Oklahoma’s Build Toward 2025 Starts When the Fall Slate Opens on Wednesday.
The fall season for the four-time defending national champions kicks off on Wednesday night.
Patty Gasso, recently honored with a bronze statue outside Love’s Field, will be integrating many new players as she prepares to lead her program into the SEC.
After the Sooners celebrated their fourth consecutive Women’s College World Series title last June, Gasso is eager to take on the challenge of uniting a fresh team.
“I’m excited to coach again,” Gasso said following her statue dedication last month. “No offense to last year’s team—they were incredible. I mostly managed them; I didn’t have to coach much. This year, we’ll really be coaching, and these prideful young athletes are eager to pick up the torch and continue our legacy.”
The 2025 OU softball team will begin to form with a scrimmage at Love’s Field on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
**The Returners**
Eight players from Oklahoma’s 2024 roster will return this year. Regulars like Cydney Sanders, Ella Parker, Kasidi Pickering, and Kierston Deal will lead, joined by Hannah Coor, Maya Bland, Paytn Monticelli, and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, who are all aiming for larger roles in 2025.
Sanders, Parker, and Pickering will be key players in Gasso’s offense, having delivered crucial hits during the WCWS. Deal will serve as the anchor of Jennifer Rocha’s pitching staff, bringing postseason experience.
With Kelly Maxwell and Nicole May graduating, Deal will step up to fill the leadership gap in the bullpen. Coor and Bland contributed as pinch hitters and defensive replacements last year. Monticelli, primarily a relief pitcher, will look to gain more opportunities in her second year under Rocha’s guidance. McEnroe-Marinas, who redshirted in 2024 due to injury, is set to make her on-field debut in 2025.
**The Transfers**
The Sooners have added five transfers to complement their talented freshman class.
Former Utah standout Abigale Dayton joins the outfield, having been named a Third Team All-American last year with a .444 batting average and a .510 on-base percentage, along with ten doubles, six triples, and two home runs.
Oklahoma also acquired Ailana Agbayani, a former BYU shortstop who hit .424 last year, drawing 30 walks, stealing 12 bases, and hitting five home runs.
Isabela Emerling, a transfer from North Carolina, will fill Kinzie Hansen’s spot behind the plate, having batted .323 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs last season, finishing with a 1.103 OPS.
Rocha further strengthened her pitching staff by bringing in veteran pitchers Isabella Smith and Sam Landry. Smith transferred from Campbell, where she struck out 238 batters and posted a 2.01 ERA over 2-6 innings last year.
