Fresh Faces: Sydney Barker is Ready to Put Her 'Style' on Full Display at Oklahoma

That push is exactly what Barker hoped when she began to get recruited by Gasso. 

When the official contact period opened, Barker said she was unsure what to expect. 

But the legendary Oklahoma coach didn’t make Barker wait long. She called her at midnight once the contact period began. 

“Obviously, I was looking at a few schools. But I was really grateful to get that call,” Barker said. “… The jitters, nervousness. It was great. I had been in contact with her from a few camps previously. After I came out and took my visit, I knew this was the place for me. I didn’t go on any other visits. I just knew this was it for me.”

Barker was hosted on her visit by current teammate Hannah Coor, as well as Tiare Jennings, who is now serving as a graduate assistant for the Sooners, as well as former OU pitcher Jordy Bahl. 

“They were very welcoming and told me the truth about everything. They didn’t sugarcoat anything,” Barker said. “They said this is going to be really hard. This is going to change you from a girl to a woman. That really intrigued me because knowing I was going to come here and make a change on the field and off the field was a big turn on for me.”

While she didn’t get to play alongside Jennings, Barker said she’s cherished the opportunity to learn under her while she serves as an assistant in 2025. 

“I love Tiare. Having her on my visit and watching her and now being coached by her is such a blessing,” Barker said. “I do look up to her in a lot of ways, not only on the field defensively, but offensively as well. Before I got here, studied her swing a lot. She’s just a great player and a great person. 

“Having her on my visit and being able to come here and get the same reciprocation from her has been nice.”

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Barker’s abilities demanded Gasso’s attention, but the Oklahoma coach was also excited by the off-field intangibles Barker will bring that she saw on display when watching Barker play with her travel ball team, the LTG Lions. 

“She immediately caught my eye with her actions on defense. She's a very athletic shortstop, and I've seen her make some fabulous plays,” Gasso said when Barker signed with Oklahoma. “On top of that she's a tremendous leader. She is very in-tune with the game, plays the game hard, is extremely vocal and is truly the heart of her team. I felt her style, her love for the game and her athleticism absolutely fit our program. 

“Offensively, the tools are there. I'm very excited about getting her on campus and watching her get stronger. There's going to be real power from her at the plate."

Not only has Barker learned from the coaching staff, including hitting coach JT Gasso, she’s also been able to soak up advice from OU’s experienced sophomores — Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering — as well as her teammates. 

There will be three spots in the infield up for grabs for Barker and her teammates heading into the season. 

Cydney Sanders is back at first base, but Alynah Torres, Tiare Jennings and Alyssa Brito all graduated leaving holes at second base, third base and shortstop. 

Gasso will surely tinker early in the year, meaning all of OU’s new faces will have to take advantage of their opportunities when called upon. 

But Barker was intent on taking things one day at a time, starting in the fall to continue to improve ahead of the season. 

“The fall was a lot of progression,” Barker said. “Knowing that we’re such a new team. There has been a lot of learning each other. Learning new ways of the game.

“… (The) upperclassmen have been amazing, helping us out and showing us the ropes. I think that’s really good for our team. Personally, I’m just really grateful to have all the upperclassmen to show us how we do things at Oklahoma.”