Oklahoma Softball 2023 Preview: The Outfield
Leading into the 2023 softball season, AllSooners.com is releasing a four part series to preview the Oklahoma Sooners. Rounding out the series: the outfield.
On paper, all three of last year’s National Championship winning outfielders return for Oklahoma.
Jayda Coleman, Rylie Boone and Alyssa Brito eventually settled in as the trusted trio by head coach Patty Gasso, both starring defensively and making great contributions at the plate.
Coleman stole the show in the Women’s College World Series, making a pair of fantastic plays to rob the Texas Longhorns of baserunners.
Her leap to rob a home run deep in center field still runs as a highlight on ESPN, but she also was able to play a hard-hit ball off the wall and rifle it back into the infield to throw runners out.
Contributing to the offense, Coleman finished second on the team with a .424 batting average, and she also drew 52 walks, ensuring she was often on base at the top of the OU lineup to heap pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses.
Headed into the 2023 season, Gasso is excited as the prospect of Coleman adding more power to her game, where she could improve of her home run haul of eight long bombs from last year.
Alongside Coleman in right field was Boone, who ended up third on the team in batting average (.408) even if she wasn’t blasting deep shots every weekend.
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Another excellent athlete in left field, Boone kept defenses on their toes at the plate with her ability to bunt for base hits, slap hit or situationally drive the ball to either side of the field to help advance baserunners and find gaps.
Though she started 48 games, Boone appeared in 60 contests last year, tallying 51 hits and five walks while only striking out seven times and ending the year with a fielding percentage of .946.
Left field could look different this year, however.
Brito could return to her infield roots, replacing the graduated Jana Johns at third base, opening up another spot in the field.
Arizona State transfer Alynah Torres could fill that spot.
Torres spent most of her time in the field at third base last year for the Sun Devils, but Gasso’s insistence that every player learn at least two positions in the field could see her shifted out of the infield.
Regardless of where she plays, the Sooners will want Torres’ bat in the lineup.
Last year, she smacked 16 home runs, 14 doubles and a triple while drawing 17 walks and striking out just 12 times.
Hitting specialist JT Gasso will want to see more consistency out of Torres’ swing, as she ended the year with a .339 batting average and .409 on-base percentage, but her power is undeniable.
Surprisingly, another option in left field could be star pitcher Jordy Bahl.
The 2022 NFCA Freshman of the Year will be the ace of the pitching staff once again, but Gasso said inserting her into left field will be an option when she’s not on the mound.
An excellent athlete in the field, Bahl is going to be inserted into the battling lineup this year as well as she looks to impact every phase of the game for the Sooners in 2023.
Another option in left field is sophomore Hannah Coor.
Used mostly on the bases last year, Coor is another excellent athlete that can cover a lot of ground defensively in the outfield.
Coor’s offensive abilities are a bit of an unknown, as she stepped up to the plate just six times last year, reaching base on four walks. She finished the year 6-of-8 on stolen base attempts, so even if she isn’t utilized at the plate, Coor will factor into the offense yet again.
Fifth year senior Grace Green could also make appearances in left field if Gasso opts to use here there instead of as a designated player.
The veteran homered in three of her 39 at-bats lat year, driving in 10 runs and drawing 10 walks.
A patient hitter, the 2019 Big 12 Freshman of the Year enters her final season in Norman with 24 career homers, 17 of which came in 2019.
Texas A&M transfer Haley Lee is also an option in left field, ensuring that Gasso will be able to keep her team competing ever day in practice all season long for the right to start in the outfield and try to help the program capture its third consecutive National Championship.
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