Former Wisconsin softball player Paytn Monticelli commits to NCAA champion Oklahoma

MADISON – The mission for Paytn Monticelli has changed from helping Wisconsin win a Big Ten title to helping Oklahoma defend its national championship.

The softball star from Cedarburg announced Wednesday her intention to transfer to Oklahoma, which won its third straight national championship last month.

The news came two weeks and two days after Monticelli announced that she would enter the transfer portal after a strong freshman season for UW. She had a team-high 82 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched as the Badgers' No. 2 pitcher.

Monticelli, a right-handed pitcher who was the Gatorade state player of the year in her junior and senior seasons at Cedarburg High School, finished with a 7-4 record and a 2.71 earned run average for UW. She made 21 appearances, including three starts, and threw three complete games.

Her departure came shortly after pitching coach Kirsten Verdun left Wisconsin for a similar position at Illinois. Last week UW coach Yvette Healy announced the hiring of Mike Roberts, formerly of Virginia, as the team’s new pitching coach.

The transfer is part of a busy summer for Monticelli. She is also part of the Great Britain national team that will represent the country at the Softball World Cup later this summer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Badger Paytn Monticelli commits to NCAA softball champ Oklahoma