In the past couple of years, six Oklahoma softball players have left the program for another team and are now competing in the NCAA Softball Championship this postseason. During the regular season, OU played four teams featuring former Sooners in SEC series.
Sooner softball head coach Patty Gasso has had little trouble over the past dozen years recruiting some of the best talent in the country to come play for Oklahoma. When you win eight national championships, including the last four straight, it's easy to understand why the top prospects would want to come to play for you.
It's a problem every head coach in America would love to have. The problem is, when you are able to assemble that many quality players on the same roster, not everyone is going to get as much playing time as they think they deserve. And now with the double-edged sword that is the transfer portal readily available, players are able to try their luck elsewhere if they are unhappy with their present situation.
In spite of Oklahoma's record-setting recent success in the world of college softball, and perhaps even because of it, the Sooners have experienced their share of outgoing transfers.
Former Sooners participating in 2025 NCAA Softball Championship
Jordy Bahl, pitcher, Nebraska Cornhuskers
It's not always about seeking greater opportunity that is motivation for leaving one program for another. Former Oklahoma All-American and Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Women's College World Series Jordy Bahl is the classic example of that situation.
The two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Year won 42 games and lost just twice in her two seasons at Oklahoma and helped lead the Sooners to back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023. Despite all of that success, the former No. 1 recruit in the 2021 national class decided to transfer back to her home state of Nebraska to be closer to home.
Bahl has continued her outstanding collegiate career at Nebraska, where this season she not only led the pitching staff, but is also the Cornhuskers' most prolific hitter with team highs in batting average, home runs (19) and runs batted in (59). Her .465 batting average ranks eighth in the country, and her 23 wins in the circle are tied for 11th-best in the country.
In major part due to Bahl, Nebraska is making its third NCAA tournament appearance in the last nine years. The senior All-American hit two home runs and pitched three hitless innings in a 10-2 win over UConn in the Baton Rouge Regional on Friday.
Jocelyn Erickson, catcher, Florida Gators
Jocelyn Erickson, a junior from Phoenix, Arizona, played her freshman year at Oklahoma, where she batted .337 in 57 games with seven home runs and 32 RBI. At OU, she played mainly first base or as the designated player.
In two seasons at Florida, she is the starting catcher. Her sophomore season as a Gator, she led the SEC with 86 RBI and ranked fourth in the conference with a .382 batting average. She was named the 2024 NFCA Division I Player of the Year.
This season, Erickson is hitting .309 in 57 games with 14 home runs and 32 RBI. In a three-game conference series against Oklahoma this season, the former Sooner drew five walks in eight official plate appearances and scored four times after earning a free pass.
SJ Geurin, pitcher, Auburn Tigers
SJ Geurin is a redshirt sophomore from Leander, Texas, a suburb north of Austin. Ranked No. 20 overall in the 2022 recruiting class, the left-hander played one full season at Oklahoma, where she posted a 2-0 record in nine games and a 0.70 ERA as a redshirt freshman in 2024.
This season, Geurin has seen action in 45 games with 11 starts coming into the NCAA tournament and has posted a team-best record of 20-10 with a 3.06 ERA.
Avery Hodge, infielder, LSU Tigers
Hodge is a junior from Richmond, Texas, in the Houston area. She played on two national championship teams at Oklahoma 2023 and 2024, hitting .278 in 109 games for the Sooners. She had four hits and scored four runs in the 2024 Women's College World Series.
This season, as the starting shortstop at LSU, Hodge is hitting .328 as one of eight Tiger players with at least 40 starts to hit above .300, along with a home run and 30 RBI in 55 games.
Quincee Lilio, outfielder, South Carolina Gamecocks
Quincee Lilio is a redshit junior this season from Oceanside, California. She was rated as a top-15 recruit by both Softball America and Extra Inning Softball in the class of 2022. She redshirted at OU in 2022 and played two seasons for the Sooners in 2023-24, batting .202 in 88 games with two home runs and 14 RBI.
Lilio leads off and is the starting center fielder for South Carolina this season and leads the Gamecocks with a career-high .383 batting average in 55 games.
Sophia Nugent, catcher, Tennessee Volunteers
Sophia Nugent is a senior from Seal Beach, California. She was the No. 3 player in the 2021 class and played two seasons at Oklahoma. She made 19 starts at catcher and appeared in 73 games for the Sooners. Nugent averaged .284 at the plate while at OU with eight home runs an 28 RBI.
In her one season at Tennessee, Nugent is hitting .303 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI. She had started 51 of 52 games heading into Knoxville Regional. Against the Sooners this season, Nugent hit a game-winning two-run home run in a 5-2 win over Oklahoma.
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