LSU softball announces addition of 3 veteran transfers

It’s going to be a changing of the guard for LSU softball entering the 2024 season.

While star pitcher Sydney Berzon returns, many of the other big names — Taylor Pleasants , Ciara Briggs and Ali Newland , just to name a few — do not. Coach Beth Torina turned to the transfer portal to try to find some experience, and the Tigers did just that.

Earlier this week, LSU announced the addition of three transfers: infielder Avery Hodge ( Oklahoma ), outfielder Jalia Lassiter (Ole Miss) and pitcher Ashley Vallejo (McNeese).

Hodge was a member of the Sooners’ last two national title-winning teams, batting .284 this past season with six extra-base hits and nine RBI. Lassiter, meanwhile, was Ole Miss’ leader in hits in 2024 with a .314 average, four home runs and 29 RBI.

Unlike Hodge and Lassiter, who have two remaining years of eligibility, Vallejo is a graduate transfer. In four years at McNeese, she went 45-24 on the mound with a 2.44 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 416.2 career innings.

After leading the Tigers to three consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances and four in her first six seasons, Torina is looking to return to Oklahoma City for the first time since 2017 after a super regional exit this spring.

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