A Look at the Oklahoma Sooners Complete Roster With Signings, Returnees & Four New Transfers for 2024

On Tuesday (August 8, 2023), Oklahoma published a release announcing the transfer of four standout players.

That quartet joins four freshmen who will be entering the Sooner program this fall along with 12 players who return from this year’s NCAA DI champs, which makes it three years in a row OU has won the national title.

Here’s a look at all the players that will be on the roster for Oklahoma this next season as Head Coach Patty Gasso, Associate Head Coach Jennifer Rocha, who was named the NCAA Assistant of the Year last month, and Assistant Coaches JT Gasso and Falepolima Aviu, look to win another championship…

*****

Sooners Announce Transfer Additions for 2024

Released August 8, 2023

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma head softball coach Patty Gasso announced the addition of four student-athletes via the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Joining the three-time defending national champion Sooners for the 2023-24 season will be Karlie Keeney, graduate right-handed pitcher from Liberty, Riley Ludlam, graduate utility player from Furman, Kelly Maxwell, graduate left-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State, and Paytn Monticelli, sophomore right-handed pitcher from Wisconsin.

Karlie Keeney

Keeney comes to Norman after an exceptional junior campaign at Liberty that saw her appear in 48 games, twirling 261 innings and going 27-12 in the circle. She held a 2.03 ERA and struck out 153 while holding opponents to a .229 batting average. She threw five shutouts and 27 complete games in 2023, helping the Flames to their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance where they eliminated No. 2 seed UCLA and played in the Los Angeles Regional final.

Riley Ludlam

Ludlam, the Southern Conference Player of the Year and NFCA All-Region selection in 2023 for Furman, hit .372 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs a season ago, making 49 starts at catcher or designated player. The Fort Myers, Fla., product departed Furman with top-five spots in school history for home runs (25) and doubles (45) and owns a .309 career batting average with 117 RBIs.

Kelly Maxwell

A two-time All-American staying in Oklahoma to join the Sooners, Maxwell joins the Sooners after a storied career at Oklahoma State. The 2022 Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year, Maxwell helped the Cowgirls to the Women’s College World Series each of the last three seasons and holds a 58-20 career record with a 1.58 ERA and 746 strikeouts. She was a unanimous first-team All-America selection in 2022 when she went 21-5 with a 1.22 ERA, and earned second-team All-America honors in 2023 when she ranked second nationally with her 11.2 strikeouts per seven innings. Maxwell also earned Academic All-America honors each of the last two seasons.

Paytn Monticelli

Monticelli, OU’s only undergraduate transfer addition, joins OU by way of Wisconsin, where she pitched 80 innings in 21 appearances, making 13 starts and finishing with a 7-4 record her freshman season. The Cedarburg, Wis., native finished her first year campaign with a 2.71 ERA and a team-high 82 strikeouts.

*****

Softball Signs Four for 2023

Released November 9, 2022

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma softball and head coach Patty Gasso announced Wednesday the addition of four signees from the 2023 recruiting class. Joining the Sooners as freshmen for the 2024 season will be Maya Bland, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas, Ella Parker and Kasidi Pickering.

The four hail from across the country with McEnroe-Marinas coming to Norman from Hawaii, Parker joining from Los Angeles and Bland and Pickering coming from the state of Texas.

“I’m extremely excited about this 2023 class and overjoyed with how our recruiting momentum continues to grow. This is another highly-ranked and monumental class for the Sooners. They all will have an opportunity to get in the lineup immediately because of their athleticism. We look forward to bringing them into our culture and growing them into elite student-athletes and women off the field.”

All four signees rank in the top 15 of Extra Inning Softball’s 2023 Elite 100, including three in the top six. OU’s 2023 signing class was ranked second in the nation by Extra Inning.

MAYA BLAND / OF / ARGYLE, TEXAS

• No. 11 player in the class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball
• 2022 Season at Argyle (TX) HS
  • .528 BA, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 22 SB
  • 2022 Class 4A All-State & All-Region honoree
  • 2022 Class 4A Region I finalist
• Played travel ball for Batbusters-Stith (Anaheim, Calif.)
  • 2022 Alliance Fastpitch National Champions
  • 2022 Top Club National Champions
  • 2022 Triple Crown National Champions

OU head coach Patty Gasso on Bland:

“Maya is a versatile utility player, a left-handed hitter that can do it all. I relate her to a Rylie Boone-style player. She can hit it over the fence, but can lay down a bunt and slap when called upon. She will primarily be working in the outfield with us and will be exceptional at the plate with her situational hitting. Maya is another Batbuster joining us, along with teammate Ella Parker. Those two have a strong bond that we’re excited to bring to Norman.”

NELLY MCENROE-MARINAS / INF / WAIANAE, HAWAII

• No. 6 player in the class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball
• No. 19 player in the class of 2023 by Softball America
• 2022 Season at Maryknoll HS (Honolulu, HI)
  • .571 BA, 29 RS, 32 H, 27 RBI, 6 HR, 6 SB
  • HHSAA DI Softball State Champions
  • HHSAA Division 1 Softball State Championship All-Tournament team.
  • Team Captain
• Played travel ball for Firecrackers-Brashear (Ontario, Calif.)
  • Third-place team – Alliance Fastpitch National Championship

OU head coach Patty Gasso on McEnroe-Marinas:

“Nelly is a well-rounded athlete on both sides of the ball. She is strong on defense and has a great arm. I foresee her working in the infield, primarily at the corners. She has power and a strong swing, and a lot of overall strength due to her training. Being from Hawaii, her parents made a commitment for her to be a part of the Firecracker-Brashear organization in California which has helped her get the competition she needs, on top of what she’s done in Hawaii as a state champion. She has all the tools to be a future star in the college game.”

ELLA PARKER / UTL / LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

• No. 3 player in the class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball
• No. 15 player in the class of 2023 by Softball America
• 2022 Season at Notre Dame (CA) High School
  • .651 BA, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 41 H, 39 RS, 11 SB, .768 OB%, 2.04 ERA in 34.1 IP
  • 2021-22 Mission League CIF Most Valuable Player
  • 2021-22 All-CIF
  • 2021-22 Cal-Hi All-State Team
  • 2022 Mission League Team Champions
• Played travel ball for Batbusters-Stith (Anaheim, Calif.)
  • 2022 Alliance Fastpitch National Champions
  • 2022 Top Club National Champions
  • 2022 Triple Crown National Champions
  • 2021 Alliance All-Tournament

OU head coach Patty Gasso on Parker:

“Ella comes from an athletic family, she is a very versatile athlete who can pitch or play first base or the outfield. She’s a strong left-handed hitter and can find her place somewhere in the top 3-4 of the batting order. She has strong ties to our current team, most notably Jocelyn Erickson who she played travel ball with and was a dynamic duo when they played together, somewhat of a Tiare Jennings–Jocelyn Alo one-two punch. Ella is a dedicated and hardworking athlete that can be elite in the college ranks. We worked extremely hard to get her so we are very pleased we won that recruiting battle. She can be a program changer.”

KASIDI PICKERING / UTL / HUMBLE, TEXAS

• No. 4 player in the class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball
• No. 16 player in the class of 2023 by Softball America
• 2021-22 Season at Atascocita (TX) HS
  • .608 BA, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 59 H, 52 RS, 11 SB
  • 2021-22 NFCA High School All-American
  • 2020-21 & 2021-22 District 21-6A Most Valuable Player
• Played travel ball for Hotshots-Nelson (Montgomery, Texas)
  • 10-time national champion across PGF, Top Club, Triple Crown and Colorado IDT circuits from 10U-18U.
  • Most recent travel ball season (2022)
    • .448 BA, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 43 H, 36 RS, 15 SB

OU head coach Patty Gasso on Pickering:

“Kasidi is one of the best outfielders in the country. She’s strong on both sides of the ball. Her defense is exceptional in the outfield and she’s well-known for her bat and the ability to change the game in one swing. She has good power, contact, and has very few strikeouts. Additionally, one thing that attracted me to Kasidi was her ability to lead from the outfield. Her teammates look up to her and follow her as a captain.”

*****

Returning Players for Oklahoma Softball

Graduated:

• Grace Green, Utility
• Grace Lyons, Infielder
• Haley Lee, Utility
• Alex Storako, Pitcher

Transfered:

• Jordy Bahl, Pitcher, to Nebraska
• Jocelyn Erickson, Catcher, to Florida
• Sophia Nugent, Utility/Catcher, to Tennessee