division I softball record for career home runs by hitting her 96th in her home state against Hawaii earlier in the season. The 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year leads the Big 12 in batting average (.476), OPS (1.759) and home runs (24). 

Bahl had a debut season for the ages. The freshman led the league in wins (21), had the Big 12’s second-lowest opponent’s batting average (.137) and struck out the second-most batters (199) while allowing just 18 earned runs throughout the season (0.95 ERA). 

Maxwell was dominant in the circle, finishing with a Conference-best 228 strikeouts. The junior held batters to a .143 batting average while securing 15 wins and two saves. The native of Friendswood, Texas helped the Cowgirls to a second-place regular-season finish in Big 12 play and a 38-12 overall record heading into the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship. 

Lyons led an OU defense that ranked second in the Big 12 in fielding percentage (.974). The infielder helped turn 11 double plays with just six errors and registered 48 putouts and 57 assists throughout the season.
 
Gasso guided No. 1 ranked Oklahoma to a 48-1 record (17-1, Big 12) which included the Sooners’ 10th consecutive and 14th overall Big 12 regular-season title. OU started the season with a 38-game winning streak, the best start in NCAA Division I Softball history. The Sooners won 35 games by run-rule during the 2022 season to tie its program-best mercy-rule mark from a season ago. Oklahoma has outscored opponents 455-41 throughout the season while giving up just 30 earned runs. 

Twelve student-athletes make up the All-Big 12 First and Second Team while 10 selections are named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. 

Oklahoma leads First Team selections with six players while Oklahoma State leads Second Team honorees with four. Texas has the most players on the All-Freshman Team with three Longhorns listed. 

The 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship will take place May 12-14 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City. This year will debut a new single-elimination format involving all seven teams with Oklahoma receiving a first-round bye. A full schedule and bracket can be found here with tickets available for purchase here.