Star Sooners softball pitcher Jordy Bahl announces transfer

Winning is not everything.

Take it from Jordy Bahl, the person who has won more than almost any other.

Bahl, a two-time national champion softball pitcher in her two years at Oklahoma, announced Monday her intention to transfer.

“I have decided to return home and play the game I love, closer to the things that have made me who I am and that have always been more important to me than this game,” Bahl posted on Twitter.

In her two years at OU, Bahl amassed a 44-2 record and 1.00 career ERA. The hard-throwing sophomore righthander was key to the Sooners’ recent Women’s College World Series win and 53-game active winning streak.

But Bahl, a Papillion, Nebraska, native, will not be with the Sooners to build on that streak at the start of next season.

“Jordy shared with our staff on Friday that she has been feeling a strong need to be closer to home for quite some time and that she planned to enter the transfer portal,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said in a statement. “It was a very candid and emotional conversation in which we both communicated our love and appreciation for each other.

“We are grateful for her two years with our program and for everything she accomplished. She obviously was a huge part of our on-field success, but what I’ll always appreciate most about Jordy is her approach and dedication to the game, as she’s the ultimate competitor. We’re understanding of her situation and certainly want her to be the happiest she can be. We are supportive of her and she will always be part of the OU Softball family.”

Bahl has not said where she intends to play next season. She has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Her performance in the 2023 WCWS doubtlessly solidified her as a top transfer target for other teams. Bahl was 4-0 in the WCWS and did not surrender a run. She was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

“The most important thing in my life after my faith is my family,” Bahl wrote. “For the last 2 years, despite the amazing opportunities and accomplishments, my love for home and the acknowledgement of my foundation have grown.”

The Sooners pitching rotation will need to be retooled with Alex Storako, who transferred to OU from Michigan last offseason, graduating.

“We’re understanding of (Bahl’s) situation and certainly want her to be the happiest she can be,” Gasso said. “We are supportive of her and she will always be part of the OU Softball family.”