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Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Candidates Revealed by Softball America

Everyone is chasing Texas Tech but will the Player of the Year be a Red Raider?
Nicole Reitz|
The Arizona Wildcats had a great first year in the Big 12 Conference, finishing in second place.
The Arizona Wildcats had a great first year in the Big 12 Conference, finishing in second place. | Arizona Athletics

The countdown is on to the NCAA Division I softball season, and Softball America has announced its five preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Candidates.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders were the talk of the conference in 2025, landing runners-up at the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). The Arizona Wildcats had a great first year in the conference, landing in second. Will this be the year Kenny Gajewski and the Oklahoma State Cowgirls rebound? 

Here are the top players expected to not only boost their programs in 2026 but also have personal bests. 

Big 12 Player of the Year Candidates 

  • Ilove’a Brittingham, UTL, BYU
  • Rosie Davis, INF, Oklahoma State
  • Taylor Pannell, INF, Texas Tech
  • Sydney Stewart, C, Arizona
  • Mia Williams, INF, Texas Tech

Ilove’a Brittingham, BYU

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year and had a record-breaking rookie season. Brittingham set BYU’s freshman RBI record (69) and tied its freshman home run record (21). She led the Cougars with 20 multi-RBI games and 19 multi-hit contests. 

The slugger led the Big 12 in seven offensive categories: home runs (21), home runs per game (0.43), RBI (69), RBI per game (1.41), sacrifice flies (4), slugging percentage (.839), and total bases (135). She finished the season ranked No.3 nationally in RBIs per game and No.7 in home runs per game. 

Rosie Davis, Oklahoma State 

As an All-Big 12 First Team selection, Davis started all 55 games at second base. In her breakout campaign, she led the team in batting average (.369), hits (59), RBIs (53), on-base percentage (.469), and walks (29). 

In the Big 12, she was one of six players with at least 50 RBIs. Davis capped off the season with the fifth-highest slugging percentage for a sophomore in a single season in OSU history. 

Taylor Pannell, Texas Tech 

As a standout in the infield for Tennessee the last two seasons, the All-American led the Vols in multiple categories, including batting average (.398), runs (56), hits (73), and RBIs (65). She was second on the team in home runs with 18 and boasted a .754 slugging percentage, playing a significant role in the Vols' appearance at the WCWS. Her double, triple, and home run totals jumped from 2024, while her batting average went from .294 to .398.

Sydney Stewart, Arizona 

Stewart earned All-Big 12 First Team honors after she led the Wildcats with 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, a slugging percentage of .819, 48 walks, and an on-base percentage of .542. Her home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage rank second in the Big 12. 

Mia Williams, Texas Tech 

The starting second baseman for the Gators also had a breakout year during her sophomore season in 2025. She carried a .355 batting average with 10 doubles, 19 home runs, and 44 RBIs. 

Williams owns a .271 career batting average with 25 home runs, 62 RBIs, 83 runs scored, 12 doubles, and 17 stolen bases. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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