OU softball freshmen balancing program expectations

Everybody knows the OU softball team in 2025 is going to look a lot different. The group that carried the Sooners to being four-time defending national champions are, for the most part, gone.

But head coach Patty Gasso just keeps it rolling. A fresh batch, including some dynamite freshmen and elite transfers, and here we are again.

OU softball held a local media day for the freshmen and transfers. Able to talk to 12 of the 13, only missing out on Isabela Emerling because of a class conflict.

Here’s some of the best of the best of what they had to say.

Freshmen

IF Sydney Barker

The OU visit?

“When I came on my visit, I was actually with Hannah Coor, Tiare Jennings and Jordy Bahl. Probably the three best girls you could have on a visit. They were very welcoming and told me the truth about everything. They didn’t sugarcoat anything. They said this is going to be really hard. This is going to change you from a girl to a woman. That really intrigued me because knowing I was going to come here and make a change on the field and off the field was a big turn on for me.”

C Corri Hicks

Biggest adjustment coming to OU?

“I would definitely say for me, it’s just the level that you have to be thinking at all times. As you guys know, coach’s expectations are very, very high so she never lowers them for anybody and I really appreciate that because I feel like it makes everyone the best they can be every single day and just make it such (a) competitive environment. So definitely just being able to think at a level 10 every single day — no days off.”

LHP Audrey Lowry

Gasso compared you to Kelly Maxwell?

“It means a lot because Kelly is influential to many people, especially me. When I got here, everyone was like, ‘Oh, you’re Kelly, you look just like Kelly, you act just like Kelly. You’re literally Kelly.’ And I actually saw Kelly at a football game and I was talking to her about it. She just laughed. She thought it was hilarious, but it’s just, I mean, it’s a great honor to be here and be in the circle here. It’s really challenging especially this fall, going against these batters. You have to work hard, you have to go 100% and when you’re on the mound, you don’t feel, you just throw.”

C/INF Riley Zache

OU just keeps on winning?

“It made me really excited just for the opportunity to push myself physically but also mentally. There’s a lot that goes on in the mental side of the game and they really push us here to learn the most we can and to just kind of grasp as much as we can and I really enjoy learning the game both the physical side but especially the mental side because it’s very intriguing for me to learn about that. I was just really excited to learn about all their different philosophies, how they go about everything because of how successful they are and what they do makes them different.”

IF Gabbie Garcia

First conversation, after all, with Gasso?

“The first conversation with Coach Gasso? I was super intimidated, I’ll be honest. Was like ‘Oh my gosh, this is Coach Gasso.’ I got to say the right thing, I got to act the right way, right? And then honestly, getting here, learning that she has that mother figure over the team and wants us to become like … she sees us as her children. She wants us to become great young women and seeing her sense of humor and seeing her motivation for us and seeing how she won’t let us stoop under her expectations and holds us accountable. It’s incredible. It’s awesome.

UTL Tia Milloy

Being in a super, ridiculous athletic family?

“Well, I would say it’s very competitive in my household and we do hold each other accountable. I would say that I wasn’t very focused when I was little and my two older sisters were always on me saying ‘Tia, you need to go get your reps in. You need to do this and do that.’ Not a lot of people get the privilege of living with professional athletes and four All-Americans right across the door. 

“For me, when I started reaching my potential, it’s when I started trusting in my family members. I started trusting in the things that they were saying to me and being able to pick their minds on a random Tuesday night. I didn’t have to get and DM somebody and be like ‘oh, what?’ What was the process for this?’ I think that was a privilege for me. And being able to talk to people that have already reached the heights that I’m trying to get to, it was amazing.”

OF Chaney Helton

Pressure for a fifth straight championship?

“We’re a new team. I definitely love every single person that’s on our team. I think we all bring great assets to this program. It’s definitely gonna be a new look than what’s been in the past, but I just have so much respect for all of our girls. We’re just gonna go out there and do our thing, show who we are, do our own thing, set a new bar.”

IF Kadey Lee McKay

When the OU dream felt like it might be reality?

“For me, it was probably a little different. I was probably 13-14 years old when me and my dad and my mom kind of realized — I felt a little more experienced, played a little bit more experienced than everyone I was playing with. Then that was when we realized, ‘Hey, she might be something.’ I didn’t even play 16U travel ball. I straight up went from 14 to 18, so I was 14 playing with 18-19 year olds. That was probably one of the best things I could’ve done because that made me even more experienced and I learned so many more things playing with such older girls from my age. That’s just how mine went. Wouldn’t change it.”