OU Softball: Rebuilding Oklahoma Starts in Top 3 of Another Preseason Poll

Everybody knows Patty Gasso faces a daunting rebuild in Norman.

And still, another national softball poll ranks Oklahoma at No. 3.

After winning an unprecedented fourth straight national championship, the Sooners (59-7 last year) must replace a senior class that only knew trophies. 

But D1 Softball’s preseason poll shows a widespread belief that the Sooners aren’t far off the chase as the 2025 season dawns.

Just like last week’s Softball America preseason Top 25, new SEC rivals Florida and Texas are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 to start the season, while OU is No. 3.

UCLA comes in at No. 4 in the D1 Softball poll, while Oklahoma State is No. 5 and Tennessee is No. 6.

Sophomores Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering are back to lead the ’25 Sooners, along with senior first baseman Cydney Sanders.

Gasso added a truckload of talent through the transfer portal additions this offseason: Utah outfielder Abigale Dayton, Louisiana pitcher Sam Landry, Campbell pitcher Isabella Smith, North Carolina catcher Isabela Emerling and BYU infielder Ailana Agbayani. 

Gasso said during fall ball that she’s happy to be coaching again after a senior-driven squad carried so much of the burden these past four seasons.

Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone and Nicole May each played all four years at OU but now have moved on. Other vital seniors, like Alyssa Brito, Alynah Torres, Kelly Maxwell, Karlie Keeney and Riley Ludlam, also graduated.

Gasso previously said SEC softball is “a different animal” than the Big 12 Conference — the SEC leads all leagues with nine teams ranked in Tuesday’s poll — and although the Sooners will have to prove themselves every week, the regular season comes to a fine point in the final two weeks as OU hosts the Longhorns in their SEC regular season home finale April 25-27 and visits the Gators in the season finale May 1-3.