Softball On SI

Why LSU Softball's Transfer Class Ranks No.6

Sarah Person|
May 7, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; LSU players react after defeating Mississippi St. at Jack Turner Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
May 7, 2025; Athens, GA, USA; LSU players react after defeating Mississippi St. at Jack Turner Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Louisiana State Tigers are coming off a 44-16 overall record in 2025 and a 12-12 record in the Southeastern Conference.

Selected as the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosting a Regional, gave the Tigers a route to the Super Regionals. However, LSU had a disappointing finish and went 1-2, losing to Southeastern Louisiana twice.

Looking ahead to 2026, head coach Beth Torina has snagged a few key additions that will help boost LSU's roster heading into next season.

Here is an in-depth look at why the LSU Tigers have the No. 6 transfer class in the country.

Transfered In

Char Lorenz (Louisville, UTL)
CeCe Cellura (San Diego State, RHP)
Kylee Edwards (Mississippi State, INF)
Ally Hutchins (Kentucky, INF)
Paytn Monticelli (Oklahoma, RHP)

Char Lorenz

Lorenz comes in after playing her freshman season at Louisville. She had a breakout season, earning All-ACC Second Team honors as well as earning a spot on Softball America's Freshman All-American team.

Lorenz led the Cardinal with a .399 batting average and a .677 slugging percentage, recording 57 hits, 32 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.

The utility player also had 11 doubles, five triples, and nine home runs while adding a single-season freshman record 53 RBIs. Defensively, Lorenz held a .967 fielding percentage with 87 putouts.

Cece Cellura

Cellura spent two seasons in the circle for San Diego State. In 2025, she was named to the All-Mountain West First Team and helped the Aztecs win back-to-back conference tournament titles.

As a sophomore, she went 19-9 overall with a 2.28 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 153.2 innings pitched. Cellura led the Mountain West with a 4.70 strikeout to walk ratio and a 1.10 WHIP while being ranked third in the country in walks per seven innings allowed with 0.91

Kylee Edwards

Edwards comes in after spending two seasons at Mississippi State. She started all 58 games for the Bulldogs this past season and earned a spot on the NFCA South All-Region Second Team. Edwards had a .290 batting average with 47 hits, 37 runs, and 37 RBIs.

In the field, she had a .945 fielding percentage with 87 assists and 69 putouts.

Over two seasons, Edwards hit .280 with 83 hits, 14 home runs, and 59 runs scored and drove in 60 runs.

Ally Hutchins

Hutchins spent the past two seasons at the University of Kentucky. Last year, she started in all 58 games for the Wildcats. She hit .258 with 46 hits, 41 runs, 19 RBIs, and six home runs.

She holds a career .267 average with 79 hits, 59 runs, 45 RBIs, and 12 home runs.

Defensively, Hutchins had a .900 fielding percentage with 74 assists and 34 putouts.

Paytn Monticelli

After spending her freshman season at Wisconsin and the past two years at Oklahoma, Paytn Monticelli will spend her last year of college softball as an LSU Tiger. Over her three-year career, she has a 9-4 overall record with a .267 ERA and 125 strikeouts, including 16 starts in 55 appearances.

Monticelli went 2-0 over her two seasons at OU and held a .258 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched. She went 2-0 in the circle with 20 strikeouts in 20.1 innings of work in 2025.

She has also spent time in the Northwoods League this summer paying with the Madison Night Mares,

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Sarah Person
SARAH PERSON

Sarah Person was born and raised in Nebraska and has lived there her whole life. She is a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in sports media and broadcasting. She did everything during her time at UNL, including writing, anchoring, broadcasting, and photography. Sarah has had a lifelong passion for sports and is excited to continue that passion through her work for Softball on SI.

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