Kendall Wells Falls Behind in Home Run Race as Oklahoma Waits for Selection Sunday

OU's early exit from the SEC Tournament opened the door for UCLA slugger Megan Grant to pull in front of Kendall Wells in the home run race.

Oklahoma catcher Kendall Wells awaits a pitch in a contest against Kentucky. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Oklahoma's early exit at the SEC Tournament opened the door for UCLA to take the lead in the home run race.

Kendall Wells, who was named the SEC Freshman of the Year on Friday for her outstanding 2026 season, went 0-for-3 with a walk in Thursday's defeat to Georgia, meaning she enters the NCAA Tournament sitting on 36 home runs.

She's no longer chasing former Arizona star Laura Espinoza, however.

UCLA slugger Megan Grant hit home runs on Friday and Saturday to equal and surpass the record set by Espinoza in 1995.

Grant broke the record in the top of the third inning in Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game. She hammered the 0-2 delivery from former OU pitcher Jordy Frahm for home run No. 38.

The solo shot put the Bruins up 2-0, but Frahm and the Cornhuskers roared back to win the game 7-2.

Wells still has the entire NCAA Tournament to chase down and pass Grant. Her next home run will tie Espinoza's mark of 37 long balls.

It wouldn't be the first time things have shifted in this massive 2026 home run race, either.

OU was the first team to catch and surpass the 161 home runs hit by the 2021 Sooners.

UCLA's run at the Big Ten Tournament flipped the race.

The Bruins homered four times against Penn State on Thursday and four times on Friday against Wisconsin before Grant's record-breaking blast on Saturday.

As a result, UCLA will enter the NCAA Tournament having hit 182 home runs to Oklahoma's 174 home runs, and the Sooners have played one additional game.

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Both teams a virtually guaranteed to be hosting regionals when the full NCAA Tournament field is revealed on Sunday evening.

Despite the loss to Georgia, Oklahoma is in strong position to earn a top four seed in the tournament. Patty Gasso's team enters the tournament 48-8 overall, including a 20-4 mark in SEC play during the regular season, which clinched the program's second-straight regular season crown.

Should the Sooners advance out of the first weekend of the tournament, they are also projected to host a Super Regional at Love's Field.

UCLA finished the weekend 47-8 overall following their run at the Big Ten Tournament, and the Bruins went 20-4 in league play during the regular season.

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPN2 on Sunday at 6 p.m.