money Women's Professional Fastpitch Draft: OKC Spark select OU softball's Alex Storako at No. 1
Women’s Professional Fastpitch held its first-ever in-person draft Monday night.
Where else would the pro softball league hold it than Oklahoma City?
The softball mecca will soon host the Women’s College World Series, then will welcome the inaugural season of the Oklahoma City Spark. The city’s first professional softball team already has some of the sport’s biggest names in Jocelyn Alo and Keilani Ricketts.
Who did the Spark add during Monday night’s draft at the Yale Theater?
Here are some highlights from the draft:
More: Carlson: How OKC Spark signed former OU softball star Keilani Ricketts with a rare pitch
OU softball's Alex Storako goes No. 1 overall
OU’s right-handed pitcher was the first overall pick in the draft taken by the Spark. A transfer from Michigan who was great in her four seasons as a Wolverine (69-20 with a 1.71 ERA), Storako has been even better in her one and only season with the Sooners. She is undefeated so far with a 0.74 ERA.
More: OU softball rewind: What we learned from the Sooners' Ohio trip, win over LSU
Oklahoma State pair taken in first three rounds
The Cowgirls’ middle infield is known to be outstanding, and the WPF has taken notice. OSU second baseman Rachel Becker went fifth overall, first in the second round to the Smash It Vipers. Then with the third pick in the third round, 11th overall, the Vipers took shortstop Kiley Naomi.
More: Oklahoma State softball rewind: Cowgirls 'just seem to respond' after an upset loss
Spark keeps it local with Chanise Delce
Carl Albert High alum Chanise Delce was the second player selected by the Spark. The right-handed pitcher is in her second season at Arkansas after three years at Tulsa. She has a 1.86 ERA in 25 appearances this season.
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Haley Lee makes five Sooners on Spark
The Spark selected OU utility player Haley Lee in the fourth round. The slugger is the fifth Sooner who is now a member of the Spark, joining Jocelyn Alo, Lynnsie Elam, Keilani Ricketts, who were acquired over the past few months, as well as fellow draft pick Alex Storako.
Donnie Gobourne surprise Spark pick in fifth round
The Spark has stockpiled so many players with local connections that one without a local tie stands out, but OKC went with South Carolina pitcher Donnie Gobourne in the fifth round. The right-hander transferred from Florida Atlantic, and in her only season at South Carolina, she is 8-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 128 strikeouts. She ranks second nationally with 12.0 strikeouts per seven innings, just ahead of OSU ace Kelly Maxwell (11.7).
More: Former OU softball standout Lynnsie Elam joins OKC Spark for 2023 season
Spark adds another player with Big 12 ties
Oklahoma City’s final pick of the draft was sixth-round selection Yvonne Whaley, the Pitt shortstop. But Whaley spent the first three years of her college career at Texas Tech. She is hitting .442 as a fifth-year senior.
More: Jocelyn Alo, former OU softball star, to join OKC Spark for inaugural 2023 WPF season
Three Sooners taken in WPF Draft
In addition to Alex Storako and Haley Lee going to the Spark, Sooner shortstop Grace Lyons was selected in the sixth round by the Texas Smoke, the WPF’s other expansion team this season.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Spark select OU pitcher Alex Storako No. 1 overall in WPF draft
