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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Softball Signs Five for 2020
June 01, 2020 | Softball
NORMAN — Oklahoma softball head coach Patty Gasso announced Monday the signings of five incoming freshmen set to join the Sooners in fall 2020.
"This is a well-rounded group of athletes who have speed, strength and versatility," said Gasso. "They all have areas of specialty, but they also have skill sets that give us tremendous flexibility to fill a variety of roles. When you have players of that caliber, it gives you strength across the board and elite depth."
Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Paige Knight, Nicole May and Zaida Puni will all join the Sooners for the 2020-21 season.
Jayda Coleman / IF / L-L / The Colony, Texas
The consensus No. 1 prospect in the class of 2020 by FloSoftball and Extra Inning Softball, Jayda Coleman out of The Colony, Texas, was recently named the 2019-20 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year for the state of Texas.
The shortstop put together a decorated high school career in the DFW area that includes a Class 5A state title in 2017 and 5A semifinal appearance in 2019 along with being a six-time all-state honoree and three-time All-American.
Coleman scored the most runs all-time in the Dallas area and needed just five more runs for the state record and eight for the national mark before the 2020 season was cut short. The Sooner signee finished her exceptional high school career with 279 career hits, 261 runs, a .702 batting average and 209 stolen bases.
A USA Junior Women's National Team member, Coleman also helped the U.S. to the WBSC U-19 World Cup title this summer as she hit .435 with 10 hits, six runs, three RBIs and five stolen bases.
OU head coach Patty Gasso on Coleman:
"Jayda has been the top recruit by numerous softball services for years. Not only is she a phenomenal softball player but she's a tremendous athlete who also plays volleyball and runs track. To me, she is absolutely a complete player. She's an exciting player to watch, just her base running alone makes defenses very uncomfortable. She gives you the 'wow' factor and it's in all things that she does. She's a lefty shortstop who comes up with plays that make you ask, 'how did she do that?'. She also has great speed. At the plate, she's got power and a clutch ability to always come through. Jayda is a program changer."
| THE COLEMAN FILE |
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| PERSONAL: Daughter of Deana and Cedric Coleman ... Has two siblings, Asher Wilkerson and Jhanna Coleman ... Mother and father competed collegiately at Texas Women's University and North Central Texas College, respectively, and are both coaches ... Also an all-district volleyball player and regional track qualifier ... Chose Oklahoma over Florida, UCLA, Texas A&M, Texas and LSU. WHY OKLAHOMA? "I chose Oklahoma because I fell in love with the campus and really enjoyed my time with the coaching staff. Everything about Oklahoma makes me feel like I'm home." |
Tiare Jennings / IF / R-R / San Pedro, Calif.
The Sooners' California pipeline continues with Tiare Jennings out of San Pedro, Calif., and the OC Batbusters.
The 2019-20 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year for the state of California, Jennings was batting .710 with six home runs and 19 RBIs when the season was ended. The senior at St. Anthony's High School in Long Beach, Calif., did not strike out in the box and did not register an error at shortstop in her final year.
The No. 2-ranked player on Extra Inning Softball's Elite 100 list and No. 4 on FloSoftball's Hot 100, Jennings won the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship with the Batbusters.
The California product was named the CIF Division 6 Player of the Year in 2017 and collected First Team All-CIF and All-State honors as a freshman. She finished her high school career batting .581 to go with 111 hits, 61 RBIs and 16 home runs.
OU head coach Patty Gasso on Jennings:
"Tiare is another excellent player, who is very athletic. She has a blue-collar work ethic but is also very smooth and can make the game look easy. She's got great reach and good coverage going either direction at shortstop, and is very efficient with her throws. Tiare is a lead-off batter with power who can put you up very early in a game, but she's also got good speed. The game seems to come to her almost effortlessly. It's pretty to watch. She's going to make an impact, no doubt."
| THE JENNINGS FILE |
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| PERSONAL: Daughter of Maria and Ignacio Jennings … Has two siblings, Elai and Fa'atele … Cousins Tiare and Keilani Jennings played collegiate softball at New Mexico State and UC-Santa Barbara … Chose OU over UCLA, Alabama and Arizona. WHY OKLAHOMA? "I chose Oklahoma because of the amazing coaching staff who I believe will make me a better player but turn me into an even better person. Their morals and values are everything that I want to experience my four years. I love the Sooner environment and everything this university has to offer. Not only do I hope to win a national championship, but I want to be able to leave as a strong, powerful woman." |
Paige Knight / IF / R-R / Owasso, Okla.
The Sooners only Oklahoma-grown product in the 2020 class, Paige Knight is a versatile player out of Owassa, Okla., who plays travel ball for Texas Glory. Knight helped lead the Rams to a 6A state runner-up finish last fall and was named to the 2019 Oklahoma All-State team. The senior was also named the district's co-offensive player of the year.
Knight finished her Owasso career batting .427 with 183 hits, 145 RBIs and 119 runs scored. An athlete that can play across the infield, Knight holds No. 51 in FloSoftball's Hot 100 and No. 104 in Extra Inning's final 2020 ranks.
Additionally, the infielder was named the 2019 Michelle Smith Outstanding Student-Athlete Award winner.
OU head coach Patty Gasso on Knight:
"Paige is our only Okie this year but she's been a standout athlete in Oklahoma. She's played a strong left side of the infield. I've seen her play a little bit at first and she can also pitch. She's very versatile and she's got power at the plate, too. She has been involved in winning programs, so she understands what it takes to compete at a high level."
| THE KNIGHT FILE |
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| PERSONAL: Daughter of Shannon and Frank Knight … Has two siblings, Katelynn Knight and Johnathon Pinson … Father played college baseball at Texas Tech and Aunt, Stacy Knight, played college softball for New Mexico State … Chose OU over Kansas, Mississippi State and Missouri. WHY OKLAHOMA? "I chose the University of Oklahoma because it felt like home here. The atmosphere and coaching staff are what I really liked. I know they have one goal and it's to win. What I'm really looking forward to accomplishing at OU is to win a national championship and earn a degree. That's why I chose OU because I know that they will push me and help me take my game to the next level." |
Nicole May / RHP / R-R / Pleasanton, Calif.
The 2018-19 Gatorade California Softball Player of the Year, Nicole May is a powerful right-handed pitcher out of Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif., and the OC Batbusters. In her junior season, May led the Falcons to a 28-0 record and North Coast Section Division I Tournament championship. The Walnut Creek, Calif., native compiled a 24-0 record, 0.32 ERA and registered 246 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 151 innings pitched.
The 2019 NorCal Softball Pitcher of the Year ranked as the No. 6 recruit in the 2020 class by Extra Inning Softball and No. 16 by FloSoftball. May also has power at the plate. She batted .463 on 38 hits with 27 RBIs and five home runs in her junior season.
OU head coach Patty Gasso on May:
"She caught our attention at a very early age just because of her control and velocity. She's made to be a pitcher. When she's on the mound, she's is a very determined competitor. But she also is a pitcher who can help us in other ways. She's good enough to play another position and swing the bat effectively. That's exciting for us because there's a lot you can do in your lineup when you have a pitcher that can also swing for herself and play the field. It gives you a lot more options so we're excited about that. She is going to be a main force for us."
| THE MAY FILE |
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| PERSONAL: Daughter of Charlen and Kenn May … Has one brother, Jack … Dad played college football at Florida … Chose the Sooners over Oregon and Florida. WHY OKLAHOMA? "I chose Oklahoma because no other school could compare to it. It feels like my home away from home and I love the feeling I get when I step on campus. I look forward to grinding to become a better athlete and person, both on and off the field. I also look forward to the new friendships that are going to form." |
Zaida Puni / IF / R-R / Carson, Calif.
Another Cali-Sooner, Zaida Puni joins teammate Tiare Jennings in joining the Sooners from St. Anthony's HS in Long Beach, Calif., and the OC Batbusters-Stith travel club. As a junior, Puni batted .382, scoring 21 runs on 31 hits, including 27 RBIs, 26 stolen bases and 16 home runs. Additionally, the infielder finished the year with an impressive .945 fielding percentage. In 2017, the first team All-CIF honoree and St. Anthony's claimed the CIF Division 6 Championship.
Puni, along with fellow signees Jennings and May, helped lead the Batbusters to the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship in the summer of 2019. She ranks as the No. 25 player in the country by Extra Inning Softball and No. 79 by FloSoftball.
OU head coach Patty Gasso on Puni:
"Zaida is a really strong presence at third base. Again, looking at her and her body and her style, she's made to play third base in college. That position requires a special athlete. You've got to be fearless and have great instincts, move well, understand the game, have a good arm and be able to throw from different angles. Zaida can do all that. She's well-known for her power at the plate and can change a game with one swing. She has natural power, a lot like Jocelyn (Alo), that when it's hit hard, people want to get out of the way. I'm excited for what her future can look like with additional training and being surrounded with other great athletes. As good as she is, she has the potential to get even better."
| THE PUNI FILE |
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| PERSONAL: Daughter of Selestina and Iotamo Puni … Has three siblings, Juju, Zaniah and Zyra … Uncle, Michael Alo, played football at USC and aunt, Adrienne Alo, played softball at Oregon State … Chose Oklahoma over Arizona and Florida. WHY OKLAHOMA? "I chose Oklahoma because it felt like home. The first time I stepped foot on this campus it was a different feeling. The family atmosphere you get from the coaches, players and the people around you." |
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Softball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Softball) and like Oklahoma Softball on Facebook.
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