If you think the past was fun for Oklahoma softball, just wait until you get a glimpse of what’s in store for the future.
This season, the Sooners had nine freshmen on their roster, which was the second-most in the SEC. Their roster was almost completely turned over and they still made the semifinals of the Women’s College World Series. But there are even more reinforcements on the way to Norman.
The Sooners have the No. 1 2025 recruiting class in the country, according to On3. OU’s class rating of 99.333 towers No. 2 Tennessee at 98.000.
Sooners have best signing class in country
OU’s top class is made up of five signees, including four five-star recruits and one four-star who have all been committed to the Sooners since the fall of 2023 and signed in November. The Sooners and Volunteers are the only programs in the country with multiple five-star commits from the 2025 class.
The top three players in On3’s rankings are all headed to OU and four of the top five. And they’ll join a 2024 class that was No. 2 in the country last year behind only UCLA.
Here’s a look at all five future Sooners.
Kai Minor, OF
Kai Minor is the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 class, according to On3, out of Orange Lutheran High School in California. She has a perfect 100.00 rating from On3.
Minor, a lefty, was a career .465 hitter with 112 hits, 13 home runs, 52 RBIs, 96 runs scored and 48 stolen bases on a 98% success rate when she signed with OU. But she’s even more impressive defensively in the outfield with her speed.
There will also be familiarity for Minor as soon as she gets on campus after playing travel ball with teammates Ella Parker, Maya Bland, Gabbie Garcia, Corri Hicks, Abigale Dayton and Ailana Agbayani.
Allyssa Parker, P
Patty Gasso didn’t have to go far to find Allyssa Parker from Pocola, Oklahoma.
Parker, a righty, is the No. 2 overall player and top pitcher in the 2025 class. She’s not only dominant in the circle, but can also swing the bat. When Parker signed, Gasso compared her to Keilani Ricketts because of her versatility.
Parker was 2024 Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year.
Lexi McDaniel, IF
Lexi McDaniel rounds out On3’s top three 2025 prospects as the top infielder. If you’re keeping score, that means OU landed the top infielder, outfielder and pitcher from the 2025 class, and all are five-star recruits.
McDaniel is from St. Joseph Christian Schools in St. Joseph, Missouri, but her school didn’t have a softball team so she played only travel ball with Aces Fastpitch 18U National. She was named the Aces Fastpitch Organization Offensive Player of the Year as the club’s all-time leader in hits (578), home runs (93), RBIs (413) and runs scored (461).
McDaniel will be hard to keep out of the lineup because of her bat and ability to play almost anywhere in the infield.
Kendall Wells, C
Oh, yeah, Gasso also landed the best catcher in the class, too.
Kendall Wells is the No. 5 overall player and No. 1 catcher out of Athens, Georgia, getting away from the nearby Bulldogs. She was the first commitment OU got from this group in Sept. 2023.
As a sophomore, Wells set the state record with 24 home runs and slashed a career 625/.775/1.595 with 55 homers. Gasso praised Wells for having the ability to change a game with one swing (so she’ll fit right in).
Berkley Zache, P
Berkley Zache is OU’s lone four-star recruit, but she would be the best player in the class for most programs.
Zache, a righty from Niles, Michigan, is the No. 5 pitcher in the class and best overall player from her state. She’s also still a top-15 overall prospect at No. 13 in the nation.
Zache holds her high school's single-season records for strikeouts, ERA, no-hitters, perfect games, consecutive scoreless innings and shutouts. She was also a 2023 MaxPreps First-Team All-American.
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