Kendall Wells walked into this weekend carrying a number that has the entire softball world holding its breath: 36 home runs. One home run short of tying the most famous record in college softball — Lauren Espinoza’s all-time NCAA single-season mark of 37, set at Arizona in 1995.
On Friday night, Wells and No. 1 Oklahoma opened their final regular-season series at Texas A&M in College Station. The Sooners won Game 1. Tonight — Game 2, 5 PM CT on SEC Network — is another chance at history at Davis Diamond. Game 3, if necessary, follows Sunday. That’s three more opportunities. Three more at-bats where the internet could stop.
For context on how extraordinary this season has been: Wells entered 2026 as a true freshman, and she has spent every week since February rewriting the record book. She holds the NCAA freshman home run record. She holds the SEC all-time single-season home run record. She holds the OU program record, surpassing Jocelyn Alo’s 34. And now she sits one swing from the most hallowed individual mark in the sport — one that has stood for 31 years.
A Stage Built for History
The setting could not be more cinematic. This is the first SEC series between Oklahoma and Texas A&M — two former Big 12 rivals now sharing the same conference after realignment. The atmosphere at Davis Diamond will be charged from the first pitch, with A&M fans knowing exactly what is at stake every time Wells steps into the batter’s box.
Oklahoma won Game 1 of this series, meaning the Sooners need just one more win to clinch the SEC regular season title outright. That context wraps around the individual record chase, making every moment of this weekend carry dual weight: team championship and individual history.
Wells is hitting .377 this season with 79 RBI and a 1.113 slugging percentage. She has been the most dangerous bat in college softball — not just statistically, but in the way that every at-bat feels electric. Opposing pitchers have game-planned around her all season, and she has still found a way to put the ball into the seats with historic frequency.
What No. 37 Would Mean
Espinoza’s record has stood since 1995 — 31 years of withstanding the game’s greatest power hitters. If Wells ties it, she joins an extraordinary club. If she breaks it — if No. 38 follows — she claims the record outright and puts her name at the top of a list that will likely stand for another generation.
It is worth noting the company Wells already keeps. Jocelyn Alo, the all-time career home run leader, set OU’s program record at 34. Wells broke it as a freshman. The list of players who have hit 36 or more home runs in a single NCAA season is vanishingly small. Wells is already in the history books regardless of what happens this weekend.
But she wants more. And Game 2 in College Station is the next opportunity.
What’s Next
Game 2 of the OU-A&M series is tonight at 5 PM CT on SEC Network. If Oklahoma wins, the Sooners claim the 2026 SEC regular season title. If Wells homers, the softball world gets its No. 37 moment. The SEC Tournament begins May 5 in Lexington, Kentucky, where Oklahoma will enter as the No. 1 seed with a double bye. The Selection Show is May 10 at 7 PM ET on ESPN2, with Regionals beginning May 15 and the Women’s College World Series opening May 28 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
