The Oklahoma softball program saw three players enter the transfer portal following their fourth consecutive national championship win. Additionally, the Sooners are losing 10 seniors from the 2024 roster.
On Sunday, coach Patty Gasso secured a transfer commitment from Utah outfielder Abby Dayton, marking the second transfer portal addition in under a week for the Sooners. With over half of the OU roster turning over from the 2024 to 2025 seasons, more transfers are expected.
Dayton’s commitment follows the recent addition of former North Carolina catcher/infielder Isabela Emerling from the transfer portal. The Sooners need outfield help after losing starters Rylie Boone and Jayda Coleman to graduation. Dayton led the Pac-12 Conference this past season with a .431 batting average and topped the conference with six triples, tied for 13th in NCAA Division I softball, and finished second with a .521 on-base percentage.
Like Emerling, Dayton has two years of eligibility remaining and both players are expected to start when the 2025 season begins in February. Dayton is likely to play center field and hit leadoff for the Sooners, following in the footsteps of Coleman.
Dayton attended Norco High in Southern California, the same high school as departing Sooner catcher Kinzie Hansen. She also has a connection to OU softball and the Gasso family, having played under Patty Gasso’s son DJ, who was the Utah softball hitting coach during the 2023 season.
