NORMAN — It was around 9:30 on a random Tuesday night last summer when Riley Ludlam received a phone call she didn't recognize.

It was Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso.

Ludlam, who had spent her last four seasons playing catcher at Furman, had just entered the transfer portal looking to play elsewhere for her final year in college softball. Gasso was interested in bringing Ludlam to Norman.

Ludlam almost couldn't believe it.

"Thank goodness I picked (the phone) up," Ludlam said during Tuesday's media availability. "I heard her speak. She was like, 'Hello, I’m Patty Gasso,' and it was the absolute last thing I was expecting. I had a really great conversation with her. We talked a lot about softball and talked a lot about my life outside of softball. I really appreciated her getting to know me In that aspect."

There was a slight layer of randomness from Gasso's perspective, too. Ludlam had a standout senior year in 2023 and was named to the All-Southern Conference First Team after recording a .372 batting average, .433 on-base percentage, 10 home runs and 41 RBIs, but she wasn't a household name.

"This is the 100% truth. I had never heard that name before in my life," Gasso said. "We started scanning and looking for catchers in the portal, and we saw her name. We tried to pull up video and (we're) looking and looking. Pulled up her video, her offensive numbers were pretty good. She was a team captain.

"I called her on the phone and I said, 'Riley, this is coach Gasso from Oklahoma.' She's like, 'Shut up. Who is this? Oh my gosh.' I'm like, 'It's really coach Gasso.' ... Finally she believed me. We started talking and the rest is history."

Ludlam was in Norman for a visit on Friday, and quickly committed to becoming a Sooner. Even with veteran Kinzie Hansen reclaiming her spot as the Sooners' starting catcher, Ludlam knew she could still make an impact as a power hitter.

"Honestly, it was a conversation with coach basically saying she wanted me," Ludlam said. "She wanted to turn me into the best player I can possibly be in my last year. What a way to go out with this team. But (it was about) knowing she was invested in me as a player like that."

Through nine games, Ludlam's addition has been huge for the Sooners. After two tournaments, Ludlam leads the Sooners in batting average (.455) and on-base percentage (.533).

The Florida native didn't see much playing time during opening weekend in Puerta Vallarta, as she appeared in three of the four games while logging a hit, an RBI, a run and one at-bat. But her first highlight play as a Sooner came in the comeback victory over Washington, when she was called to pinch hit for Rylie Boone in the sixth inning and she connected on a single to centerfield that scored the game-tying run.

That was a big moment for Ludlam, who had to overcome some nerves to make the play.

"I had known there was a possibility of pinch-hitting for Boone just because with a runner on second, looking for a power hitter to come up," Ludlam said. "But when (assistant coach JT Gasso) told me to get my helmet, I probably started hyperventilating a bit. We had a little meeting before where I could do some breathing and get my heart rate to slow down a bit. Honestly, going up to the box, it was I have nothing to lose. I’m going to go up there and take hacks. After the second pitch I fouled off, I felt like I was seeing the ball well. I was just going all out. That was my thought process."

Ludlam logged two at-bats in the first two games of last weekend's Cowgirl Classic before seeing her role elevated as the tournament went on. She started the final three games as the Sooners' designated player, recording four hits, four RBIs and two runs during that stretch. She was particularly helpful in the 3-0 win over Lamar, as she accounted for two of the Sooners' three runs.

"I think when I saw that I was getting more opportunities to hit, I just wanted to keep that same mindset," Ludlam said. "I want to hit the ball hard and do my best. That's my role here."

Though it's still early in the season, Ludlam has already proven she belongs at Oklahoma.

"She gets big moments and she's free as a bird," Gasso said. "She's not caught up. She just wants to hit the ball hard. She's keeping it really simple and a great example to our team what it looks like. So it's a really great success story because we didn't have a lot of options or a lot of great information on her. Turned out, we hit the jackpot."

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