Lexi McDaniel to chase ‘the dream’ with Oklahoma softball
SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. (BVM) – Lexi McDaniel is the No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2025, according to Extra Innings Softball, and committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Sept. 13.
The decision to join the back-to-back-to-back national champions had been in the making for years.
“I’ve actually been going there (Oklahoma) since I was a little girl; it was my first camp that I ever went to,” McDaniel said. “I think I went there when I was 12 or 13 and so I fell in love with it then and kept falling in love with it every time I go back.”
B⭕️⭕️MER S⭕️⭕️NER!!! 🤍 @GassoPatty @jtgasso @coachjro @OU_Softball @rktaylor12 @STayTaylor18 @Aces_SoftballKC pic.twitter.com/cLvpFE2MCZ
— Lexi McDaniel (@LexiMcDaniel2) September 13, 2023
Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso – who has led the program to seven national championships – and the Sooners might not have known it at the time, but they made a profound impact on a young athlete who will one day soon make an even bigger impact in Norman.
McDaniel attends a small, private school of about 400 students in St. Joseph, Missouri – Saint Joseph Christian School – but she competes for Aces Fastpitch 18U.
The junior middle infielder batted .491 with 24 home runs and 97 RBIs this summer. McDaniel’s eye-popping numbers don’t end there; she also hit 19 doubles, six triples and finished the summer with 115 hits.
Striking out just 18 times across 261 plate appearances against high-end competition solidified McDaniel’s case as the top softball player in the Class of 2025. Her well-rounded performance also helped Aces Fastpitch 18U earn a runner-up finish at the 18U Alliance Nationals.
McDaniel’s year-round experience of playing with the Aces has set her up for a successful college softball career.
“I am so thankful for the Aces,” McDaniel said. “They are such amazing people, they’re great competitors and they really push you to be the best. We are always competing against the best that we can get and they are always pushing us to get to that next level so that we’re prepared when we go to college. I just learned so much and I would be nowhere without Ryan (Taylor) and Taylor (Taylor).”
The Aces’ star headlines the Sooners’ already-loaded 2025 recruiting class that also includes the No. 1-ranked catcher in Kendall Wells, New Jersey’s top pitcher in Sophia Bordi and Allyssa Parker who McDaniel has known for years.
“Allyssa is my best friend and I’ve been growing up and playing with her since I was little so it’s super special to be able to play with her, too,” McDaniel said. “I think we’ve been playing together since we were about 13 or 14.”
There might not be a more dominant program in all of the college sports at the moment than Oklahoma softball. The Sooners won their third consecutive national championship in June and extended their NCAA-record winning streak to 53 straight games.
The expectations that come with immense success might lead to unnecessary pressure, but McDaniel doesn’t see it that way.
“There’s not much pressure when you’re coming into this amazing program and you’re surrounded by such great people who are going to push you,” McDaniel said. “That’s kind of what you’re always working towards, getting to that next level and getting to that championship.
“I think that hard work and just having a great relationship with your teammates and pushing each other to be the best is what’s going to get you to that national championship. So, I don’t necessarily think that there’s so much pressure as there is excitement.”
The excitement surrounding Oklahoma softball has arguably never been higher and the program’s ability to land prized recruits like McDaniel is a big reason why. Now that she’s officially committed to the Sooners, McDaniel is one step closer to achieving the dreams she’s had since a child.
“I want to go in there and I want to be the best player that I can be for the team,” McDaniel said. “I want to be a huge contributor to the team and get to that national championship. Obviously the dream is to be an All-American and of course, the end dream is to get the national championship, but just kind of going in there with whatever coach wants me to do and whatever role I need to play to help better the team.”
