Why did Jordy Bahl transfer from Oklahoma? Revisiting commitment to Nebraska
Jordy Bahl is back in the NCAA softball tournament.
However, it isn't with the team with which she became a household name.
The two-time national champion right-hander instead has led Nebraska softball as an at-large team in the 64-team field of the NCAA softball tournament. The Cornhuskers are set to open their road to the Women's College World Series against UConn on Friday, May 16 at 3 p.m. ET in the Baton Rouge Regional.
In her two seasons at Oklahoma, Bahl anchored one of the nation's top pitching staffs: She was one of the most dominant individual pitchers in the country, posting a career 44-2 record with a 0.99 ERA and 397 punch-outs with the Sooners.
That individual success in Norman has carried over in Lincoln, Nebraska. As noted by The Athletic, Bahl ranks in the top 15 in 13 different statistical categories in the country. At the plate, she is hitting .458 with 19 home runs with an OPS of 1.524, while holding a 23-6 record with a 1.57 ERA and 254 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings of work inside the circle.
Here's what you need to know on Bahl's transfer from Oklahoma to Nebraska:
Why did Jordy Bahl transfer to Nebraska from Oklahoma?
Though Bahl experienced success at Oklahoma — suffering just two losses in 71 career appearances with a 0.99 ERA — the decision to transfer had nothing to do with what was happening on the diamond.
Instead, it had to do with being homesick in those two years in Norman.
"Nothing will compare to what this year and this team have been," Bahl wrote in a post on X (formerly 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."
"The most important thing in my life after my faith, is my family. ... Through the constant battles that the outsiders do not see, my teammates and coaches were always understanding, love, and nothing but supportive. ... I am excited to return home and be Jordy Bahl the softball player, but more importantly the person.
She added: "I am excited thinking about growing the game that has provided me so many opportunities for growth, in the home state, a current overlooked state for girls in softball at all ages, and I am excited to finish the softball journey right where it began."
The Papillion, Nebraska native committed to Nebraska on June 16, 2023.
During her introductory news conference at Nebraska, Bahl told reporters that the idea of returning home to play softball began to weigh on her immediately during her freshman season at Oklahoma.
"I've always been a homebody, so even my freshman year I had pretty strong feelings of homesickness, but every freshman does," Bahl said. "But then my second year, instead of those feelings going away, they continued to worsen. That's I guess when I started to know that my heart was always at home."
Bahl's first season at Nebraska was cut short quickly, as she sustained a torn ACL injury in the third inning of the Cornhuskers' season opener against Washington in 2024.
Jordy Bahl stats at Oklahoma
Here's a look at Bahl's career stats at Oklahoma:
- Career: 44-2 overall record, 71 appearances, 46 starts, 0.99 ERA, 288 ⅔ 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 ⅓ innings pitched, 192 strikeouts, 81 hits allowed, 20 runs allowed and four saves
- 2022: 22-1 overall record, 33 appearances, 24 starts, 1.09 ERA, 141 ⅓ innings pitched, 205 strikeouts, 71 hits allowed, 27 runs allowed and one save