Oklahoma softball came as close to a perfect season as possible last year — a 61-1 season that, including an 18-0 mark in Big 12 play and undefeated postseason run, was topped off with a third straight Women's College World Series title.
The Sooners' pitching, spearheaded by Jordy Bahl, was a big reason their 2023 softball team will go down as one of the most dominant teams in history. On top of leading one of the nation's top pitching staffs, Bahl was individually dominant, not only in 2023, but in both of her two seasons in Norman: She had a career 44-2 record with a 0.99 ERA.
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In last year's Women's College World Series alone, Bahl tossed a scoreless 24 2/3 innings across the five games en route to the national title. That production earned her WCWS Most Outstanding Player honors on top of her second First Team All-American selection.
Now, as the Sooners look to become the first time to four-peat as Women's College World Series champions, they will do it with a redefined rotation that won't feature Bahl. She transferred out of the program following last season to return home to Nebraska to play for the Cornhuskers.
Here's a look back at why Bahl transferred from Oklahoma to Nebraska:
Why did Jordy Bahl transfer from Oklahoma?
Considering Bahl's success at Oklahoma — just two losses in 71 appearances across her two seasons with the Sooners — the announcement of her decision to transfer sent a shock within the college softball world. But the reason for it was justifiable, as Bahl noted homesickness as a leading factor in her decision.
"Nothing will compare to what this year and this team have been," Bahl said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "That is why this is such a bittersweet thing to do. 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.
"I am excited to return home and be Jordy Bahl the softball player, but more importantly the person."
In less than a week — as Bahl notified the Oklahoma program on Friday, June 11 of her decision to enter the portal — the Papillion, Nebraska native committed to the Cornhuskers on June 16, 2023.
Bahl was originally committed to play at Nebraska before commmitting to Oklahoma. That changed after Cornhuskers coach Rhonda Revelle was put on administrative leave in June 2019 as the department "investigated allegations by players of mistreatment and a toxic culture in the program," per The Athletic.
Revelle was reinstated after six weeks.
Bahl told The Athletic in June 2023 that the "smell of sizzling bacon on Saturday mornings in the fall" and the Nebraska fight song being played in the background before a Cornhusker football game were some of the things she had been missing.
“But I realized that I’d taken some things for granted,” she told The Athletic. “Being away has led me to appreciate home even more.”
Bahl added: "My family is super important to me. So is my state. It’s home. And so it got to the point where I’m like, ‘Hey, why am I suffering in my happiness under the weight of softball when it’s not everything? Why am I doing that?’”
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Jordy Bahl injury
Bahl's first season back in her home state hasn't gone the way she likely envisioned it. During Nebraska's season-opener against No. 10 Washington, Bahl sustained an injury in the third inning after losing her footing and landing awkwardly on the field, tearing her ACL.
"It’s sad,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso told The Oklahoma following Bahl's injury. “It’s horrible for anybody really. Jordy went through injuries as a freshman, but you wish her well. She was sitting at the airport with our team, talking with our team. There are still the memories. The last memory they had was singing on stage with Toby Keith.
"That’s something they will cherish, especially now, forever. There’s this bond that they still have. You’re in the battlefields together.”
Jordy Bahl stats at OU
In her two years in Norman, Bahl posted a 44-2 overall record with a shattering career 0.99 ERA in 71 appearances — 46 of which were starts — and 288 2/3 innings pitched. Opposing hitters struck out 397 times while hitting just .153 against Bahl.
- Career: 44-2 overall record, 71 appearances, 46 starts, 0.99 ERA, 288 2/3 innings pitched, 397 strikeouts, 152 hits allowed, 47 runs allowed and five saves
- 2023: 22-1 overall record, 38 appearances, 22 starts, 0.90 ERA, 147 1/3 innings pitched, 192 strikeouts, 81 hits allowed, 20 allowed and four saves
- 2022: 22-1 overall record, 33 appearances, 24 starts, 1.09 ERA, 141 1/3 innings pitched, 205 strikeouts, 71 hits allowed, 27 runs allowed and one save
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