How BYU transfer Ailana Agbayani's competitiveness led to OU softball commitment

NORMAN — When Ailana Agbayani arrived on campus for her OU visit, she didn’t expect to fall in love on the spot.

Agbayani’s goal when she entered the transfer portal after two years at BYU was to surround herself with the best coaches and players in softball. She was raised by her father Benny Agbayani — a five-year Major League Baseball player most notably with the New York Mets — to love competition and be obsessed with hard work and winning.

And after visiting with Sooners head coach Patty Gasso and her staff, winners of four consecutive national championships, Agbayani’s decision didn’t take long as she announced her commitment June 25 on her Instagram .

“As a dad, me and my wife, we're pretty excited,” Benny Agbayani told The Oklahoman . “It’s a hard thing to pass up because you're playing for one of the greatest coaches in softball.”

Ailana Agbayani fills a much-needed hole in OU’s middle infield, where Avery Hodge was expected to start before transferring to LSU.

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Agbayani hit .424 with five home runs, a .534 on-base percentage and a .594 slugging percentage as the Cougars’ starting shortstop last season. She also held a 5.78 ERA as a pitcher, striking out 17 in 23 innings.

Agbayani finished with four hits — including two doubles — and two RBIs in a 9-4 win over the Sooners on April 12 . Always looking to improve her game, Agbayani sought a change of scenery with two years of eligibility remaining.

“It was a hard decision for her,” Benny said, “because coming out of high school, she was in that pandemic year where a lot of these players were going into their fifth and sixth years. There was nothing out there and I think after two years at BYU, she felt that she wanted to try something new.”

The Mililani Mauka, Hawaii, native is the latest softball player from Hawaii to join the Sooners. Former OU superstar and NCAA career home run leader Jocelyn Alo, from Hauula, and Agbayani knew each other growing up.

In fact, Agbayani was in attendance in Hawaii when Alo broke the NCAA home run record.

Benny says Jocelyn paved the way for softball players in Hawaii. Current OU infielder Nelly McEnroe-Marinas hails from Waianae, Hawaii.

“I’m very happy for her, she's a freaking great player,” Alo said. “She's a stud. OU couldn't keep her off the bases whenever they played each other. But, I mean, Hawaii girls are taking over Norman, so y'all better watch out. She’s a great athlete.”

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‘That’s who she is’

Mike Stith received texts at various times throughout the night.

More often than not the messages would be from Ailana Agbayani and would read, “I’m on a flight and I’ll be coming in.”

Like numerous former Sooners, Agbayani played club ball with Stith’s OC Batbusters based in Southern California . But unlike her teammates, a unique dedication was required for her to suit up.

Despite living in Mililani, Agbayani traveled to the mainland nearly every weekend for several years to compete against the best competition and polish her game, not unlike her reasoning for committing to OU.

“At a very young age, she would go to the airport and sit on standby,” Stith said. “She'd come in on red eyes sometimes, at 6 a.m. different times, but she would sit in there and do her homework and do everything she needed to take care of while waiting to hop on a flight when available.

“She came out all the time. She flew out to Southern California a bulk of the opportunity she could.”

Stith was at the game when Agbayani starred against the Sooners. Not only did her hitting stats pop, but in addition to starting at shortstop, Agbayani faced OU’s hitters in the pitching circle without warming up.

“It doesn't bother her whatsoever,” Stith said. “The pressure of the game is irrelevant to her, because she's very determined. So fitting into a program like OU with coach Gasso, all they're going to do is narrow her focus.”

As she worked her way through the Batbusters organization, Agbayani served as former Sooners superstar Tiare Jennings’ understudy. Stith observed how Jennings ushered Agbayani throughout her time with the organization and how the two grew close.

Agbayani has looked up to Jennings since she was young. The four-time national champion infielder is sticking around the program as a graduate assistant and will reunite with Agbayani.

“It's very unique,” Stith said. “It's something that's special and those are two of the best I can tell you, that amongst all of my kids, their ability to communicate at a different level. Tiare will help Ailana a great deal. There's going to be a good line of communication there.”

Benny Agbayani added: “It's one of those decisions where, wow you’ve got your idol that’s going to be coaching you while you’re playing at OU. It's just like when she was at the Batbusters. Tiare guided her and helped her a lot when she was young and now she gets to do it again.”

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'A blue-collar worker'

Benny still works out with and helps Ailana train when she’s back home in Hawaii.

The former pro hits his daughter hundreds of ground balls for her to field and Ailana always asks for more.

“She keeps me young,” Benny said. “She's a blue-collar worker that works hard coming out of Hawaii and she just loves the game, loves competition and wants to win.”

Ailana Agbayani posed with the Sooners’ eight national championship trophies during her visit. She believes her commitment is the next step in the program’s path toward No. 9.

Agbayani joins fellow Batbuster and Utah outfielder Abby Dayton, North Carolina catcher Isabela Emerling and Campbell pitcher Isabella Smith as OU’s portal commitments who are aiming to pick up where the program’s core seniors left off. The Sooners still have one roster spot to fill, which is expected to be an ace pitcher to replace Kelly Maxwell, the 2024 WCWS Most Outstanding Player.

“You go into how many times she flew out to Southern California on her own, and all the things that were required of her just to be able to compete at the level she did,” Stith said of Agbayani. “That’s who she is, but that's what's going to make it more unique. She is very determined.”

The ultimate competitor, Agbayani’s decision to commit to the Sooners was a no-brainer.

Like the countless flights to California, the Hawaii product landed in Norman with a desire to play with the best players and be coached by the best coaches, and she left feeling like OU gave her that chance.

“There have been coaches poaching and this and that and whatever,” Alo said. “But girls know where to go if they want to win. They want to get in on the action and just continue to get better and better every day.

“And what better place than Norman, Oklahoma?”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How BYU transfer Ailana Agbayani's competitiveness led to OU softball commitment