OU Softball: Oklahoma Duo Earns Academic All-American Honors

A pair of Oklahoma stars were named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans on Tuesday. 

Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering earned First Team honors, while OU second baseman Ailana Agbayani earned Third Team honors. 

Patty Gasso has had multiple Academic All-American honorees for four straight years. 

Formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Pickering and Agbayani bring OU Softball's all-time total to 26 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors. Gasso has had 25 of the 26 honorees under her watch at Oklahoma, and the Sooners are one of six Division I level programs to have multiple honorees this season.

To be named a CSC Academic All-American, student-athletes must be selected to the CSC Academic All-District team. Agbayani and Pickering joined teammates Cydney Sanders and Sam Landry on the All-District team last month. 

CSC Academic All-Americans and all-district honorees are nominated by members of CSC and are ultimately recognized for their work on the diamond and in the classroom. 

Pickering carries a 3.55 grade point average (GPA) in sports business and was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-American. The sophomore outfielder was an All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) First Team honoree and hit .392 with 18 home runs, 57 RBIs, 58 runs and 51 walks in 2025. Pickering has started 125 of 127 games played through her first two seasons at OU, hitting .391 with 30 home runs, 108 RBIs and 103 runs.

Agbayani, a junior, has a 3.53 GPA in multidisciplinary studies and started all 61 games at second base in 2025. The Mililani, HI, product was spectacular in the field, earning Rawlings Gold Glove honors with a .989 fielding percentage (77 putouts, 106 assists, two errors). She was also an SEC All-Defensive Team pick and NFCA Midwest All-Region Third Team selection. For the season she hit .314 with 38 runs, 49 hits, eight doubles, four homers, 35 RBIs and 30 walks. 

Pickering will return as a junior next year alongside fellow returning starter Abby Dayton. Sydney Barker took the last outfield spot in OU’s starting lineup, and she will be back next year to battle at that spot as well as at first base. 

Agbayani will return next year for her senior season at second base, and she will be flanked by shortstop Gabbie Garcia and third baseman Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, and catcher Isabela Emerling will also be back off last year’s team that made the WCWS semifinals. 

Gasso landed a new pitcher out of the transfer portal to add to her talented roster, too. 

Former LSU star Sydney Berzon will join a large rotation in Norman in 2026.

A former two-time NFCA All-American, Berzon will team up with Kierston Deal, Audrey Lowry, Paytn Monticelli, Sophia Bordi, Allyssa Parker and Berkley Zache in associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha’s bullpen. 

Parker and Zache will join outfielder Kai Minor, infielder Lexi McDaniel and catcher Kendall Wells to form Oklahoma’s true freshman class next season. 

OU Media Relations contributed heavily to this article.