Oregon Softball Staying Busy With Offseason Moves

The Ducks have made a flurry of roster additions and coaching staff hires since their postseason run ended in the Austin Regional.

Author:
Dylan Reubenking
Publish date:
Jul 15, 2021 1:29 PM EDT

The Oregon softball offseason is in full swing, and Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi is in the middle of perhaps her busiest offseason yet as the Ducks' bench boss. She faces the task of not only replacing some significant starters on the roster, but she will also have a brand new coaching staff in 2022.

Assistant coach Justin Shults has been hired as the head coach of the Boise State softball program after three seasons at Oregon. He was primarily the hitting coach and helped the Ducks offense transform into one of the most high-powered lineups in the country.

Assistant coach Megan Langenfeld announced her resignation from her position on Sunday to change career paths and become a high school math teacher. Langenfeld also spent three years with Lombardi at Oregon, primarily working with the Ducks' pitchers.

Lombardi has already gotten to work on rebuilding the staff, hiring Sam Marder as an assistant coach on June 28.

Marder joins the Ducks dugout after serving as a volunteer analyst for the national champion Oklahoma Sooners last season. The Sooners owned the nation's most dominant offense, leading the country in many categories and scoring an impressive 10.6 runs per game.

Prior to her stint at Oklahoma, she spent four seasons at Texas Tech as an assistant and then was promoted to associate head coach. She has also served as an assistant at College of Charleston and Boise State.

"I have known and coached against Sam for many years," Lombardi said in a press release. "She has played and coached at a championship level her entire career and understands what it takes to have success at the highest level. I can't wait to have Sam get started with us and know she'll be an invaluable addition to our program."

The Ducks still have an open position due to Langenfeld's departure, but the addition of Marder is an excellent start.

As for roster movement, outfielder Haley Cruse has graduated and signed with the USSSA Pride after a decorated five-year career at Oregon. Pitcher Samaria Diaz and utility player Shaye Bowden have also graduated.

The Ducks lost a number of key players to the transfer portal as well, including shortstop Alyssa Brito, infielder Mya Felder, outfielder Lexi Wagner, and utility player Jazzy Contreras. Brito has since committed to Oklahoma while Felder is headed to Nebraska.

Brito replaced starting shortstop Jasmine Sievers, who missed the entire 2021 season due to the birth of her child. Sievers will return to the Ducks lineup in 2022, she announced on Instagram.

Lombardi has added several talented players on the recruiting trail and from the transfer portal. The Ducks signed Cal State Fullerton infielder KK Humphreys, who earned first-team all-conference honors last year after hitting .366 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in her freshman season.

The Ducks added another big bat to the lineup in UCF catcher Karissa Ornelas. She comes to Eugene with a .314 career batting average and 103 starts at catcher in three years — her best year coming in 2021 which notched her a spot on the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team.

Back in April, the Ducks signed Arizona State transfer Kailee Luschar, who owns an unbelievable .510 career batting average at Carson High School. Her younger sister, Kedre, also signed with the Ducks in November, and the two sisters will come to Eugene this fall.

Kedre Luschar is one of four elite freshmen that signed with the Ducks in November. Right-handed pitchers Allison Benning, Stevie Hansen, and infielder Paige Sinicki will come aboard in 2022 along with the Luschar sisters, Humphreys, and Ornelas.

The 2022 season will be an exciting one for fans of Oregon softball. Despite losing some significant production from last year, the Ducks have added some elite talent to a roster that already returns some experienced players in Allee Bunker, Brooke Yanez, Makenna Kliethermes, Terra McGowan, and many others.

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