Patty Gasso is confronting a significant roster overhaul following four consecutive national championships.
Oklahoma softball’s remarkable stretch of winning six national championships in the past eight complete seasons can be attributed to a surplus of talent and consistent roster stability. In the lone exception during this period, in 2019, Oklahoma finished as the national runners-up.
So, what’s the secret to achieving such dominance? Effective coaching plays a significant role, but equally crucial is a robust recruiting system that consistently generates top-tier talent, ensuring they not only join the team but also fulfill expectations by performing well on the field.
The Sooners have managed to blend fresh talent with seasoned upperclassmen and leadership across multiple recruiting cycles.
They’ve successfully integrated high-performing high school recruits with top transfers from the portal. The outcomes of this strategy are evident in their success on the field.
This year’s Oklahoma softball team featured a notable roster with 10 seniors, five of whom had been integral parts of the team for the past four seasons, culminating in four consecutive Women’s College World Series titles. These five seniors (Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, and Nicole May) achieved an impressive program-best record of 235-15, boasting a remarkable winning percentage of .940 during their tenure at Oklahoma.
Additionally, Oklahoma bids farewell to several key players after this season, including pitchers Kelly Maxwell, a transfer from Oklahoma State and the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 WCWS, Alyssa Brito from Oregon, Alynah Torres from Arizona State, and Karlie Keeney, a transfer from Liberty, all of whom played crucial roles in Oklahoma’s championship-winning 2024 season.
Overall, seven out of the nine players who comprised Oklahoma’s starting lineup for most of the season will be departing after this year.
Despite facing what seems like significant changes to the roster, head coach Patty Gasso expressed optimism about the future following the Sooners’ WCWS championship victory, stating that “the future is very, very bright.” This confidence stems from the outstanding performance of two freshman All-Americans who were key contributors throughout the season, as well as the promising outlook for Oklahoma to claim an eighth national championship in the upcoming season, bolstered by another impressive recruiting class.
Following a pair of losses to Oklahoma State at home late in the regular season, the Sooners rallied to win 14 of their last 15 games.
During this crucial stretch, designated player Ella Parker excelled with a .510 batting average, 18 RBI, and four home runs. Similarly, freshman Kasidi Pickering hit .421 (16 for 38) during the same period, contributing 15 RBI, scoring 10 runs, and hitting six home runs.
Coach Gasso highlighted the exceptional performance of her “Killer P’s” throughout the season, particularly in the final stretch and during the WCWS. Fans of the Sooners view this period more as a reload than a rebuild, with Parker and Pickering poised to be central figures in the team’s ongoing success.
Under Coach Gasso’s leadership, Oklahoma has a strong track record of success in the transfer portal, effectively filling team needs with key transfers. One of the top targets this offseason is Stanford pitcher NiJaree Canady, widely regarded as the best pitcher in college softball over the past two seasons. With a requirement for additional starting pitching, Oklahoma is keenly interested in recruiting Canady, who hails from Topeka, Kansas, and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Among other notable players available in the transfer portal who could bolster Oklahoma’s roster are Alana Johnson, a powerful outfielder from Washington with a .336 batting average last season, tallying a team-high 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. Oklahoma is also seeking a catcher, with Kailey Wycoff from Texas Tech standing out as an All-Big 12 selection who hit .406 in the 2024 season and recorded seven home runs.
Additionally, Gasso is set to welcome another highly regarded recruiting class for the 2025 season.
The 2024 class comprises eight signees, all ranked in the top 25 of the Extra Innings Elite 100 rankings. This includes two players in the top five, four in the top ten, and six in the top fifteen nationally. Left-handed pitcher Audrey Lowry holds the No. 2 spot, middle infielder Sydney Barker ranks No. 4, catcher/first baseman Corri Hicks is No. 7, and middle infielder Gabbie Garcia from Chandler, Arizona, is ranked No. 8.
The remaining four members of Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class include outfielder Chaney Helton at No. 11, middle infielder Kady McKay at No. 14, middle infielder Tia Milloy from Washington state at No. 18, and catcher/infielder Riley Zache from Michigan at No. 21.
This group of incoming freshmen for the 2024 school year is undoubtedly impressive and underscores why Oklahoma’s 2024 class was ranked as the top recruiting class in the Extra Innings rankings.
If the 2024 class is as good on the field as appears on paper, and the Sooners can land a couple of the bigger prizes in the transfer portal, it’s pretty easy to understand why coach Gasso is so optimistic about the Sooners’ softball future.
