Oklahoma softball unveils first chances to see new-look 2027 roster

As fall in Norman means football season, Sooners fans will also be able to get a glimpse of another marquee sport on campus.

Oklahoma softball recently announced the full schedule for its fall scrimmages. As Patty Gasso’s 2027 roster plays exhibition games, all at Love’s Field between Sep. 30 and Nov. 4, they are preparing to bounce back from their Women’s College World Series absence last May and restore faith in the program with a run for a ninth national championship.

The Sooners are entering the next season beginning in February off a 6-0 loss to Mississippi State in the Norman Super Regional and an 83.9% win percentage, their lowest and first with double-digit losses since 2014 with 79.7%. To prevent the 2026 struggles from coming back, the scrimmages are an opportunity for the players to learn from each other as teammates and feel comfortable in their positions.

Sooners announce schedule for 2026 fall softball

The slate consists of four opponents from visiting universities and the return of the Battle Series, where the Sooners play against each other. All will take place on their home field. As no plan for a live stream of the scrimmages has been announced, those who want to watch can buy tickets on sale right now for $11 to an individual game or $71 for every game.

Oct. 23 has a grudge match 50 years in the making, as the Sooners face off with the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) of the NAIA for the first time since 1976. OU lost 16-6 against the Drovers in its last official game that year on March 23, but the Sooners lead 3-2 since both programs played their inaugural season in 1975. USAO head coach Jadyn Wallis pitched at OU under Gasso’s helm from 2005 to 2008 for 110.1 total innings in her playing career, which saw the Sooners make three Super Regional appearances.

The most important problem that the Battle Series can solve is pitching, specifically the lack of a reliable ace. Junior Audrey Lowry came the closest with the most innings pitched last season, but returners Miali Guachino and Allyssa Parker are dependable backups. They’ll be joined by three nationally ranked top-15 recruits Ella Kate “EK” Smith, Keegan Baker and Malaya Majam-Finch.

On the opposite end is a group of proven and potential heavy hitters who couldn’t be better practice partners for the pitchers. It will be interesting to see how many strikeouts the arms can deliver to the NCAA single-season home run record holder Kendall Wells, 2026 No. 1 overall recruit Payton Westra, highly anticipated freshman Juliana “Goose” Hutchens, senior Ella Parker and junior Gabbie Garcia.

The incoming freshmen were the top-ranked recruiting class by On3 for a second year in a row with Majam-Finch, Baker, Smith, Hutchens and Ki’ele Ho-Ching. Freshman Ori Mailo, who was reclassified last year and did not compete, will also make her debut in the infield.

New additions from the transfer portal are junior outfielders Macie Harter out of Middle Tennessee State and Adi Hansen out of the JUCO College of Southern Idaho, following the departure of daily starter Kasidi Pickering for Texas Tech, and senior catcher Abbie Gregus out of Loyola-Chicago, who joins Wells and Hutchens as Isabela Emerling is no longer an available option.

2026 OU softball fall exhibition schedule

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