Oklahoma State Softball’s Preslee Downing Hitting Transfer Portal

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are going to be looking for pitching in the transfer portal after losing Preslee Downing.

The freshman pitcher announced her decision to hit the transfer portal in a social media post on Thursday night, making her the second Cowgirl to head to the portal since they lost to Nebraska in two games in the super regionals.

Downing, an Owasso, Okla., product, helped her high school win a state championship in 2025 and was the No. 14 recruit in the 2025 Extra Elite 100 by Extra Innings Softball, per her OSU bio. She saw action in 18 games, with 11 starts, as she went 5-1 with a 4.48 ERA. She struck out 22 and walked eight in 40.2 innings.

Her intent to transfer leaves the Cowgirls with just two pitchers on the roster for next season, not including recruits or transfers.

Oklahoma State’s Pitching Situation

Trusting His Plan. #transferportal @SoftballPortal @coached24 @AFostey @DarkFrankk @ChrisGriggs2024 pic.twitter.com/7QKRbzvjRg
— Preslee Downing (@PresleeD25) June 11, 2026

The Cowgirls knew they would be down two pitchers after the season with both Ruby Meylan and Rylee Crandall out of eligibility. Meylan has already moved on, as she pitched in the AUSL earlier this week with Oklahoma City.

There was opportunity for Downing to compete with the other two holdover pitchers, Makala Smith and Madison Hoffman. In fact, Downing would have been the most experienced pitcher based on last year’s numbers.

Smith pitched in one game, giving up four hits and one run in 1.1 innings. Hoffman pitched in two games, giving up one hit and three runs in 1.1 innings.

With the loss of Downing, the Cowgirls now have two pitchers with a combined 2.2 innings of work entering next season. It all but clinches the need for head coach Kenny Gajewski and his staff to work the transfer portal for at least one experienced starter.

Elle McCloskey was the first Oklahoma State player to declare for the transfer portal. The infielder from Huntington Beach, Calif., played at Mater Dei High School and was a Top 35 recruit as ranked by Softball America. She played in three games and drove in a run.

The Cowgirls expect to return a trio of juniors who were key parts of last year’s team, including infielder Rosie Davis, infielder Karli Goodwin and outfielder Tia Warsop. Other players expected to return include infielder Jayden Jones, outfielder Jayelle Austin, outfielder Kaya Booker, catcher Gabby Castillo, infielder Montgomery Henderson, outfielder Libby Jaques and infielder Aubrey Jones.

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