Look, it can be pretty intimidating to be a freshman for the OU softball team. You walk in, and you see all those national championships. You see all the great players in your locker room who helped the program reach that point.

Sure, there’s a physical component to it. Can you be strong enough, fast enough? The mental battle, though, is another story.

Can you feel like you belong with that group of women? A lot easier said than done. For OU in the 2026 season, however, Patty Gasso is going to need some young guns to deliver.

The Sooners evaluated everything after last season. The consensus was a lot of what we need? We already got.

Let’s add some final pieces in the transfer portal at pitcher, and let’s get ready to attack 2026. The only way that can happen, though, is if these young ladies are ready and able to step up to the task.

“A lot of the times freshmen come in, I don’t want to say scared, but intimidated, maybe,” junior Ella Parker said. “But this group has done such a good job showing their presence and making their presence be known, because they have so much talent on the field, but they’re such a fun group to be around off the field as well. So, I’m really excited to see what they do coming into the season.”

Parker is one of the few freshmen in recent memory who was absolutely ready from Day 1. No getting the feet wet or anything like that. Attack right from the jump.

You ask around, and a lot of those sentiments are being thrown out about freshman catcher Kendall Wells.

Heck, even Parker is excited to see what Wells is about to do.

“She’s strong. She is a tough person to get out, competes with everything,” Parker said. “I think just being able to invest in her at-bats is just so cool to see that she will never let up. And honestly, it makes it really hard for the pitchers and also for the defense. It’s really cool to see her.”

Who is it going to be? Wells, already ready to make her name? Then there’s someone like Kai Minor, who flashed some of fastest game speed anyone has seen in a while during the fall. In the outfield and on the bases. There’s fast, and then there is Kai Minor fast.

Or Lexi McDaniel, another freshman expected to come up is big throughout the course of this season. Maybe Allyssa Parker is ready for her moment, right from the get go.

A lot of choices. A lot of good choices for OU. Players are excited and so, too, is Gasso to see who will be ready when their number gets called.

“The additions are plenty,” Gasso said. “So Kendall Wells is a name that you’re going to remember and you’re going to remember from the first game. She’s a solid catcher, big strong freshman and swings like some of the greats in this program.

“And then you add local, Allyssa Parker, has shown that she can help us on the mound but she’s also a shortstop, first baseman. Big, strong swinger Lexi McDaniel, then you’ve got some speed with Kai Minor. So kind of put it all together, it’s very strong.”