Oklahoma secures a seasoned catcher as their first commitment from the transfer portal.
On Friday, Patty Gasso added her first transfer portal acquisition to the roster, a two-year starting catcher from the ACC.
Patty Gasso secured her first acquisition from the transfer portal this offseason as former North Carolina catcher Isabela Emerling officially committed to Oklahoma last Friday.
Emerling’s commitment marks the first addition out of five spots that the Sooners aim to fill through the transfer portal this offseason.
Last year, Emerling posted impressive stats for North Carolina, batting .323 with a 1.103 OPS and a .685 slugging percentage. She led the Tar Heels in home runs with 14 and RBIs with 53, and also contributed five doubles over 48 games.
OU’s coaching staff highly valued Emerling for her prowess behind the plate. Known for her excellent defense, Emerling is expected to step into the role vacated by Kinzie Hansen, who graduated, although Hansen will remain with the team as a graduate assistant to support Emerling.
In the 2023 season as a redshirt freshman, Emerling started in 48 games, splitting her time between catcher and first base.
She took a redshirt year in 2022 due to injury.
The athlete from Martinez, CA, has two years of eligibility left with the Sooners.
Now, Oklahoma will focus on securing additional players via the transfer portal. They aim to recruit an infielder, an outfielder, and two pitchers to complete the roster ahead of their entry into the SEC in 2025, where they will seek to defend four consecutive national championships.
