How Will Oklahoma Attack the Offseason After the Departure of Kasidi Pickering?

Oklahoma's first major transfer portal domino fell on Monday afternoon.

Junior slugger Kasidi Pickering entered the portal after a 20-home run season with the Sooners, marking the first major loss of the offseason.

OU is also set to lose Tia Milloy, Berkley Zache and Riley Zache, but that's production that can easily be found elsewhere.

But Pickering's departure leaves more than a 61-RBI hole in the lineup.

She arrived as a freshman alongside Ella Parker, ready for the moment.

Pickering helped the Sooners capture their fourth-straight title in 2024, hitting a pair of home runs against Texas in the Championship Series at the 2024 WCWS.

Though OU fell short of the Championship Series in 2025 and of the WCWS altogether in 2026, Pickering served as a bridge for Patty Gasso's current crop of Sooners.

She played alongside Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone and Alyssa Brito, learning firsthand how that talented senior class navigated pressure both on and off the field in Norman.

Now Parker and Nelly McEnroe-Marinas remain as the members of the roster who shared a clubhouse with softball's most decorated class.

Senior Abby Dayton also graduated, meaning Gasso will have to find a solution in left field in 2027.

Kai Minor and Parker should have no trouble reprising their roles in center field and right field, and there are a few solutions already on the roster should the Sooners retain their players.

Sydney Barker found a home in the outfield toward the end of the 2025 season, and she will likely need a new home in the lineup with McEnroe-Marinas set to return at third base.

Two-way freshman Allyssa Parker also showed that she could handle business in the outfield if called upon, though there may be spots for her to battle for a starting job in the infield when she's not being utilized by associate head coach and pitching coach Jennifer Rocha in the circle.

More talented freshmen are on the way for Gasso, too.

After Minor and Kendall Wells battled it out for both SEC Freshman of the Year and NFCA Freshman of the Year, Gasso is again bringing in the top-ranked player in the country in outfielder Payton Westra.

"The first thing you'll notice about Payton Westra is that she is a daunting presence in center field," Gasso said when OU officially signed the Mesa, Ariz., product. "Her height and size is intimidating. She has an extremely strong arm on defense from the outfield, but what you'll remember about her most is how she swings the bat. She's very powerful, very athletic and she has a very intimidating look. Everything about her fits this program. Her travel career with Arizona Rising Appel under the coaching of Steve Appel has prepared her well for her collegiate career."

The Sooners will also look to bolster their options by bringing in a veteran leader in the outfield.

Gasso has never shied away from bringing in pieces to compete for starting spots all across the team throughout the fall and into the winter, and if OU can add a vocal leader to help spur the growth of new faces like Westra, that could help the Sooners shake off a disappointing finish and get back to Oklahoma City in 2027.

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