Mussatto: What Arizona, Arizona State and Utah will bring to Big 12 softball

Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman

Oklahoma State and Arizona. Two pillars of Big 12 softball facing off in the Stillwater Super Regional with a Women’s College World Series bid on the line.

Sorry, I got a little ahead of myself. One Big 12 softball power in the Cowgirls, and a soon-to-be one in the Wildcats.

As we all get used to the realities of conference realignment, the OSU-Arizona matchup is a nice preview of what’s to come. OSU will host Game 1 of the three-game series at 7 p.m. Friday.

Big 12 softball was dealt a crushing blow with the losses of OU and Texas, but OSU, on the cusp of a fifth consecutive trip to the Women’s College World Series, can sustain the conference alongside newcomers Arizona, Arizona State and Utah — two blue bloods and a Utah program that made it to Oklahoma City last season.

The Pac-12, which for so long dominated the sport, is disbanding. UCLA and Washington are off to the Big Ten. Cal is ACC-bound. Add in Arizona and Arizona State, and you have five of the six schools with the most Women’s College World Series appearances all changing conference affiliation. Not to mention Stanford, Oregon and Utah, all of which have had recent success.

It was already heading in this direction, but the balance of power in college softball has shifted West to East. Particularly Southeast, where the already-strong SEC is ridiculously stacked with the additions of three-time defending champ OU and Texas.

As OSU looks to carry the Big 12 flag, here’s what the three Big 12 softball newcomers (Colorado doesn’t field the sport) will bring to the 11-team league:

More: How Oklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewki's risky assistant coaching hires paid off

Arizona

  • National championships: 8 (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2007)

  • WCWS appearances: 25

  • Last WCWS appearance: 2022

  • Coach: Caitlin Lowe (third season)

Arizona trails only UCLA in national championships, Women’s College World Series appearances and WCWS wins.

Under legendary coach Mike Candrea, the Wildcats made 16 straight WCWS appearances — an all-time record — from 1988 to 2003.

No Big 12 program comes close to matching Arizona’s pedigree, but it’s been a while since the Wildcats ruled the sport. Arizona is 17 years removed from its last national championship.

Candrea, second on college softball’s all time wins list ahead of OU’s Patty Gasso and behind former Michigan coach Carol Hutchins, retired in 2021, handing the reins to assistant coach and former Wildcat standout Caitlin Lowe.

The Wildcats had a losing record in the Pac-12 (27-45) in Lowe’s first three seasons, but Arizona is a super regional upset away from making it back to Oklahoma City.

More: Oklahoma State softball braces for Arizona, a future Big 12 foe it can't take lightly

Arizona State

  • National championships: 2 (2008, 2011)

  • WCWS appearances: 12

  • Last WCWS appearance: 2018

  • Coach: Megan Bartlett (second season)

Similar to its in-state rival, Arizona State is a proud program amid a rebuild. Things are rougher in Tempe than in Tucson, though.

After former coach Trisha Ford took the Texas A&M job two years ago, the Sun Devils hired Megan Bartlett, then an assistant at Texas.

Arizona State finished last in the Pac-12 this season, going 3-21 in conference play after a 6-18 record a year ago. Bartlett will try to turn things around next year in the Big 12.

The Sun Devils shouldn’t stay down long. Arizona State’s 12 WCWS appearances are sixth most of any program.

More: Oklahoma State softball's Lexi Kilfoyl among 3 finalists for Player of the Year award

Utah

  • National championships: None

  • WCWS appearances: 5

  • Last WCWS appearance: 2023

  • Coach: Amy Hogue (17th season)

Utah was eliminated in the Durham Regional, falling short of its bid to make back-to-back appearances in the Women’s College World Series.

Longtime coach Amy Hogue has both played and coached in the WCWS for the Utes.

Utah is 1-10 in its five NCAA Tournament appearances. The 15th-seeded Utes lost their opening game last year to Washington before getting run-ruled by OSU.

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What Arizona, Arizona State and Utah will bring to Big 12 softball

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