The 2026 softball season is less than two weeks away, and Oklahoma has been preparing to take the field and make a run for its ninth Women’s College World Series title. Although the Sooners were ranked No. 3 in the ESPN and USA Softball Top 25 preseason polls behind a tie between defending national champion Texas and runner-up Texas Tech, Patty Gasso has loaded up on muscles in the circle, as two transfers and two freshmen joined the program alongside three returning 2025 WCWS semifinalists.
With seven arms comprising one-third of the 21-player roster, pitching coach Jennifer Rocha added much needed depth during the offseason to fill the vacancy left by Sam Landry graduating. Unlike last season, when fans felt like the former ace carried the weight of the team on her shoulders, each one this year makes a strong case for being a starter, where the role may be practically shared by the entire staff.
2026 Oklahoma softball pitchers preview
#11 Kierston Deal, LHP
Senior lefty Kierston Deal enters the season as the most experienced pitcher. A 2023 and 2024 Women’s College World Series champion, she put up solid stats in the fall by allowing only 13 hits across the six home games at Love’s Field. In her 77.2 innings pitched during 2025, Deal went 10-2 with a 3.42 ERA, gave up 67 hits and 43 runs, and struck 50 batters out.
#24 Audrey Lowry, LHP
Left-handed returner Audrey Lowry is in position to have a breakout sophomore season after an injury cut her freshman campaign short. Her fall stats were consistent like Deal’s, which included 12 strikeouts. Lowry was undefeated in six games of 2025, where she held opponents to a 3.09 ERA, allowed 35 hits and 22 runs, and delivered 40 strikeouts while pitching 43.0 innings.
#00 Allyssa Parker, RHP/UTL
Freshman Allyssa Parker was the top-ranked pitcher and No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, according Softball America, which also listed her in its 2026 Freshman Watch List. One of the two two-way players on the roster, Allyssa Parker appeared in all seven fall games both in the circle and at the plate.
#19 Berkley Zache, RHP
Freshman Berkley Zache enters Norman as the No. 5 pitcher in the 2025 recruiting class and is the sister of sophomore catcher Riley Zache. She has already shown her potential with nine batters struck out after 16.1 innings in the circle during the fall.
#29 Sydney Berzon, RHP
Senior Sydney Berzon follows in the footsteps of Landry by finishing her final season in Norman. The New York native was consistent in her three seasons at LSU with NFCA Second- and Third-Team All-American selections in 2023 and 2024. Berzon's No. 52 ranking on Softball America's 2026 Top 100 list shows she can handle high expectations as the No. 1 transfer from last cycle.
#99 Miali Guachino, RHP
Sophomore Miali Guachino joined the Sooners in July after entering the portal. The transfer out of Ole Miss helped the Rebels to their first WCWS appearance in 2025 and earned D1 Softball Freshman All-American honors. She has already turned heads by striking her new teammates out 20 times in the fall, so don’t be surprised if Gasso gives her playing time in game-deciding moments.
#50 Ailana Agbayani, INF/RHP
Senior Ailana Agbayani is wrapping up her college career as a Sooner since joining the program in 2025. Although she hasn't had action in the circle since transferring from BYU after her sophomore year, the two-way player has been a leader at second base, which gave Agbayani the 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove award for the position. Her hitting stats last season included a .314 batting average, 38 runs, 49 hits, four home runs and 35 RBIs.