Alynah Torres Ready To Be Used Wherever Needed At Oklahoma

By Sarah Michels
on August 23, 2022

Coming off the program's sixth national championship in 2022, the University of Oklahoma made a big splash this summer with the signing of former Arizona State star shortstop Alynah Torres.

News that former ASU head coach Trisha Ford would be moving on to Texas A&M sparked an exodus of softball players out of the Sun Devils' program, which included Torres.

“I just thought that it was the best opportunity for me to go in and see what other options were open and see what schools wanted me, and then go from there,” Torres said about entering the transfer portal.

Just two days after her team lifted the national championship trophy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso reached out to Torres. That was not the first time that Torres had sparked the interest of the OU coaching staff, however. She committed to ASU in just the eighth grade, but Torres said that she was also recruited by the Sooners around that time.

“It’s so awesome when you can (play for) someone like her,” Torres says of Gasso. “She is literally one of the best to ever do it in the sport, so you feel honored and you want to stay in touch with someone like that who knows how to win and just knows how to play the game right. How do you say no to one of the best teams in the country?”

As a Sun Devil in her 2022 season, Torres was a force in the batter's box. Regularly hitting in the leadoff spot, she finished the season with 16 home runs, 40 RBIs, 58 hits and a .339 batting average. As a First-Team All-Pac-12 shortstop, Torres helped lead ASU to this year’s Pac-12 title.

Now, going into her final two years of NCAA eligibility, Torres has national title aspirations with the Sooners.

“To even experience and to even go to the World Series has been my goal since I was little,” Torres added.

And according to Torres, it was OU's "championship mindset" that drew her to the program.

“I wanted to go to a team that had a championship mindset and that wanted to go to the World Series,” Torres said. “OU has won back-to-back championships. I just want to feed off of that. I want to learn and grow from these other girls and learn some new things from everybody and make new friendships.”

After competing against much of the OU lineup at both the club and collegiate levels, Torres is excited to finally be on the same team as people she's known around the game for years.

“The girls are awesome and they are good people outside of softball,” said Torres. “That was the biggest thing I was looking for. That was the thing that really brought me to them. They have a family atmosphere.”

Although she has been a starting shortstop since her freshman year, Torres may be seen mixing it up on the field during the 2023 season. Grace Lyons, an All-American shortstop who has one season of NCAA eligibility remaining, currently dominates the position at OU. And while Lyons completes her final season, Torres could see time at the corner infield positions with spots left open by graduation.

Regardless of where or when she plays for the Sooners, Torres is just happy to be used however she is needed.

“I just want what's best for the team,” she said. “So, wherever I go, wherever I compete, that's where I will do my best.”