Oklahoma softball: Sooners’ 2020 signing class speaks to continued on-field success
By Chip Rouse
There’s not anything the Oklahoma softball team can do about the lost 2020 season, but the 2020 recruiting class shows the Sooners definitely have an eye on 2021 and beyond.
Coach Patty Gasso on Monday announced a five-member signing class of incoming freshmen who will enter college this fall. According to Gasso the 2020 class features a nice balance of speed, strength and versatility, attributes that have been hallmarks of the Sooners’ softball success over the past 10 years, which include three national championships and appearances in eight of the past 10 Women’s College World Series.
“They all have areas of specialty, but they also have skill sets that give us tremendous flexibility to fill a variety of roles,” Gasso said in a press release posted on the Oklahoma athletic website.
“When you have players of that caliber, it gives you strength across the board and great depth.”
OU’s 2020 softball class consists of three recruits from the talent-rich state of California, one from Texas and one home-grown prospect from Owasso, Oklahoma, a northern suburb of Tulsa.
The top prospect is Jayda Coleman, a middle infielder from Frisco, Texas, and the consensus No. 1 prospect overall. She was the 2019-20 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Texas. A three-time high school All-American, Coleman set the career mark for the most runs scored by a player from the Dallas area and was just five runs short of the all-time state record eight away from the national record before the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California signees include another middle infielder, Tiare Jennings, from San Pedro, California, and another Gatorade Player of the Year in her state. She is rated as a top-five prospect on several recruiting lists.
Right-handed pitcher Nicole May is another highly rated California recruit. She was the 2018-19 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in the state, from Pleasanton, California. Gasso said May is versatile enough to play other positions, but what she liked the most about her is her control and velocity in the pitching circle.
Zaida Puni joins her St. Anthony’s High School teammate Jennings in Oklahoma’s 2020 class. Both are from the Long Beach area near Los Angeles. Puni played third base in high school and brings another power bat to the Sooner roster.
Paige Knight is the only Oklahoman in the 2020 class. She played several infield positions in high school and was named to the 2019 All-State team.
All in all, another outstanding recruiting class by Patty Gasso, who will be in her 27th season at Oklahoma.