The Sooners reportedly lost three members to the transfer portal on Monday.
Avery Hodge (82) from Oklahoma celebrates a double play with pitcher Karlie Keeney (8) during the first inning of Game 2 in the NCAA Women’s College World Series Championship Series. The game took place between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Thursday, June 6, 2024. / Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman / USA Today
The transfer portal season has begun in Oklahoma. According to Justin McLeod, associate editor for D1 Softball, Oklahoma infielders Avery Hodge and Quincee Lilio, along with pitcher SJ Geurin, have entered the transfer portal.
with Alynah Torres at second base all year, will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Hodge, a product of Richmond, TX, was a key piece of the Sooners’ run through the WCWS at Devon Park.
Torres was injured during OU’s 1-0 victory over UCLA, which gave the defensive stalwart a larger role. She stepped up by going 4-for-12 with two doubles and a walk in games against UCLA, Florida, and Texas.
Hodge’s double in Oklahoma’s second game against Florida led to the game-tying run when Ella Parker drove her in with a single in the sixth inning. This set the stage for Jayda Coleman to walk off the game in the eighth inning, propelling the Sooners back into the WCWS Championship Series.
I’m really proud of Avery Hodge,” OU coach Patty Gasso said of her second baseman after Oklahoma beat Texas 8-3 in the first game of the Championship Series. “… She had some really tough defensive plays. They’re quick and they can chop balls. You’ve got to attack it and pick ’em. She made two really outstanding plays.”
Hodge hit .284 for the year with nine RBIs, five doubles, 11 walks and nine strikeouts in 74 total at-bats.
Playing time could have opened up for Hodge headed into 2025.
With Torres, Tiare Jennings, and Alyssa Brito all graduating, the Sooners need to replace three consistent infield starters as they move into the SEC.
However, nothing is certain. Among Oklahoma’s eight signees in the 2024 class, four players — Sydney Barker, Gabbie Garcia, Kadey McKay, and Tia Milloy — are expected to compete for positions in the middle of the infield.
Lilio, who has worked at second base and in the outfield for the Sooners, will have two years of eligibility remaining.
After redshirting in 2022, Lilio appeared in 47 games, making 12 starts, for OU in 2023.
She hit .275 with one home run, two doubles, one triple and nine RBIs while walking 11 times and striking out four times.
In 2024, Lilio saw herself fall down the pecking order a bit.
Freshmen Kasidi Pickering and Parker shined, giving Gasso a pair of consistent bats that rarely were moved to the bench in favor of a pinch-hitter.
Lilio only got 31 at-bats in 2024, hitting .129 with five RBIs, 10 walks and six strikeouts.
She also struggled to secure a defensive position, with Tiare Jennings solidifying shortstop and Torres and Hodge sharing second base.
Hodge and Lilio were notably absent from Oklahoma’s championship celebration at Love’s Field on Saturday.
As a redshirt freshman, Geurin will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Geurin made the fewest appearances out of the bullpen on the team in 2024, pitching 10 innings in nine relief outings.
She ended the year with a 0.70 ERA, allowing one earned run and striking out nine batters while allowing three walks. Geurin help opponents to a .118 batting average.
The Leander, TX, product made four appearances in Big 12 play: she there 2/3 of an inning against Iowa State, had a pair of one inning outings against Kansas and made her last appearance of the year by recording one out against BYU on April 12.
She was behind Kelly Maxwell, Nicole May, Kierston Deal, Karlie Keeney and Paytn Monticelli in the pecking order.
Maxwell, May and Keeney will not return in 2025 after graduating, but the Sooners are expected to pursue additional arms in the transfer portal.
The Sooners have a strong foundation to build upon, with first baseman Cydney Sanders, outfielder Hannah Coor and standout freshmen in Pickering and Parker all returning with experience
Freshman Maya Bland, who primarily found playing time as a pinch-runner last year, is poised to compete for a bigger role in 2025 as well.
