The 2025 season will present a lot of "firsts" for Oklahoma Softball, but their preseason ranking and expectations aren't among that list of superlatives.
After four consecutive years of finishing first in the final polls, the 2025 season will be the first time in four years that the Sooners will hit the field without the nucleus of Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone, and Nicole May.
Add to that the loss of Alyssa Brito, Alynah Torres, Kelly Maxwell, and Karlie Keeney, and Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso has a rebuild of epic proportions on her hands.
On top of that, it will be the Sooners' first year in the SEC, and the schedule is daunting, with home series against South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Texas, plus road trips to Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Florida.
This unique combination of firsts has resulted in yet another unprecedented event for the Sooners: They've been picked to finish third in the SEC Preseason Softball Poll.
The Sooners received two first-place votes but finish behind Florida and Texas, who received six votes and seven votes, respectively.
It's not like OU enters the 2025 season with a bare cupboard, though.
The Sooners enter their rebuild with three Preseason All-SEC Team selections, with Abigale Dayton, Ella Parker, and Kasidi Pickering all getting the nod.
Parker and Pickering return to Oklahoma after standout freshmen seasons, with Pickering totaling 12 home runs, 51 RBI, and 45 runs scored, and Parker ending the year on a hot streak by earning a spot on the 2024 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team and the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Dayton joins Oklahoma after hitting .479 with 62 runs, 38 walks, and 19 stolen bags over two seasons with Utah.
In addition to Dayton, the Sooners bring in four other impact transfers, including Isabella Smith (Campbell), Sam Landry (Louisiana), Isabela Emerling (North Carolina), and Ailana Agbayani (BYU).
Oklahoma opens the 2025 season on the road in California, with contests in San Diego, Fullerton, Los Angeles, and Long Beach across the span of four days. Their first game is scheduled for Thursday, February 6, at 5:30 p.m. CT against CSUN.
