Go Boomer: BYU shortstop Ailana Agbayani coming to OU softball
OU softball is simply checking off those boxes, one by one. Whatever head coach Patty Gasso needs for 2025, she is getting it done.
That continued again Tuesday with Go Boomer No. 3 of the transfer portal cycle, former BYU shortstop Ailana Agbayani.
OU needed a shortstop in the portal. Agbayani wasn’t a name that was picking up a lot of steam, at least initially.
Heck, not a lot of people even knew Agbayani was in the portal. A very late addition. But as the weekend came to a close and the week began, it became clear Agbayani was a name to watch.
She was brilliant against elite competition. Her father played in MLB, mother played softball. Sister was at BYU. It’s what this family does. And now Agbayani will do it in Norman.
Ailana Agbayani, SS, BYU (2 years)
Coming off a brilliant sophomore season. Agbayani hit .424 at the plate. She had five home runs and drove in 33 runs. Agbayani also knew how to get on base, with 30 walks, hit 11 times and only struck out seven times in 165 plate appearances. She had some of her best games against the best teams. Drove in a season-high three in one game against Oklahoma State. And OU fans might remember Agbayani with four hits, two doubles and two RBIs in the shocking 9-4 win for the Cougars at Love’s Field.
OU transfer portal commitments
Isabela Emerling, C, North Carolina (2 years)
Emerling will have two seasons of eligibility remaining and is coming off a fantastic sophomore season. Emerling hit .323 with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. And she’ll have some guidance from a former catcher, if needed, as Kinzie Hansen is staying in Norman as a grad assistant. The leap Emerling made from freshman to sophomore season was impressive. She’s someone who is still getting better.
Abby Dayton, OF, Utah (2 years)
The batting champ of the Pac-12, hitting .431 last season. Dayton was All-Pac-12 in each of her first two seasons. She was a third-team All-American as a sophomore. Dayton added two home runs and 28 RBIs this season and earned 27 walks. Dayton also made some spectacular plays in center, something OU fans know all too well.
Who’s leaving? Who’s returning?
We’ve said it repeatedly, but again, 2025 is going to be incredibly different. There are so many names OU fans and softball fans have been accustomed to hearing that are gone.
That senior class went 235-15 with the four national championships.
“This generation, they’ve taught me a lot about coaching,” Gasso said. “They taught me how to accept who they are and how it looks. I mean, I think that has a lot to do with a lot of things, that I just allowed them to be them. It’s hard sometimes because some of it I’m like, oh, no. But it’s important to them. They’ve taught me how to coach better.”
OU lost 10 seniors. Then add another three in the portal (Avery Hodge, Quincee Lilio, SJ Geurin). Hodge is going to LSU. Geurin is headed to Auburn. Lilio, also staying in the SEC, at South Carolina.
OU has eight players coming back and is adding eight freshmen. Based on the usual OU numbers, and after adding Emerling, Dayton and Agbayani, you can assume there are at least two spots remaining.
Let the fun continue.
