No. 3 Oklahoma softball came out swinging Tuesday as freshman Kendall Wells broke the SEC single-season home run record with her 27th homer in a 12-3 victory over Wichita State.
She passed the milestone in just the 37th game of her college career.
Wells launched a three-run blast in the sixth inning to pass previous conference record-holder, 2025 USA Player of the Year Bri Ellis. The Georgia native now leads the nation in home runs, pacing the Sooners with 60 RBIs while batting .383.
"I didn't even know that was the record," Wells said postgame. "My second and third at-bats, I didn't feel like I was making good adjustments. I talked a lot with coach JT [Gasso] in between, and kept it simple in my last at-bat."
Kendall Wells stands just three home runs away from former Sooners slugger Lauren Chamberlain's single-season mark of 30. She also trails NCAA record holder Jocelyn Alo by only seven homers, with Alo's 34 single-season blasts representing the all-time record.
Both Chamberlain and Alo established their records before Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024. Additionally, Alo needed 23 games to reach 10 homers as a freshman, while Wells smashed 27 in just 115 at-bats.
Head coach Patty Gasso admitted she doesn't track individual records.
"Kendall Wells, what did she do? I knew something had happened, but I didn't know exactly what it was," she said. "Kendall came in more ready than any hitter I've ever seen, and that is what we are witnessing right now."
Wells is currently fueling Oklahoma's quest to reclaim its crown after reigning champion No. 1 Texas ended the Sooners' four-year title streak last season.
How to Watch Oklahoma Softball Star Kendall Wells in Action
Oklahoma opens a three-game series against Kentucky on Thursday at 6:30 PM ET, live on SEC Network.
The Big Ten showed off its depth in women's basketball this week, as a record-tying nine teams from the conference made Monday's AP Top 25 poll.
With three teams — No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 Michigan, and No. 7 Maryland — still in the Top 10, the Big Ten has tied its own record for ranked squads set in December 2024, as No. 24 Nebraska joined this week's list following a 9-0 start to the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season.
"I've been honored to be a part of this league for the last 13 seasons, working on year 14, where I've watched the [Big Ten] just get better and better," said Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico after Monday's poll drop.
No Big Ten team had a more dramatic weekend than Maryland, who kept their season's unbeaten streak alive with a furious comeback to defeat unranked Minnesota 100-99 in double overtime on Sunday.
Despite falling behind by nine points in the second overtime period, the Terrapins executed an 8-0 run in just nine seconds to put the game within reach, before guard Saylor Poffenbarger hit the game-winner with just 11 seconds remaining.
"Maryland has a standard," Poffenbarger said after her team-leading 30-point, 10-rebound double-double performance on Sunday. "When you come to Maryland, you know the things that come with it."
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 6
1. UConn (9-0, Big East)
2. Texas (10-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (9-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (9-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (10-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (8-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (11-0, Big Ten)
8. TCU (10-0, Big 12)
9. Oklahoma (9-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (10-0, Big 12)
11. Iowa (9-0, Big Ten)
12. UNC (9-2, ACC)
13. Baylor (9-1, Big 12)
14. Vanderbilt (9-0, SEC)
15. Kentucky (10-1, SEC)
16. USC (7-2, Big Ten)
17. Ole Miss (8-1, SEC)
18. Tennessee (6-2, SEC)
19. Notre Dame (6-2, ACC)
20. Washington (8-1, Big Ten)
21. Ohio State (7-1, Big Ten)
22. Louisville (8-3, ACC)
23. Oklahoma State (10-1, Big 12)
24. Nebraska (9-0, Big Ten)
25. Michigan State (8-1, Big Ten)