Oklahoma's Ailana Agbayani wins Gold Glove award
Oklahoma's Ailana Agbayani wins Gold Glove award
Ailana Agbayani picked up an award Wednesday that only one Oklahoma softball player ever won before.
The Sooners' junior infielder earned a Rawlings Gold Glove award Wednesday. She was the only player in the country at second base who won one. By capturing the award, she joined former Oklahoma shortstop Grace Lyons as the only such winners from OU. In fairness, the award has only been given out since 2022.
Agbayani totaled 100 assists, 69 putouts, and just one error. She was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Defensive team at season's end and had earlier been named SEC Player of the Week on April 29. At the plate, Agbayani has hit for a .336 batting average with eight doubles, four home runs, 35 RBI, and 36 runs scored.
Unsurprisingly, the SEC did well in the Gold Glove awards. Agbayani joined conference mates Jocelyn Erickson from Florida (catcher), Arianna Rodi from South Carolina (first base), Koko Wooley from Texas A&M (shortstop) and Kendra Falby from Florida (centerfield) as SEC winners. Oklahoma State's Tallen Edwards won the third base award.
Oklahoma returns to the diamond on Thursday in the first round of the Women's College World Series. The Sooners play at 1:30 p.m. CT against Tennessee, a team that took the regular-season series against the Sooners.
OU has won the last four national championships and is playing its ninth straight WCWS. Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso will be seeking her ninth title, all of which have come with the Sooners.
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