Softball Starts 2026 Season in Arizona

Thursday, February 5

Tempe, Ariz.

7:15

University of Oklahoma

Arizona State

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Photo by: Morgan Givens/University of Oklahoma

Softball Starts 2026 Season in Arizona

February 04, 2026 | Softball

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OU Plays at Arizona State, Arizona

NORMAN — No. 3 Oklahoma Softball opens up the 2026 season with a four-game swing in Arizona as the Sooners go to (RV) Arizona State and No. 17 Arizona. OU takes on the Sun Devils once on Thursday night before traveling south to Tucson for three games in three days against the Wildcats.

All four games will be available on ESPN+, with Chris Plank bringing providing the radio broadcast on The Franchise 2 (KEBC 1560 AM; Varsity Radio App).

Schedule:
at Arizona State | Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:15 p.m. (CT)
at Arizona | Friday, Feb 6 at 5 p.m. (CT)
at Arizona | Saturday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. (CT)
at Arizona | Sunday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. (CT)

FIRST PITCH

• Oklahoma's offense returns a large percentage of its production from last year. The Sooners return 87.1% of their hits, 85.9% of their runs, 84.8% of their total bases, 83.6% of their RBIs and 82.6% of their 121 home runs. Additionally, the Sooners return four All-Americans on the offensive side (Ella Parker, Kasidi Pickering, Gabbie Garcia and Abby Dayton).

• The Sooners' 21-player roster features eight newcomers and 13 returners. Of those newcomers, two are transfers and six are true freshmen. Sydney Berzon (senior) and Miali Guachino (sophomore) join the OU pitching staff that is six pitchers deep.

• Lexi McDaniel, Kai Minor, Allyssa Parker, Kendall Wells and Berkley Zache are incoming freshmen that signed as part of the nation's top-ranked 2025 recruiting class. Freshman Jerrell "Ori" Mailo signed as part of the nation's top 2026 recruiting class, but joined the Sooners in January.

• Four Sooners were tabbed to the Preseason All-SEC Team (Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering). OU was selected 2nd in the SEC Preseason Poll.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• The Sooners return 100 of their 121 homers hit a year ago. Gabbie Garcia's 20 paces that group, while Kasidi Pickering (18), Ella Parker (15), Nelly McEnroe-Marinas (15) and Isabela Emerling (12) all tallied double-digit homers.

• OU's pitching staff is six pitchers deep, including two transfers from SEC programs (Miali Guachino & Sydney Berzon). Kierston Deal returns as a senior, Audrey Lowry enters her second year and Berkley Zache and Allyssa Parker begin their freshman years.

SOONERS IN AZ

• Oklahoma makes its first trip to Arizona since the 2021 season when OU won all five games in the state. The Sooners won a pair in Tempe (vs. New Mexico and ASU), while defeating New Mexico (33-4), Grand Canyon and Portland State in Phoenix.

• The series between OU and Arizona State dates back to March of 1979. This will be the 10th game between the two teams in Tempe. OU and ASU have played two games against one another at the Women's College World Series (2011, 2012), with each team owning one win. OU and ASU play their 30th game against one another. Their last meeting was a 5-3 win against ASU in Tempe Feb. 26, 2021.

• Arizona native Gabbie Garcia returns to her home state. The Chandler, Ariz., native went to Basha HS in nearby Chandler. Garcia's mother, Kara Brun, was a standout softball player at Arizona State, being named All-Pac 12 every season. She would be inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame.

• The Sooners and Wildcats possess a storied history, with each team owning eight national titles. OU and Arizona have met 51 times, with OU winning the last three. The Sooners won the last meeting, 10-2, in five innings at the 2022 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. OU's last trip to Tucson resulted in a 10-inning thriller as OU won 6-4 Feb. 15, 2020.

2025 SEASON IN REVIEW

• The Sooners went 52-9, advancing to their 18th Women's College World Series and ninth in a row. OU swept the Norman Regional by defeating Boston and California (twice), before taking the Norman Super Regional against No. 15 Alabama to advance to OKC. OU won a game against Tennessee (4-3) and Oregon (4-1), advancing to the Women's College World Series Semifinals, but were ultimately eliminated after losses to Texas (4-1) and Texas Tech (3-2).

• Year one in the SEC saw Oklahoma claim two more conference titles. The Sooners went 17-7 in SEC play, winning the SEC Regular Season Championship. Oklahoma followed that up with a share of the SEC Tournament Championship after wins against LSU (4-1) and Arkansas (8-6). OU and Texas A&M split the title after the final was rained out.

• The Sooners took home four NFCA All-American honors, with sophomores Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering leading the bunch with first team recognition. Senior pitcher Sam Landry was named to the second team and Gabbie Garcia took home third team laurels. Ailana Agbayani, an all-region selection, earned the program's second-ever Rawlings Gold Glove award after turning in a .989 fielding percentage (77 putouts, 106 assists and only two errors).

• OU tallied nine SEC honors, including two superlative awards. Sam Landry was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and head coach Patty Gasso was selected as SEC Coach of the Year. Landry also earned a spot on the first team and all-defensive squad. Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Kasidi Pickering were also first team honorees, while middle infielders Gabbie Garcia (second team & all-defensive) and Ailana Agbayani (all-defensive) rounded out OU's picks.

FALL BALL FANATICS

• Oklahoma's fall ball attendance reached new heights once again in 2025 during the second fall season held at Love's. The Sooners set a single game record with 2,837 fans for the game against Oklahoma Christian. All told for the fall, 11,044 fans took in a game at Love's Field. Oklahoma's home attendance for the 2025 season was 107,813, with a nation high 3,717 fans on average for the season.

TRANSFER DUO

• The Oklahoma pitching staff was bolstered by two highly lauded transfers this offseason. Sophomore Miali Guachino joined OU after a year at Ole Miss, while senior Sydney Berzon arrives in Norman after three seasons at LSU.

• Berzon appeared in 100 games over three seasons with LSU, going 52-25 over 486.1 innings. The righty fanned 416 and notched a 2.02 ERA. She was a three-time All-SEC selection and earned 2023 NFCA Third Team All-America and 2024 NFCA Second Team All-America honors.

• Guachino helped Ole Miss to their first-ever appearance in the Women's College World Series last season. The righty was a D1Softball Freshman All-American and NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 Watch List selection. Guachino earned 14 wins, fanned 160 and set a program record with 19 punchouts in a win against Southern Miss.

PICK & PARKER

• Juniors Kasidi Pickering and Ella Parker enter 2025 as the lone juniors on the roster and the only two position players to have won a national title - not including redshirt-sophomore Nelly McEnroe-Marinas who sat out the 2024 campaign.

• Pickering and Parker were both named NFCA First Team All-Americans a year ago, while Parker also took home third team honors in 2024 as an NFCA Freshman of the Year Finalist.

• The duo is one of the most deadly left-handed hitting pairs in the nation, bringing in a combined career statline of 58 home runs, 223 RBIs, 214 runs scored, 57 doubles, 163 walks and a .405 batting average. Pickering hit .392 with 18 home runs and 57 RBI a year ago, while Parker tallied a .423 batting average, 15 home runs and 53 RBI during her sophomore campaign.

BASES COVERED

• The Sooners return three of four starting infield position players this season, with Cydney Sanders being the lone player to not return after graduating last spring. Senior Ailana Agbayani returns after starting all 61 games and earning the Rawlings Gold Glove at second base in 2025, the second time the honor has been won by a Sooner following Grace Lyons. The left side of the infield features two underclassmen in Gabbie Garcia and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas. McEnroe-Marinas started all 61 games at third base, while Garcia started 56 at shortstop. Both Garcia and McEnroe-Marinas were honored with All-SEC laurels as well. The freshman run production was big last year, with 2025 freshmen combining for 53 of 120 of Oklahoma's home runs.

• The Sooner infield helped turn a program record 31 double plays during 2025 (10th in the NCAA).