OU softball unanimous favorite in preseason Big 12 coaches' poll; Oklahoma State third
At this point, the question should be which — if any — poll will OU softball not be atop heading into the 2024 season?
It should be none.
The Big 12 coaches weren’t about to buck the trend.
The Sooners were the unanimous favorite to win the Big 12, the conference announced Wednesday with the release of the coaches’ preseason poll.
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OU, the three-time defending national champion, received all nine possible first-place votes from opposing coaches. Texas received the other first-place pick, likely from Sooners coach Patty Gasso, who is unable to vote for her own team.
Oklahoma State was picked third, which marks a fifth straight season the Cowgirls were voted in the top three.
OU has topped the poll for 12 straight seasons — a Big 12 record — and 15 of the past 16 seasons.
The Sooners have also won 11 straight Big 12 regular-season titles. They enter the season on a 53-game winning streak, an NCAA record.
Here is the poll:
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2024 Big 12 softball preseason poll
School (first-place votes)
Oklahoma (9) - 81
Texas (1) - 73
Oklahoma State - 62
Baylor - 59
UCF - 48
Texas Tech - 35
BYU - 28
Kansas - 27
Iowa State - 20
Houston - 17
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 preseason softball poll: OU is unanimous favorite by coaches