Even as Jordy Bahl was on her way to becoming national freshman of the year at Oklahoma in 2022, her heart was back home.

The Papillion, Nebraska, native got a tattoo with the outline of Nebraska on her right arm during spring break that year. She said she was homesick and expected the feeling to change, but it never went away. After two standout seasons at Oklahoma, she decided to transfer and play for Nebraska.

“It was always important to me to represent Nebraska, even being away,” she told media in Lincoln, Nebraska on Tuesday. “I’ve always made it a point to be proud of being a Nebraskan. And I think part of being away for two years was good because if anything, just my love for this place and just the pride in representing it grew.”

She poured herself into her time at Oklahoma. Two seasons ago, she was the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-American. This past season, she had a 22-1 record and an 0.90 ERA and was a first-team NFCA All-American and a Top 10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She threw 24 2/3 scoreless innings at this year’s Women’s College World Series and was named its Most Outstanding Player.

“You come off of winning a national championship and going to (country singer) Toby Keith’s and hanging out with him afterwards, which was pretty cool,” she said. “But then, you have to break it to your teammates and your coaches that you’ve decided to make the decision to come home, and so that was kind of sad. But once I got home and have started to settle in, unpack and everything, finally it’s just started to sink in that, you know, like, this is real.”

She originally committed to Nebraska before switching to Oklahoma. She said her younger self had some learning to do.