CLAREMORE, Okla. – Head RSU softball coach
Andrea Vaughan has announced the addition of 15 newcomers for the 2026 campaign.
The No. 18 Hillcats will welcome nine transfers this spring:
Aaliyah Gaboriault (Eugene, Ore.),
Ava Ramos (Pierson, Fla.),
Raelle Gorman (Temecula, Calif.),
Erica Ross (St. Albert, Canada),
Chloe Cardona (Fort Worth, Texas),
Jaden Jordan (Sand Springs, Okla.),
Selena Zuniga (Grand Terrace, Calif.),
Baylee King (Miami, Okla.) and
Meleia Ingram (Salina, Kan.).
Additionally, freshmen
Taelynn Ballinger (Verdigris, Okla.),
Emma Young (Verdigris, Okla.),
Mattie Large (Oologah, Okla.),
Rylee Bush (Tahlequah, Okla.),
Kinsley Hill (Dale, Okla.) and
Halle Bucktrot (Claremore, Okla.) will compete for playing time at the RCB Bank Sports Complex.
#3 Taelynn Ballinger (INF, 5-4, Fr, Verdigris, Okla. / Verdigris HS)
Freshman outfielder
Taelynn Ballinger joins the program from right down the road in Verdigris, Oklahoma. She earned multiple honors at the high school level, including all-district, all-region and all-state accolades with the Cardinals. Ballinger was also named on the PNTV Top-12 list for the Tulsa World. She recorded an impressive .454 batting average and a .522 on-base percentage, along with 98 stolen bases. In addition to her athletic achievements, she earned recognition on the honor roll. She plans to earn a degree in sports management at RSU.
#5 Aaliyah Gaboriault (OF, 5-1, Jr, Eugene, Ore. / Harrisburg HS / Western Oregon)
Junior outfielder
Aaliyah Gaboriault transferred to RSU from Western Oregon. During her time with the Wolves, she earned GNAC Honorable Mention Utility honors in 2025. Gaboriault appeared in 70 games with 66 starts over two seasons, posting a .251 batting average, a .323 on-base percentage and a .274 slugging percentage. She recorded 44 hits, 33 runs, 18 stolen bases, 18 walks and 16 RBIs in 175 plate appearances. Three of her hits were extra bases, including two doubles and a triple against Saint Martin's in 2024.
Gaboriault also excelled at Harrisburg High School in Eugene, Oregon, where she lettered in softball and volleyball. She was a two-time First Team All-State infielder and earned League MVP honors in 2023. She plans to earn a degree in sports management at RSU.
#6 Emma Young (C, 5-8, Fr, Verdigris, Okla. / Verdigris HS)
Freshman catcher
Emma Young, a Verdigris High School alumna, had a standout career at the high school level. She earned all-district, all-region and all-state honors while achieving a .425 batting average for the Cardinals.
#7 Ava Ramos (UTL, 5-3, Jr, Pierson, Fla. / T. DeWitt Taylor Middle HS / St. John's River State College)
Ava Ramos, a junior utility transfer, joins the program from St. Johns River State College. She earned recognition on the President's List for 2024 and 2025 and was named to the FCSAA Sun Lake Conference All-Academic Team in both years. Additionally, she received second-team honors in the FCSAA Sun Lake Conference in 2025 and was part of the 2024 NJCAA Division II National Championship team. During her time with the Vikings, Ramos recorded a .419 batting average and a .494 on-base percentage.
Ramos played high school softball at T. DeWitt Taylor Middle High School in Pierson, Florida. She was named to the FHSAA Florida Dairy Farmers All-Academic Team and qualified for the state weightlifting competition twice, in 2022 and 2023. In volleyball, she was part of the team that finished as the FHSAA 1A state runner-up in 2021. Additionally, she earned first-team All-County honors in softball in 2023 and was recognized as the Wildcats' High School Female Athlete of the Year. She plans to earn a degree in communication with an emphasis in new media broadcasting at RSU.
#8 Mattie Large (UTL, 5-6, Fr, Oologah, Okla. / Sperry HS)
Freshman utility player
Mattie Large joins the Hillcat softball team from Sperry High School. A standout athlete at SHS, she earned all-district honors three times and was named all-region for the Pirates. The Oologah native intends to earn a degree in general studies at Rogers State.
#9 Raelle Gorman (OF, 5-9, Sr, Temecula, Calif. / Temecula Valley HS / Pace)
Senior outfielder
Raelle Gorman joined the roster from Pace University, where she made a significant impact during her three seasons, including a trip to the NCAA Division II World Series last year. She was also a member of the Setters cross country team.
In the 2025 season, she appeared in 59 games for the Setters, starting 58 of them. She posted a solid batting line of .281/.358/.401, contributing 26 RBIs and crossing home plate 33 times. Her season totals included 47 hits, 19 walks and nine stolen bases, along with 13 doubles, two triples and one home run. Defensively, she recorded 90 putouts and two assists, finishing with an impressive .989 fielding percentage. Additionally, she earned Academic Distinction on the NE10 Spring Academic Honor Roll.
She garnered recognition by being named to the D2CCA All-East Region Second Team and the NFCA All-Region Second Team, while also earning NE10 All-Conference Second Team honors in 2024. With 48 appearances and 47 starts, she recorded a batting average of .326/.385/.451, tallying 29 runs and 27 RBIs. She earned multiple academic honors, including distinctions on both the NE10 Spring and Fall Academic Honor Rolls.
In her freshman season of 2023, she made an immediate impact, playing in 32 games and starting 24. She recorded 16 hits in 69 at-bats for a .232 average, including four doubles and 10 RBIs. Her performance on the diamond also earned her a spot on the NE10 Fall Academic Honor Roll.
At Temecula Valley High School, Gorman was named First Team All-League as a junior and Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a senior, serving as the Varsity Softball Team Captain. She also lettered in varsity basketball and engaged in activities such as Student Venture and the Fellowship of Student-Athletes.
#10 Rylee Bush (UTL, 5-0, Fr, Tahlequah, Okla./ Tahlequah Sequoyah HS)
Rylee Bush is an incoming freshman utility player from Tahlequah Sequoyah High School. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and was named a Native American All-State Fastpitch selection. Additionally, she earned all-district honors four times for the Indians. At Rogers State, Bush plans to major in psychology.
#12 Kinsley Hill (RHP, 5-2, Fr, Dale, Okla. / Dale HS)
Freshman right-handed pitcher
Kinsley Hill joins the softball program after an impressive career at Dale High School, where she earned all-state honors. During her time with the Pirates, she contributed to their OSSAA Class 2A Fastpitch state championships in 2023 and 2024. Hill was also a member of the National Honor Society.
#15 Erica Ross (RHP, 5-10, So, St. Albert, Canada / Paul Kane HS / Three Rivers CC)
Erica Ross is a sophomore right-handed pitcher who joins the Hillcats from Three Rivers College. The St. Albert, Canada, native appeared in 23 games, making 22 starts (seven complete games) and compiled an 11-7 record. Over 107.2 innings pitched, Ross recorded a 3.19 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP, along with 74 strikeouts. At the plate, she posted a .204 batting average with 11 hits, including one home run and one double, while driving in six runs and drawing five walks.
At Paul Kane High School, Ross posted a batting average of .267, a slugging percentage of .430 and an on-base percentage of .357. As a pitcher, she threw 84.1 innings, achieving a record of 9-1 with an earned run average of 1.90 for the Blues. She plans to earn a degree in psychology at RSU.
#17 Chloe Cardona (UTL, 5-3, Jr, Fort Worth, Texas / Northside HS / Butler CC)
Chloe Cardona, a junior utility player, joins the program from Butler Community College. The Fort Worth, Texas native achieved a .375 batting average and earned honorable mention honors while playing for the Grizzlies.
At Northside High School, Cardona was named Newcomer of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year. She also received Defensive MVP honors and was selected for the First Team All-Defense, while adding an impressive .390 batting average. Cardona plans to pursue a degree in allied health science at RSU.
#18 Halle Bucktrot (INF, 5-4, Fr, Claremore, Okla. / Claremore HS)
Freshman infielder
Halle Bucktrot joins the softball program locally from Claremore High School. She earned all-district honors while lettering in softball for the Zebras.
#19 Jaden Jordan (INF, 6-0, Jr, Sand Springs, Okla. / Charles Page HS / Labette CC)
Jaden Jordan is a junior infielder who transferred to Hill from Labette Community College. She was named Female Athlete of the Year and earned Second Team All-Conference honors in 2024, along with First Team All-Conference recognition in 2025 for the Cardinals.
Jordan played high school softball at Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, where she was an All-State Fastpitch selection and received the Offensive Player of the Year award for the Sandites. She plans to earn a degree in psychology at RSU.
#20 Selena Zuniga (RHP, 5-3, Jr, Grand Terrace, Calif. / Grand Terrace HS / Bellarmine)
Junior right-handed pitcher
Selena Zuniga joins the team from NCAA Division I Bellarmine University. While with the Knights, she was a 2022 Sunkist League champion, earned 2023 First Team All-League honors, was named the 2023 Arrowhead Athletic Conference MVP pitcher and was a CIF-SS finalist. Zuniga contributed to the team's success in the 2023 California Regional Softball Championships, finishing with a record of 23-7 and an undefeated 8-0 in league play. The California native was recognized as a GTHS Scholar Athlete.
Zuniga played high school softball at Grand Terrace High School, where she recorded 113 strikeouts in her career. She was named a 2023 First Team All-League selection and the 2023 MVP pitcher, helping her team win the league championship in 2022. Additionally, she was a four-time Honor Roll recipient. At RSU, Zuniga plans to pursue a double major in psychology and sociology.
#34 Baylee King (INF, 5-2, Jr, Miami, Okla. / Commerce HS / Ouachita Baptist)
Baylee King is a junior infielder transferring from Ouachita Baptist University. During her time at OBU, she earned All-GAC Second Team honors and was recognized as an NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove recipient. She maintained a batting average of .327 with 33 runs scored and 54 hits. Her offensive contributions included nine doubles, two triples and 21 RBIs. King also showcased her speed on the bases with 10 stolen bases.
The Miami, Oklahoma, native played high school softball at Commerce High School. She plans to earn a degree in allied health science.
Meleia Ingram (RHP, 5-10, So, Salina, Kan. / Bennington HS / Barton CC)
Meleia Ingram is a sophomore right-handed pitcher transferring from Barton Community College. While with the Cougars, she earned Academic All-American honors, was named KJCC Pitcher of the Year, and received recognition as a first-team all-conference pitcher. Ingram was also named Pitcher of the Week three times by the KJCC.
A valedictorian at Bennington High School in Kansas, Ingram plans to earn a degree in business with a focus on accounting. She will use a red shirt in the 2026 season.
