Big 12 softball power rankings: Two critical weekends coming for Texas Longhorns

Through three weekends of conference play, the Big 12 softball standings are stark.

Four teams are bunched near the top with two or fewer losses, led by OU at 9-0.

But none of those top four teams — the Sooners, Texas, Oklahoma State and Kansas — have played each other.

That changes this weekend when the Jayhawks host OU and the Longhorns travel to Stillwater to take on the Cowgirls.

Kansas remains the surprise of the league after sweeping Houston on the road last weekend.

For Texas, the chance to break the Sooners’ stranglehold on the Big 12 will come down to the next two weekends. After playing at Oklahoma State, the Longhorns host OU April 5-7.

The Sooners have won 11 consecutive conference titles and have not lost a Big 12 series since 2011.

With the divide in the standings growing — and the Texas Tech-Iowa State series wiped out due to weather — the power rankings changed little last week. That figures to change in the coming weeks, but here’s a look at this week’s power rankings:

More:Why OU softball freshman Ella Parker is 'very much like' Alyssa Brito batting for Sooners

1. Oklahoma

Last week: 1

Record: 31-1, 9-0 Big 12*

Even without captain Kinzie Hansen behind the plate for much of the last two weeks, the Sooners have kept rolling right along. OU is the only team nationally with less than three losses.

More:These are the 5 best OU softball performances we saw in sweep of No. 22 Baylor

2. Texas

Last week: 2

Record: 28-3, 8-1 Big 12*

The Longhorns have won seven consecutive games but face their toughest stretch of the season coming up, with a three-game series at Oklahoma State this weekend before hosting Oklahoma next weekend.

3. Oklahoma State

Last week: 3

Record: 26-5, 7-2 Big 12*

The Cowgirls hit six home run in a series win at BYU, and are second in the Big 12 with 44 home runs entering Tuesday’s slate. Caroline Wang leads OSU with nine home runs. 

More:Oklahoma State softball needs to solve youthful inconsistency ahead of Texas series

4. Kansas

Last week: 4

Record: 22-8-1, 7-2 Big 12*

The Jayhawks swept Houston, giving them their first back-to-back sweeps in conference play since 2005. Kansas’ seven Big 12 wins are already its most since 2016, when they won eight.

5. Baylor

Last week: 5

Record: 17-11, 1-8 Big 12*

The Bears might’ve been swept by Oklahoma, but their eight runs were the most scored on the Sooners in a conference series since 2021. Emily Hott was 5 for 8 with a pair of home runs in her return to her home state.

6. Texas Tech

Last week: 6

Record: 21-8, 2-4 Big 12*

The Red Raiders stand pat this week after their series at Iowa State was completely wiped out due to weather. Texas Tech is expected to go 11 days between games, opening their series against UCF on Thursday.

7. BYU

Last week: 8

Record: 17-12, 2-7 Big 12*

The Cougars’ hit two grand slams in Friday’s 11-8 win over Oklahoma State for their first win over a top-10 opponent since 2014. Huntyr Ava hit one in the first inning of the victory while Hailey Morrow added a slam in the third as the Cougars jumped in front 10-2 before holding on late.

8. UCF

Last week: 7

Record: 14-14, 2-7 Big 12

The good? The Knights held Texas to just 12 runs in a three-game series, as the Longhorns hit just .284. The bad? UCF hit just .158, scoring just three runs as Texas swept the three-game set.

9. Houston

Last week: 9

Record: 19-12, 2-7 Big 12*

During her current five-game hitting streak, the Cougars’ Turiya Coleman is 9 of 16 with two home runs and eight RBIs. Coleman leads Houston with seven home runs.

10. Iowa State

Last week: 10

Record: 11-16, 2-4 Big 12*

The Cyclones’ weekend home series against Texas Tech was twice altered by the weather and then wiped out completely.