The Big 12 softball tournament saw the top two seeds dominate and the other two games result in mild upsets on Thursday in Oklahoma City.
No. 1 seed Texas Tech and No. 2 seed Oklahoma State shut out their opponents. Kansas and Arizona State both advanced in one-run games, one of which was a rivalry showdown.
Here are three thoughts on the quarterfinals.
Aces Gonna Ace
Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady and Oklahoma State’s Ruby Meylan were the Big 12 co-pitchers of the year. On Thursday they pitched like they were trying to break the tie.
Canady went first as she took the circle for the Red Raiders’ game against the Baylor Bears, which Tech won, 7-0. Canady pitched five innings, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out six as she reached 200 strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season. Tech was far enough ahead that it was able to bring in Kaitlyn Terry for an inning of relief.
Meylan followed that as she and the Cowgirls beat Utah, 7-0. All the senior right-hander did was throw her own one-hitter as he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before it was broken up. She struck out three and walked three. She went the distance because OSU didn’t take the lead until the fifth inning.
The pair are one step closer to a battle royale in the championship game. One more hurdle remains — the semifinals.
Arizona State with the (Mild) Upset
The nightcap was Arizona State vs. Arizona. On paper, it was a battle of the No. 6 and the No. 3 seed. In reality this was a matchup between two teams separated by five points in NCAA softball RPI and a pair of Top 25 teams. It should have been a great game — and it was.
Arizona State pitcher Kenzie Brown and Arizona pitcher Jalen Adams both threw complete games, combined to allow 12 hits and struck out a combined nine hitters. The difference turned out to be a solo home run by ASU’s Brooklyn Ulrich in the top of the seventh, part of a 3-for-3 game.
It’s why both teams are heading to the NCAA Tournament when the field is selected on Sunday. It’s also why Arizona State will be a difficult matchup for Oklahoma State in Friday’s semifinal.
Kansas Wins Late
The first game of the tournament featured Kansas against UCF, and the Jayhawks were behind 4-0 after two innings. It looked like the Knights would walk away with a win and a meeting with Texas Tech. But the Jayhawks rallied. Or, actually, they chipped away.
There was no big rally in their 6-5 win. Kansas scored a run in four innings and two in another inning, with the seventh inning breaking a 5-5 tie. Campbell Bagshaw singled home Anna Soles to break the tie and put Kansas ahead. Then Chloe Barber pitched the final inning to secure the win.
The Jayhawks are likely in the NCAA Tournament field. A win can improve their seeding. On Friday, they get their shot at Texas Tech. A win would be a huge boost — and a huge upset.
2026 Big 12 Softball Tournament Schedule, Results
(at Devon Park, Oklahoma City)
Thursday’s Results
Game 1 – No. 5 Kansas 6, No. 4 UCF 5
Game 2 – No. 1 Texas Tech 7, No. 8 Baylor 0
Game 3 – No. 2 Oklahoma State 7, No. 7 Utah 0
Game 4 – No. 6 Arizona State 2, No. 3 Arizona 1
Friday’s Games
Game 5: No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 1 Texas Tech, 3 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 6: No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Arizona State, 7 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Saturday’s Game
Championship Game – 11 a.m. CT (ESPN)
