OU softball seniors hoping they paved way for another championship

There wasn’t a true No. 1 captain, per se, when it came to OU softball this season. But if you were looking for the pulse, heartbeat of the team?

That was Abby Dayton.

Think of one word to describe Dayton – joy. She could talk 100 words a minute, but that was just her passion. Passion for the game, for OU, for her team.

That fire won’t be extinguished, but it didn’t get that final chapter that Dayton and everybody else thought was coming this season.

Dayton, who arrived from Utah following the 2024 season, felt like she was a four-year Sooner. The way she carried herself, on and off the field.

Her time, as well as the other seniors, came to a stunning end in a 6-0 defeat to Mississippi State on Sunday in Game 3 of the Norman Super Regional.

“Last year the thing that stuck in my mind was coach saying It’s been a joyous ride,” Dayton told SoonerScoop. “That’s what I take from this. It’s been fun, it’s been exciting, it’s been a roller coaster. There are ups and downs.

“We gave it our all and this is what it comes down to. This team was ride or die; this is who I wanted to end it with. Yea, this narrative sucks, but it’s been fun being here. You compete, you learn things… but I’ve enjoyed every minute.”

It will be the first time since 2015 that OU is not in the Women’s College World Series. Dayton, one of five seniors on this team, never saw this scenario coming.

Pitcher Kierston Deal won a national championship as a freshman and sophomore. But the rest? Never got the chance to hoist that coveted trophy. Ailana Agbayani (BYU), Dayton and Isabela Emerling (North Carolina) were both with the program for two seasons. And pitcher Sydney Berzon (LSU) came along for the ride this season.

“I’m just so grateful that God has led me here to this program,” Agbayani told SoonerScoop. “And Coach is a true testimony when she says you enter as a girl and you leave us a woman. That’s how I feel and am just ready to take on the world after being in this program.

“But I’m just so thankful for all my teammates to be a part of this for the past two years, because it’s been incredible and this group of girls is incredible, so talented and they’ve shown it on the field.”

Emerling hit .404 this season with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs. Dayton had a .386 average with eight home runs and 43 runs batted in. Agbayani hit at a .362 clip with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Agbayani also earned the AUSL Golden Ticket and was chosen by the Chicago Franchise.

“And we wouldn’t have gotten this far without our senior class,” head coach Patty Gasso said. “And I look at these two (Ailana Agbayani, Abby Dayton) and the great season they had. Bela Emerling was amazing.

“Berzon had great innings, KD has as well, but KD has been that Steady Eddie, four-year committed athlete that we appreciate so much. So, there’s a lot to be proud of, but there’s also a lot to look forward to in the future. And I know these guys know it, and I know they’re going to be following it, but they helped this young group learn.”

Helped them learn today, learn this season and hope they have paved the way for 2027 and beyond to get back to the mountaintop.