Ottawa returns 11 from its 2022 KCAC regular season championship team. That includes All-KCAC performers Allison Kearney, Jillian Kygar, Cierra Faubion, Aliks Serna, Hannah Copeland, Madison Bunfill, Riley Newbold, and Kelcie Kippes.

The Braves were selected to finish first in the KCAC in the 2023 KCAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll. OU has now been picked to finish first or second in the KCAC for the ninth straight season. Ottawa received 165 points and nine of the possible first place votes.

Ottawa leads the series against Hastings College, 13-4, and is on a six game winning streak against the Broncos. OU won the three meetings last year, taking a 13-5 victory and a 12-0 win in the double header in Hastings on Feb. 5. The Braves then won 9-1 at the Hosea Bell Red Dirt Classic on March 4 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Braves are 6-0 against Hastings in Ottawa, winning the last double header at Alumni Park, 5-3 and 10-2 in five innings on Feb. 5, 2021. The first meeting between the two teams took place on March 5, 2011 in Wichita. Ottawa won the game in five innings 9-1.

Hastings College finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 20-27 and an 11th place finish in the GPAC with a mark of 6-16.

The Broncos return two All-GPAC Honorable Mention selections from 2022 to its roster this spring, Sydney Schelkopf and Lauren Schneider. Schelkopf hit .331 from her lead-off position and had an on base percentage of .365 finishing the season with 50 hits, 10 RBIs and led the team with nine stolen bases. Schneider hit .358 with an on base percentage of .394 and her slugging percentage was .488. She finished the year with 44 hits, was second on the team with 28 RBIs and eight doubles.