The Sooners were active in the transfer portal, acquiring catcher Isabela Emerling, outfielder Abby Dayton, shortstop Ailana Agbayani, and pitcher Isabella Smith.
Recently, we’ve explored Ailana Agbayani’s career and potential impact. Now, we’ll turn our attention to one of the most decorated new transfers, Abby Dayton. She is coming off her second stellar season with the Utes and joins the Sooners with two years of eligibility remaining. Dayton primarily played centerfield for Utah and is expected to replace four-time All-American Jayda Coleman in that position.
Why is her addition significant?
Dayton uses both a regular swing and slap swing at the plate, which helped her become the Pac-12 hitting champion. She posted a .431 batting average with two home runs, a .510 on-base percentage, a .599 slugging percentage, and struck out only 12 times for the Utes in 2024.
Her impressive stats and achievements earned her an NFCA Third-Team All-American nod, All-Pac 12 First Team selection, and an NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team selection. Her batting average was top 15 nationally, while the highest Sooner on the list, Ella Parker, ranked 32nd with a .415 batting average.
In addition to her dominant play, Dayton is also a reliable player. She was one of only four Utes to start all 57 games. She led the conference with six triples, tied for 13th in the nation, had the second-best on-base percentage in the league at .521, and ranked in the top 10 in the Pac-12 in hits (72) and walks (27).
Dayton was a key player for Utah in both seasons she played there. Over her career with the Utes, she batted .405, with 44 RBIs, 62 runs, 19 stolen bases, and 13 doubles. In 2023, she helped lead Utah to its first Women’s College World Series appearance in 29 years, demonstrating her experience and ability to perform under pressure.
What about her accomplishments before college?
Dayton hails from Norco High School, the same school attended by former OU catcher Kinzie Hansen. She was a star in both softball and volleyball, starting all four years for her high school team and contributing to a state championship win in 2019. Dayton also played travel softball with the OC Batbusters, a team many OU players have been a part of.
