SHAWNEE – The Oklahoma Baptist softball team will open its 2023 campaign on Thursday at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Lafayette, LA. OBU will play five games, beginning with Delta State, tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Then on Friday, the Bison will take on Texas A&M-Kingsville at 11:30 a.m. before ending the day against Midwestern State University at 2 p.m. Oklahoma Baptist will wrap things up on Saturday with a twin bill against Union University (11:30 a.m.) and Mississippi College (4:30 p.m.).
OBU is coming off its most successful season since joining Division II. The Bison racked up 33 overall wins, including a program-best 19 GAC victories, to make the conference tournament for a second straight season.
Led by senior pitchers Kayleigh Jones and Aspen Younce in the circle, OBU looks to post another memorable season. The duo recorded 450 of OBU's 469 strikeouts, which ranked No. 1 in the country at the end of the 2022 season.
Jones broke the Bison single-season record for strikeouts on her way to a First-Team All-GAC recognition. She also tossed two no-hitters, becoming the first Bison to produce multiple in a season since 1984.
Three others, Reagan Ford, Samantha Campos, and Reagan Ford, earned All-GAC honors.
Oklahoma Baptist returns all but one, to its starting lineup, which includes the squad's leader in home runs a season ago, Jocee Sparks. Sparks sent 10 over in 2022, tied for fifth in the league.
OBU's most efficient hitters, Ford, Campos, and Greene, produced 43 hits a year ago. Ford led the threesome with a .367 batting average, while Greene led the conference in stolen bases with 26 in 27 attempts. It was the third-best total bags in a season in program history.
Amidst this talent, 10 new signees were brought to Shawnee, including Butler CC transfer and infielder Emily Adler. During her three-year stint with the Grizzlies, Adler was an NJCAA All-American and two-time All-KJCCC selection.
SCOUTING THE TEAMS
OBU's first opponent, Delta State, finished 20-28, including a 9-18 record in the Gulf South Conference a season ago. The mark ranked No. 11 in the league. Delta State hit .279 as a squad and finished with a 4.85 team ERA.
Texas A&M Kingsville finished 50-12 in 2022, highlighted by a 23-7 record in the Lone Star Conference. The Javelinas made the LSC tournament final before venturing into the NCAA tournament and falling to top-seeded UT-Tyler in the South Central Super Regional.
Midwestern State won just eight games last season, finishing the year 8-37. Seven of their overall wins came against LSC competition, as its 7-23 mark was good for 15th place in the league's final standings.
Union went 18-29, including an 11-16 record in the GSC, while Mississippi College finished just under .500 at 22-23. The Bulldogs of Union claimed the eighth spot for the GSC Tournament over MC in 2022.
For more information on OBU Softball, follow the team on Twitter (@OBU_Softball) and Instagram (@OBU_Softball).
