The Big 12 has announced its softball preseason team for the 2024 season. Oklahoma leads all schools with seven selections (Rylie Boone, Alyssa Brito, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings, Kelly Maxwell and Nicole May) while Texas follows with five (Citlaly Gutierrez, Ashton Maloney, Viviana Martinez, Mac Morgan and Mia Scott).
Baylor (Shaylon Govan), BYU (Huntyr Ava), UCF (Sarah Willis), Houston (Turiya Coleman), Iowa State (Milaysia Ochoa), Oklahoma State (Lexi Kilfoyl) and Texas Tech (Kailey Wyckoff) each had one player selected.
The honorees were chosen by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Players were picked regardless of position and coaches could not vote for their own student-athletes.
This is the third season in the league’s history in which a preseason team has been assembled and the first year the team has been expanded to 18 members. A tie in voting created an extra position for this season.
Of the 16 players on the team who played in the league in 2023, 14 were either First, Second or Freshman All-Big 12 members. Seven of the 19 selections finished last season with NFCA All-American recognition while Oklahoma’s Brito, Jennings, Maxwell and May were honored as Academic All-Americans last year.
The lineup includes the 2023 Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year, with Oklahoma’s Coleman (Player) and Texas Tech’s Wyckoff (Freshman) featured. Coleman ranks third in league history with her .425 batting average while Wyckoff is the first Red Raider to make the preseason team after finishing her debut season with the fifth-highest-single-season batting average (.393) in TTU history.
Govan, Jennings and Scott were unanimous selections to the team.
Govan appeared and started in 56 of 58 games last season while hitting .369 with 52 hits, 54 RBIs and 11 home runs. The junior led the Big 12 in walks (47) while holding a .513 on-base percentage.
Jennings paced the record-setting 2023 Sooners in batting average (.415), hits (76), RBIs (66) and total bases (143). The native of San Pedro, California is the Women’s College World Series career record holder for RBIs (29) and her .427 career batting average ranks second all-time in Big 12 history.
Scott ranked third in hits (75) and second in stolen bases (19) while finishing ninth in batting average (.377) among league players during her sophomore season.
The Conference’s preseason poll was released earlier in the week and can be found
here.
This year marks the debut of BYU, UCF and Houston in Big 12 softball. The season begins Feb. 8 with Big 12 play starting March 7 and concluding May 5. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship returns to Oklahoma City’s USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium at OGE Energy Field from May 8-11.
2024 Big 12 Softball Preseason Team
Shaylon Govan, BU, INF, Jr.*
Huntyr Ava, BYU, 1B, Sr.
Sarah Willis, UCF, P/OF, Sr.
Turiya Coleman, UH, INF/C, Jr.
Milaysia Ochoa, ISU, OF, Sr.
Rylie Boone, OU, OF, Sr.
Alyssa Brito, OU, UTL, Sr.
Jayda Coleman, OU, OF, Sr.
Kinzie Hansen, OU, C, Sr.
Tiare Jennings, OU, INF, Sr.*
Kelly Maxwell, OU, P, R-Sr.
Nicole May, OU, P, Sr.
Lexi Kilfoyl, OSU, P, Gr.
Citlaly Gutierrez, UT, P, So.
Ashton Maloney, UT, OF, R-So.
Viviana Martinez, UT, SS/2B, So.
Mac Morgan, UT, P, Jr.
Mia Scott, UT, UTL, Jr.*
Kailey Wyckoff, TTU, C/OF, So.
A tie created an extra position on the team.
Players are sorted alphabetically by school.
*Indicates unanimous selection