OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University retained the top seed in the Sooner Athletic Conference softball tournament starting 11 a.m. Thursday at Ann Lacy Stadium and Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha, Okla.
The eight-team tournament is divided into two pools taking place at Oklahoma City and Science & Arts. The tournament title contest will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Ann Lacy Stadium featuring the teams that emerge from each pool.
No. 1 seed Oklahoma City, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, meets Central Christian at 11 a.m. and Texas Wesleyan at 3 p.m. Thursday. The Stars face Southwestern Assemblies of God at noon Friday.
The tournament includes two squads ranked among the top five nationally. Science & Arts owns the No. 3 spot in the latest top 25. One of those two programs has represented the SAC in the national championship game the past four NAIA Softball World Series with Oklahoma City winning national titles in 2016 and ’17 and Science & Arts taking the national crown in 2018. The Stars finished as national runner-up in 2019.
In the most recent SAC Tournament, Oklahoma City upended top-ranked Science & Arts 1-0 on May 5, 2019 for the conference tournament championship at Ann Lacy Stadium. The Drovers entered that contest with a 59-game winning streak. Oklahoma City captured its third SAC Tournament title in a row and 19th SAC Tournament crown overall.
Sooner Athletic Conference Softball Tournament
At Oklahoma City
Ann Lacy Stadium
Thursday’s Games
No. 8 Central Christian (15-35) at No. 1 Oklahoma City (40-3), 11 a.m.
No. 4 SW Assemblies of God (24-18) vs. No. 5 Texas Wesleyan (16-20), 1 p.m.
Texas Wesleyan at Oklahoma City, 3 p.m.
Central Christian vs. SW Assemblies of God, 5 p.m.
Friday’s Games
SW Assemblies of God at Oklahoma City, noon
Central Christian vs. Texas Wesleyan, 2 p.m.
At Chickasha, Okla.
Bill Smith Ballpark
Thursday’s Games
No. 7 Langston (12-34) at No. 2 Science & Arts (44-6), 11 a.m.
No. 3 Mid-America Christian (32-12) vs. No. 6 Panhandle State (19-25), 1 p.m.
Panhandle State at Science & Arts, 3 p.m.
Langston vs. Mid-America Christian, 5 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Mid-America Christian at Science & Arts, 2 p.m.
Langston vs. Panhandle State, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
At Oklahoma City
Ann Lacy Stadium
Championship
Pool-play winners, 1 p.m.