Oklahoma softball’s run through the SEC regular season didn’t end in perfection, but it did end in a title.
Despite a 6-4 loss to No. 9 Florida in Saturday’s regular-season finale, the No. 1-ranked Sooners secured the SEC regular season championship and the tournament’s No. 1 seed in their first year in the conference. With a 17-7 SEC record, OU wrapped up the crown on Friday, weathering one of the most competitive league schedules in the nation.
Saturday’s loss didn’t change the standings, but it offered a final regular-season test — a reminder of the stakes and standard the Sooners will face in the weeks to come.
Florida struck first at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium and never relinquished the lead.
OU starting pitcher senior Sam Landry struggled with control early, issuing a walk to Florida junior Jocelyn Erickson in the first inning before freshman Taylor Shumaker doubled. Reagan Walsh brought Erickson home with a sacrifice fly to give the Gators a 1-0 edge.
Landry ran into more trouble in the third, walking two more and giving up a single to load the bases with no outs. Florida senior Korbe Otis dropped a hit into shallow center where redshirt junior outfielder Hannah Coor’s diving effort came up just short, allowing two more runs to score. Though Landry escaped further damage with a slick double play on a lineout, the Gators had built a 3-0 cushion.
Senior infielder Cydney Sanders gave the Sooners their first boost in the fourth, launching a solo home run well beyond the wall in left field. OU nearly tied the game later in the inning when Dayton singled and redshirt junior Isabela Emerling walked, but Coor grounded out to strand the runners.
The fifth brought more life. Sophomore infielder Kasidi Pickering and sophomore utility Ella Parker reached base to open the frame, and freshman shortstop Gabbie Garcia cut the deficit to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly. But the Sooners couldn’t capitalize further, as Florida sophomore reliever Ava Brown got out of the jam, and the Gators responded with insurance runs.
Brown homered in the sixth, and a passed ball followed by a failed play at the plate allowed two more run. Gasso turned to freshman pitcher Audrey Lowry to close the inning, ending Landry’s outing at 5 1/3 innings with six hits, six runs (four earned) and six walks on 114 pitches.
Down 6-2 entering the seventh, OU refused to go quietly. Parker drew a walk, and Garcia followed with a two-run homer to bring the Sooners within a pair. Junior infielder/pitcher Ailana Agbayani walked, and Sanders followed suit to bring the tying run into scoring position with two outs. But junior outfielder Abby Dayton, who delivered Thursday’s walk-off single, grounded out to first to seal the defeat.
Though the finale didn’t fall their way, the weekend still meant a trophy.
OU’s 17-7 conference mark edged out Tennessee and Missouri for the regular season title. It’s the Sooners’ 12th straight conference title — but the first in a new league. After dominating the Big 12 for over a decade, Patty Gasso’s team entered SEC play with questions about how it would adjust to deeper, more balanced competition. The answer: with the same relentless consistency.
OU lost three SEC series — for the first time since 2011 — but responded each time with statement wins. Friday’s win in Gainesville not only clinched the title but also secured the No. 1 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Athens, Georgia.
The Sooners will enjoy a double bye as the top seed, beginning tournament play on Thursday. With the regular-season title and a 43-7 overall record, they remain on track for a top national seed in the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 17.
There are questions — OU’s pitching staff issued 10 walks over the final two games of the Florida series, and stranding runners remains a recurring issue. But the depth remains undeniable. From Sanders’ power to Garcia’s rising confidence in the field and at the plate, the Sooners have a variety of weapons.
It wasn’t the perfect ending to the regular season, but OU now enters the postseason with another title, a fresh challenge and a familiar mission.
What channel is Oklahoma vs. Florida on today?
TV channel: ESPN
Start time: 4 p.m.
Location: Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium
Notes: This is the last game of the series against Florida and the final of Oklahoma’s regular season.
OU softball 2025 schedule
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 7, Cal State Northridge 2
Feb. 6: Oklahoma 11, San Diego State 6 (9 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 8, Cal Baptist 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 7: Oklahoma 13, Cal State Fullerton 3
Feb. 8: Oklahoma 9, Loyola Marymount 0
Feb 9: Oklahoma 2, Long Beach State 0 (11 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 8, Hofstra 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 15: Oklahoma 9, Baylor 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 11, Hoftsra 3 (5 inn.)
Feb. 16: Oklahoma 8, Baylor 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 22: Oklahoma 8, Tulsa 0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 23: Oklahoma 8, Wichita State 1
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 8, Bowling Green 5 (8 inn.)
Feb. 24: Oklahoma 9, Abilene Christian 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Marshall 1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28: Oklahoma 9, Kansas 1 (6 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 8, Kansas 0 (5 inn.)
March 1: Oklahoma 11, Marshall 0 (5 inn.)
March 2: Oklahoma 17, Kansas City 1 (5 inn.)
March 7: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 10, South Carolina 9
March 9: Oklahoma 2, South Carolina 1
March 12: Oklahoma 10, Tulsa 2 (6 inn.)
March 14: Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 0
March 15: Oklahoma 6, Arkansas 4
March 16: Oklahoma 10, Arkansas 7
March 19: Oklahoma 8, East Texas A&M 0 (5 inn.)
March 21: Oklahoma 8, Missouri 0
March 22: Oklahoma 1, Missouri 3
March 23: Oklahoma 5, Missouri 1
March 26: Oklahoma 19, Wichita State 16
March 28: Oklahoma 2, Tennessee 5 (8 inn.)
March 29: Oklahoma 4, Tennessee 1
March 30: Oklahoma 3, Tennessee 5
April 1: Oklahoma 13, UT Arlington 2 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 12, St. Thomas 4 (5 inn.)
April 4: Oklahoma 6, UCF 0
April 9: Oklahoma 11, Oklahoma State 3 (5 inn.)
April 12: Oklahoma 5, Alabama 1
April 13: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 6
April 14: Oklahoma 1, Alabama 2
April 18: Oklahoma 4, Mississippi State 0
April 20: Oklahoma 6, Mississippi State 5
April 20: Oklahoma 9, Mississippi State 6
April 25: Oklahoma 7, Texas 6
April 26: Oklahoma 7, Texas 2
April 27: Oklahoma 9, Texas 8
May 1: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 2: at Florida at 5 p.m. (TV: SECN)
May 3: at Florida at 4 p.m. (TV: ESPN)
This story was edited by Josh McDaniel.
