When Oklahoma steps onto the field Thursday night in Tempe, it won’t feel like a typical season opener. It will feel like a measuring stick.
The No. 1 program of the last decade opens the 2026 season against an Arizona State team built around one of the most dominant pitchers in the country, on the road, under the lights, with a roster that head coach Patty Gasso has repeatedly described as her “most prepared team in a while.” That framing matters. This is not a Sooners squad discovering itself in February. This is a team that believes it already knows exactly who it is.
And Thursday is about proving it.
The “Most Prepared” Sooners
The most significant difference between Oklahoma’s 2025 and 2026 teams isn’t talent—it’s continuity.
A year ago, Gasso was rebuilding almost the entire infield on the fly. This season, the foundation is firmly in place. Nelly McEnroe-Marinas (3B), Ailana Agbayani (2B), and Gabbie Garcia (SS) combined for 237 starts last season, forming one of the most reliable defensive cores in the country. That experience shows up not just in execution, but in confidence—clean footwork, decisive throws, and an understanding of situational softball that can only come from reps.
Against an Arizona State team that thrives on pressure and chaos, that steadiness will matter.
There’s also a deeply personal subplot at shortstop. Garcia returns to her home state of Arizona, where her mother, Kara Brun, is a Sun Devil Hall of Famer. Garcia didn’t just lead Oklahoma with 20 home runs as a freshman last season—she did it with a maturity beyond her years. Now she opens her sophomore campaign in Tempe, against her family’s legacy program, as the centerpiece of the Sooners’ lineup.
If there’s a moment where Garcia announces herself as one of the sport’s defining stars, this feels like the stage.
New Faces, Immediate Impact
While the infield is veteran-heavy, Oklahoma’s ceiling in 2026 is raised by two newcomers who could shape the season from Day 1.
Sydney Berzon: The Transfer Ace
Sydney Berzon’s arrival from LSU quietly altered Oklahoma’s pitching equation.
A three-time All-SEC selection, Berzon brings both pedigree and durability. She left Baton Rouge with a 52–25 record, a 2.02 career ERA, and 416 strikeouts, ranking among LSU’s all-time leaders. Her résumé includes nine career saves, underscoring her ability to thrive in high-leverage moments—whether starting or closing.
What separates Berzon, though, is stamina. In the 2024 SEC Tournament, she threw a jaw-dropping 14 innings (208 pitches) in a single 2–1 win over Alabama. That kind of workload is almost unheard of in modern softball, and it speaks to both her physical endurance and competitive edge.
Stylistically, Berzon is a dropball specialist with elite command. Gasso has described her movement as being “on a string,” with speeds and breaks that disrupt timing rather than overpower hitters. Against an Arizona State lineup that likes to create havoc on the bases, Berzon’s ability to generate ground balls could be pivotal.
Entering 2026, she’s on the USA Softball Top 50 Watch List and was rated the No. 1 overall transfer by Softball America. Whether she starts or appears in relief tonight, her presence alone changes how opponents plan for Oklahoma.
Kendall Wells: The Powerhouse Prodigy
If Berzon stabilizes the circle, freshman catcher Kendall Wells electrifies the lineup.
Wells arrived in Norman as the No. 1 ranked catcher in the 2025 class, and she’s already lived up to the billing. Her high school numbers were absurd—.625/.775/1.595 with 55 career home runs—and the power has translated immediately. During fall exhibitions, Wells homered in five consecutive games, including a two-homer night against Oklahoma Christian that drew a record fall crowd.
Gasso has been effusive in her praise, saying Wells “swings like some of the greats in this program.” More telling is how opposing pitchers have already begun to treat her—with caution. That kind of respect typically takes years to earn.
Add in Wells’ multisport background—she was a first-team all-state basketball player in Georgia—and you get a catcher with uncommon athleticism, arm strength, and presence. Whether she starts behind the plate or serves as the designated player Thursday, she will factor into the game’s biggest moments.
Take A Deeper Dive Into The Oklahoma/Arizona State Matchup
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– Projected Lineup & Batting Order Deep Dive
– Oklahoma’s No-Ace Rotation
– Kenzie Brown Scouting Report
The Central Battle: OU Offense vs. Kenzie Brown
Arizona State’s game plan is straightforward: give the ball to Kenzie Brown and let her control the night.
Brown enters 2026 coming off a dominant 2025 campaign, finishing 19–6 with a 1.28 ERA and 289 strikeouts—fourth most in the nation. Her 11.60 strikeouts per seven innings led the Big 12, and her riseball is among the most feared pitches in college softball.
Oklahoma’s offense, however, is uniquely equipped to challenge her.
The Sooners return five of their top six power hitters from last season, including Kasidi Pickering (.392 AVG, 18 HR), Ella Parker (First Team All-American), and Garcia (20 HR). This lineup doesn’t rely on one swing or one spot—it forces pitchers to survive nine relentless at-bats.
The key for OU will be discipline. Brown thrives on expanding the zone up the ladder, piling strikeouts by tempting hitters into chasing elevated pitches. Veterans like Pickering and Parker must resist that urge, work counts, and force Brown into the strike zone. When she falls behind, she’s willing to throw a flatter fastball over the middle—exactly where Oklahoma’s power can do damage.
There’s also a larger strategy at play: pitch count. Brown averaged nearly 115 pitches per game last season, and Arizona State’s bullpen posted a collective 5.08 ERA. If Oklahoma can extend at-bats early, even without immediate scoring, the game shifts dramatically by the middle innings.
History, Context, and the Moment
Thursday marks Oklahoma’s first trip to Tempe since Feb. 26, 2021—a 5–3 Sooners win. Since 2010, OU has taken six of the last ten meetings, though postseason history between the programs is evenly split, with iconic WCWS clashes in 2011, 2012 and 2018.
This isn’t about the past, though. It’s about what this opener represents.
For Arizona State, it’s a chance to defend home turf and validate its ace against the sport’s gold standard. For Oklahoma, it’s an early-season test designed to sharpen a championship-ready roster.
Gasso has said this team is prepared. Tonight is where preparation meets proof.
Game Information
- Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026
- Time: 7:15 p.m. CT / 6:15 p.m. MT
- Location: Farrington Softball Stadium (Tempe, AZ)
- Watch: ESPN+
One game doesn’t define a season—but some openers reveal exactly what a team can become. Oklahoma didn’t schedule Arizona State to ease into 2026.
They scheduled them to announce it.
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