One week after leading her team to a national championship, Oklahoma ace Jordy Bahl is on the move. On Monday, the right-hander announced that she would be transferring to continue her collegiate career elsewhere, a move that sent shockwaves across college softball. Bahl, a Papillion, Neb., native, said she plans to “return home.” She originally committed to the University of Nebraska in the eighth grade before decommitting in 2019.

“Jordy shared with our staff last 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.”

The Most Outstanding Player at this year’s Women’s College World Series, Bahl pitched 24 2/3 scoreless innings in Oklahoma City. She started three of Oklahoma’s five games, allowing just 12 total hits and four walks. She struck out 33 batters. Bahl also entered the championship series twice as a pinch runner — and scored each time.

Honestly, there are good and bad things about every change made to college sports. I’m a firm believer that the players deserve to be able to find the best spot for them even if that means they’ve got to break their initial commitment to a school. Do you remember how dumb you were at 16-18 years old when most of these young people make the decision on the college they will go to? I can’t imagine making a decision like that at that age that could very well impact my future playing the sport I love, I understand most of us made a choice for college at that point, but there’s a little more on the line for a lot of these players. I also understand that coaches are frustrated with it, especially coaches from mid-majors. They put in so much work to bring these players into their program, work with them, build them up, and then if they either do too good a job they take a step up, or if they don’t find a way to make them a key cog they might lose them.

#softball #Coaching #transfer