Oklahoma broke the NCAA report for the longest win streak in DI softball historical past with an 8-7 win on Might 27, 2023, its forty eighth in a row, to shut out a brilliant regional sweep over Clemson.
The Sooners’ streak surpassed Arizona, who gained 47 straight video games throughout the 1996-97 seasons. Oklahoma would proceed its streak to 71 consecutive wins, together with a 2023 WCWS title run and 18 straight wins to open the 2024 season, earlier than dropping to Louisiana at dwelling on March 3, 2024.
This is a deeper take a look at the longest successful streaks in DI school softball historical past.
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Oklahoma, 2023-24
Oklahoma gained 71 video games in a row throughout the 2023-24 seasons, together with 53 straight wins to shut out the 2023 season with a Ladies’s Faculty World Collection title adopted by 18 straight victories to begin the 2024 common season. The Sooners’ report forty eighth straight win got here in Sport 2 of the 2023 tremendous regionals — the Sooners trailed 7-4 within the seventh and had been right down to their final out and final strike when Kinzie Hansen despatched an 0-2 pitch over the fence for a game-tying three-run bomb. OU then got here again to take the lead within the high of the ninth and held off Clemson to advance to its seventh-straight journey to the WCWS. The record-breaking win, that beat Arizona’s report set in 1997, was much more vital as a result of it was the Sooners’ final recreation performed on Marita Hynes Discipline.
Arizona, 1996-1997
The Wildcats owned the longest streak in NCAA softball historical past till 2023 Oklahoma got here round. Arizona gained 47 video games in a row from April 5, 1996 to March 23, 1997. The staff took dwelling the championship in each seasons, and completed with a mixed 119-16 report in these two seasons.
Oklahoma, 2019
Oklahoma’s win streak ended at 41 video games after the Sooners misplaced to Wisconsin of their third NCAA match recreation. OU was creeping up on Arizona’s all-time streak of 47 however fell six quick. Oklahoma’s completed convention play with a pristine 18-0 report. The Sooners’ 41 consecutive wins is the longest win streak within the span of a single season.
Oklahoma, 2021-2022
Oklahoma put 40 wins collectively, a run that began within the 2021 WCWS Finals, together with successful the nationwide title, and prolonged to a 38-0 begin within the 2022 season — breaking the report to greatest begin to a season. Star Jocelyn Alo additionally broke the profession dwelling run report through the streak as OU gained 31 of their 38 video games in 2022 by run-rule. However Texas halted the streak with a 4-2 win on April 16.
Oklahoma, 2020-2021
The Sooners gained 40 video games in a row, beginning after they gained their final seven video games of the 2020 season, which received halted resulting from COVID-19. OU then continued to win in 2021, not falling till Georgia upset the No. 1 Sooners on April 20. Oklahoma would finish the season 56-4 with a nationwide championship.
South Carolina, 1997
The Gamecocks went 38 video games with out a loss or tie proper across the identical time Arizona was by itself streak. South Carolina went 63-5 that season. After securing its first SEC common season and match championships, the Gamecocks superior to their first ever Ladies’s Faculty World Collection, the place they bowed out after dropping to Washington and Michigan.
Florida, 2008
Florida’s 37-game win streak from March 12 to Might 18 helped the staff make its first Ladies’s Faculty World Collection. The Gators went 70-5 general and 27-1 in SEC play. In a present of simply how a lot expertise this group had, Stacey Nelson, Kim Waleszonia, Aja Paculba, Francesca Enea, and Ali Gardiner all made the All-America staff.
Princeton, 1996
The Tigers notched what was then an NCAA report with 37 wins in a row from March 20 to April 28 earlier than dropping 3-1 to Brown. In fact, Princeton would not maintain onto this report for lengthy. However only some groups have handed them within the 20-plus years since. The 1996 staff additionally completed the yr ranked No. 1 within the Northeast Area for the second straight yr. Earlier than that, the Tigers had been the highest ranked staff solely as soon as earlier than in 1985.
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Oregon, 2017
The latest staff on the record received right here with a 35-game win streak that lasted from February 9 to April 4. The Geese tied an NCAA report as a result of their win streak got here within the first 35 video games of the season. They did not register a loss on the yr till April 7, when UCLA handed Oregon the primary of back-to-back losses. The Geese completed 54-8 on the season.
DUCKS WIN! Oregon run-rules PSU, 8-0, and ties the NCAA report for one of the best begin to a season at 35-0!! WOW! #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/0ryUwXUBMp
— Oregon Duck Softball (@OregonSB) April 5, 2017
UCLA, 1999
UCLA’s 35-game win streak is certainly one of only some on this record to come back in a championship-winning season. The Bruins broke college information for wins, runs, complete bases, dwelling runs, RBIs, doubles, hits, walks and steals. They ended the season with a 63-6 report.
Canisius, 1993
Underneath coach Mike Rappl, Canisius ripped off a then-NCAA report 35-game win streak that put each the coach and the staff on the map. The staff went 36-3 that season. The Golden Griffins additionally had their win streak come within the first 35 video games of the season. After dropping recreation two of a doubleheader in opposition to UMass on Might 8, the staff went 1-2 the remainder of the best way.
Cal State Fullerton, 1987
Cal State Fullerton was the first staff in NCAA softball historical past to get to 35 consecutive wins. The Titans had been no strangers to the highlight by then, having gained a nationwide championship in 1986. They’d get there once more in 1987 after going undefeated from March 6 to April 21.
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Florida, 2015
One other latest winner, the Gators had a 34-game successful streak. They did not match their 37-game win streak from 2008, however this Florida staff outdid its predecessor the place it counts: these Gators took dwelling the nationwide championship with a win over Michigan within the Ladies’s Faculty World Collection closing.
Arizona, 2000
Arizona’s personal 34-game win streak was bookended by losses to Washington. The Wildcats went on to tear off a 13-game successful streak earlier than dropping within the opening spherical of the Ladies’s Faculty World Collection. It was solely the second time since 1990 that the Wildcats did not make the nationwide title recreation.