Counting Down Cal's Top-50 Transfer Athletes: No. 43 Kaylee Pond

The transfer portal era in college athletics seems like it’s been with us forever. Likewise, most fans can recall less turbulent times when transfers happened, they simply didn’t look like a stampede to the 1849 California Gold Rush.

We thought it was time to rank the best transfers Cal teams have attracted, most of them in recent seasons but also including a few OGs from yesteryear.

We limited our ranking to transfers from four-year colleges.

Here is the next athlete in our countdown:

43. Kaylee Pond

Sport: Softball

Arrival year at Cal: 2022-23

Previous school: Iowa State (She started 52 games, mostly at third base, in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, earning All-Big 12 Freshman honors).

Contributions at Cal:

— After sitting out the 2023 season due to injury, Pond started all 56 games as a senior in 2024. She hit 12 doubles, six home runs, drove in 21 runs and sculpted a .406 on-base percentage.

— As a redshirt senior in 2025, Pond started all 58 games and led the team with 17 hit-by-pitches. She had 10 doubles and five home runs, walked 29 times, scored 43 runs and collected 28 RBIs. Pond had a .469 on-base percentage in ’25.

— Playing primarily in left field, but occasionally in right, Pond made just one fielding error in 114 games for the Bears.

— A native of the East Bay community of Lafayette, Pond had 10 multi-hit games in 2025 and three outings of three RBIs.

Standout performance: Pond was the hero in Cal’s 10-8 victory at Stanford on April 19 of last season. She batted 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.

Impact on her team: Pond started all 114 games of her two-year career, compiling a batting average of exactly .300. She helped the Bears to a combined record of 74-40 over her two seasons, including a berth in the NCAA tournament both years.

Previously on our list:

No. 44: Elena Flynn

No. 45: Sakima Walker

No. 46: David Reese

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