OU Softball: Oklahoma Lands Commitment from Elite Local Player Goose Hutchens

The Sooners just brought in a verbal commitment from the top player in the state of Oklahoma in the 2027 class.

Oklahoma softball prospect Goose Hutchens | Goose Hutchens via Twitter/X

The Goose has landed — in Norman.

Juliana “Goose” Hutchens, arguably the top-rated softball player in the nation in the 2027 recruiting class, has committed to Oklahoma.

That news came out on social media Thursday afternoon. Not long after OU head coach Patty Gasso posted on Twitter/X her usual “GO BOOMER” tweet, the Tulsa World’s Eric Bailey posted the news.

Just two minutes later, Hutchens posted the news on her own X feed.

“Wow it’s so surreal to be here now,” she wrote. “This is one of the moments every little girl dreams of getting to experience . Words couldn't describe how thankful I am for The Oklahoma coaching staff . They are taking a chance on me that I'll forever be grateful for. BOOMER”

Hutchens plays third base, catcher and shortstop for Wagoner High School, where her father Johnny Hutchens is the coach.  

As a sophomore last year, she tied the state record with 23 home runs, batting .656 with 45 RBIs with 70 runs in 36 games. She had a .835 on-base percentage, an OPS of 2.769 and a slugging percentage of 1.940. She  missed her freshman season with a knee injury.

This summer, Hutchens was selected for USA Softball’s Under-18 team, where she will compete in the WBSC World Cup.

She was also a member of the 2021 Oklahoma team that won the Little League Softball World Series. Her Green Country Softball League team, based in Muskogee, was the first from the state of Oklahoma to ever win the Little League Softball World Series.

Softball America has rated her No. 2 overall in the nation, and Extra Innings rated her No. 1 among catchers in the ’27 class.

For Oklahoma and Gasso, it's another brick in a massive foundation the Sooners have built over the years, a foundation that includes eight national championships overall, an unprecedented four consecutive national championships from 2021-24, the annual pursuit of the nation's top high school softball talent, as well as the country's premier softball facility, Love's Field, a $43 million palace that's now the envy of college softball programs nationwide and has become an invaluable tool in recruiting the country's top players.

Gasso's recruiting class last year (this year's freshmen) was rated the No. 1 class in the nation. The 2023 and 2024 classes were also ranked No. 1, while the 2022 group was ranked No. 2 and the 2021 class was No. 1.