NORMAN — There's one thing for sure about the Oklahoma softball team.

Things will be a lot different next spring.

Without the familiar faces of the departing senior class, it's the dawn of a new era for the Sooners. The Sooners have just eight players returning from last season, and between the new freshman class and the players added via the transfer portal, there are 13 new players on the roster who've never been in an OU uniform.

It's a different situation for an OU team that has won four straight national championships.

“We’re a brand new team," OU freshman Kadie Lee McKay said on Tuesday.

With a new era brings new expectations for the Sooners, and a different mode of operating for OU head coach Patty Gasso.

Gasso has often joked that she hasn't had to coach much the last few seasons, and that the program has largely been led by the players. With a litany of veterans like Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Tiare Jennings, Alyssa Brito, Grace Lyons, Rylie Boone and others, the Sooners had established one of the most successful and experienced groups softball has ever seen.

But Gasso has always known the Sooners would largely have to start over with a mostly-new roster.

"I was ready," Gasso said last month. "I am much more vocal than I have been in a long time. Just because I didn't need to be. They knew what they were doing and I was just there to almost facilitate. Now we're into really coaching and a lot of learning going on and a lot of quick adjustments and things like that."

With Gasso taking more command of the roster, now it's about finding how this team works together.

The Sooners haven't just lost arguably the most successful senior class in softball history. This year, they're also tasked with replacing a ton of production from last year. The 13 players who departed the program accounted for 61.8% of the team's runs, 71.8% of the hits, 64% of the RBIs and 66.3% of the home runs.

Fortunately for the Sooners, they have two budding stars in Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker who are returning after playing pivotal roles on last year's team. Cydney Sanders gives the team a steady presence at first base, and Kierston Deal is returning for her third year in the circle. But otherwise, the Sooners will be replacing nearly every spot in the lineup, and the pitching staff will largely be comprised of new players.

However, the Sooners added key transfer players who are primed to step up. The Sooners have a readymade center in Isabella Emerling from North Carolina. In the infield, former BYU transfer Ailana Agbayani, who was a two-year starter, will almost certainly snag the starting spot at second base or short stop. Abigail Dayton won the Pac 12 batting title last year at Utah, recording splits of .431//510/.599, and should provide a huge boost offensively and in the outfield. Sam Landry and Isabella Smith provide a ton of experience on the pitching staff.

And while the new players understand the history and expectations at Oklahoma, there's been a focus on forging a new path.

"At least for me, I don't really think of the past too much," Agbayani said. "Yes they're amazing and they've always been known for having a strong program, but I think (Gasso) recruited all of us and she knows obviously what she's doing and I think it's always good just to really not think and compare yourself to others and really just be your own person because that's what's got all of us here.

"So I think (we're) really just not looking too much at the past and embracing how we are as people and softball players and playing the game like we know and with their amazing coaching. And I think that we have a really great team this year and we'll continue to be great."

Another new wrinkle will be the freshman class, which ranked third nationally, per On3. The Sooners haven't typically had to rely on freshmen the past few years, but that's almost certainly going to change this season.

Sydney Barker (infield) and Audrey Lowry (RHP) were standouts in the fall, and Tia Milloy is primed to be utilized as a pinch runner next spring. There's a real path to playing time for all eight freshmen, and Gasso has emphasized that the Sooners are going to need them.

"We are grateful to have all eight of us together because everything is very new," Barker said. "To have one or two or three or four, I think, would be more difficult. But (we know) that we’re all in this together and a big part of the team and have to step up. We’re young, but (we) need to get it rolling and take after the other girls and get to know the culture to have a great spring season."

Next spring will definitely bring a new look for the Sooners, who've become accustomed to winning at the highest level. But for this new group, there's a focus on acknowledging the past while looking towards the future.

“We’re a new team," Chaney Helton said. "I definitely love every single person that’s on our team. I think we all bring great assets to this program. It’s definitely gonna be a new look than what’s been in the past, but I just have so much respect for all of our girls. We’re just gonna go out there and do our thing, show who we are, do our own thing, set a new bar.”

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