Love's Field Set for Norman Regional

Friday, May 15

Norman, Okla.

2:30 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

(4) Binghamton

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Abby Dayton points to the left field crowd at Love's Field

Photo by: Nicole May/University of Oklahoma

May 14, 2026 | Softball

Live Stats SEC Network (Friday)SRO Tickets Regional Central OU Game Notes

Sooners Welcome Kansas, Michigan and Binghamton

NORMAN — Oklahoma Softball is set to host its 15th consecutive NCAA Regional as the Sooners welcome Kansas, Michigan and Binghamton to Love's Field Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 for the 2026 Norman Regional.

REGIONAL SCHEDULE

Friday, May 15
2:30 p.m. — Oklahoma vs. Binghamton (SEC Network)
5 p.m. — Michigan vs. Kansas (ESPNU)

Saturday, May 16
2 p.m. — Game 3 (Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner)
4:30 p.m. — Game 4 (Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser)
7 p.m. — Game 5 (Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser)

Sunday, May 17
2 p.m. — Game 6 (Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner)
4:30 p.m. — If Necessary, Game 7 (Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser)

FIRST PITCH

• OU is the host of the 2026 Norman Regional as the number three national seed. The Sooners welcome Kansas, Michigan and Binghamton.

• Binghamton was 20-25 overall and 15-5 in conference play, going on to win the America East Conference Tournament. Kansas and Michigan both enter as at-large bids from the Big 12 and Big 10 respectively.

• The Sooners have never faced Binghamton and its also the first meeting between Oklahoma and Kansas in the regional round. OU is 0-2 all-time against Michigan in regional play, with Oklahoma dropping two games in Ann Arbor in 2006.

• All-time in NCAA Regional play the Sooners are 89-20. OU has won 16 straight games in the regional round, while having won every regional opener since 2009. OU is 63-7 in NCAA Regional games played in Norman.

• OU is coming off a 10-5 loss to No. 13/17 (9) Georgia in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals May 7. The Sooners have only lost consecutive games once this season, doing so at No. 4 Texas April 12 and then against No. 21 Oklahoma State April 15. That loss marked only the second time OU has allowed double-digit runs all season, with the first time coming in the second game of the season in an 11-6 loss to No. 17/18 Arizona in Tucson Feb. 6.

• Oklahoma is 24-1 in home games this season, with the lone loss at Love's Field coming April 18 against No. 6/8 Arkansas when the Sooners came up short, 3-2. OU is 10-0 in NCAA postseason play at Love's Field since the facility opened in 2024.

• The Sooners run-ruled Boston in the opening round of the Norman Regional last season before doing so in consecutive games against California.

• Kendall Wells set the SEC single-season home run record previously held by Bri Ellis (Arkansas), Bailey Hemphill (Alabama) and Mia Davidson (Mississippi State). She set it March 31 in just 37 games. Wells then set the NCAA freshman single-season home run record April 11 at Texas. She broke a three-way tie with former Sooners Jocelyn Alo (2018) and Lauren Chamberlain (2012) and Hawaii's Kelly Majam (2010). She then broke Jocelyn Alo's OU single-season home run record (34) April 24.

• Oklahoma enters NCAA Postseason play leading the nation in batting average (.389) and hits (590).

• OU is 3-2 against teams from the Big 12 Conference this season, defeating Arizona State and Arizona (twice). The Sooners dropped one game to Arizona and another to Oklahoma State. The Sooners have yet to play an America East Conference team this season and are 2-0 against Big Ten programs (run-ruled Minnesota and Washington).

• Oklahoma has seven players with double-digit home runs and three with 20 or more (Kendall Wells, Gabbie Garcia, Ella Parker). Isabela Emerling is knocking at the door of 20 with 18 homers currently.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 89: The Sooners are 89-20 all-time in NCAA Regionals. OU is set to host its 15th consecutive regional, with the last time the Sooners playing away from Norman at this juncture being in 2010 when the Sooners went to College Park, Maryland.

• 16: OU has won 16 consecutive NCAA Regional games dating back to a 2-1 loss to Wisconsin in 2019. The Sooners have not lost the opening game of a regional since 2009. The Sooners won all three of its regional games in five innings a year ago.

• 10: The Sooners led the Southeastern Conference with 10 postseason all-league honors as announced last week. OU had four First Team All-SEC honorees.

NCAA REGIONAL PLAY

• OU is looking to advance to its 16th straight NCAA Super Regional as the host of every regional its played in since the 2010 season.

• The Sooners are one of 12 teams in the SEC to make an appearance in this year's NCAA Tournament, pacing all conferences.

• OU's 89-20 all-time record in NCAA Regionals includes a 16-game winning streak in regional play, tied for Oklahoma's second-longest winning streak in regional competition.

FLEXIN' FRESHMEN

• The Sooner freshmen Lexi McDaniel, Kai Minor, Allyssa Parker and Kendall Wells have combined for 66 home runs, 177 RBIs, 183 runs and a .401 batting average.

• Freshman centerfielder Kai Minor is not only leading OU with a .446 batting average, but she is leading the SEC in that category. She ranks third in the league in hits (74) and tied for third in stolen bases (17).

• Kendall Wells set the SEC single-season home run record (27) as well as the NCAA single-season freshman (31) and OU single-season home run record (35).

• Allyssa Parker is one of seven Sooners with double-digit home runs, having hit 11 this season in just 62 at-bats. On March 7 she achieved the rare feat of tripling and spinning a complete game in the circle.

• Lexi McDaniel has team highs in pinch-hit RBIs (8) and pinch-hit home runs (3). She is the most recent Sooner to reach double-digit homers as well. McDaniel was also named SEC Freshman and D1Softball Freshman of the Week.

• In the circle, freshman Berkley Zache has posted a 2.27 ERA across 12 appearances. She hasn't allowed an earned run since her collegiate debut at No. 17/18 Arizona Feb. 7.

• The Sooners have the only two players on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 list in Kendall Wells and Kai Minor. Wells was also the only underclassman named to the player of the year top 10 list.

SCENE SETTERS

• OU is making its 32 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, having advanced to NCAA postseason play every year under head coach Patty Gasso.

• Oklahoma earned a top four seed for the eighth consecutive season. The Sooners are a three seed in the national tournament for the first time since 2016 when the Sooners won the first of two in back-to-back titles (2016, 2017).

• Despite dropping the first game they played in the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament, Oklahoma won the regular season title for the second-straight year. The Sooners have won three of the four possible league titles in two seasons in the SEC.

USA AND NFCA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

• The Sooners paced the country on the USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year Top 25 list, placing four on the prestigious. Kai Minor, Kendall Wells, Gabbie Garcia and Ella Parker rounded out the group for Oklahoma. The entire list had only four underclassmen on it, with OU accounting for three of the four. The only two freshmen to make the list were Wells and Minor, while Garcia was accompanied by Florida's Taylor Shumaker as the only two sophomores on the list.

• The NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List was announced April 23, with Oklahoma landing a pair on the list. Wells and Minor represented Oklahoma. OU was only one of three teams to have two honorees on the list, joining Alabama and UCLA. They both made the top 10 list as well.

SHE'S GOLDEN

• Senior Ailana Agbayani just earned an AUSL Golden Ticket and was drafted in the third round of the 2026 AUSL Draft by the Chicago Bandits. Agbayani became the second gold glover in OU history after Grace Lyons was the first to earn one.

• Agbayani was an SEC All-Defensive Team selection last season and earned NFCA Midwest All-Region Third Team laurels last season.

SOPHOMORE ARMS

• The Sooner sophomore pitching duo of Audrey Lowry and Miali Guachino both have double-digit wins, combining for a 35-5 record in the circle. They have also combined to pitch exactly 200 innings.