Despite a shortened season, Penn State softball wasted no time in shaping up its roster for next spring.

The Nittany Lions signed eight players to join the team, welcoming three infielders, three utility players, and two outfielders. Four of the incoming freshmen signed in the fall, while the rest signed this week.

Emily Maddock was the first signee to join the Nittany Lions. Hailing from Kempton, Pennsylvania, Maddock was a three-time first-team All-County honoree. She bats left-handed, throws right-handed, and is a utility player across the diamond.

Next was Paige Olson, a lefty from West Chester, Pennsylvania. The outfielder was a two-time All-Area first-team honoree and a two-time Pennsylvania second-team honoree.

Arguably the biggest addition to the team this fall was Melody Coombs, an infielder out of Mechanicsville, Maryland. At the time of her signing, she was a top-40 overall recruit by both Extra Inning Softball and FloSoftball. She was also named the 2018 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

The final fall addition was Lauren Marcotte, another infielder from Maryland. During her high school career, she broke six high school records at Centennial High School, and also set a state record for most triples in a season with 10.

Another one! ?

Our next signee is Lauren Marcotte

Marcotte is from Centennial HS in Maryland where she set six school records and a state record in 2017.#WeAre | #PSUSigningDay pic.twitter.com/FTS7V2vhCO

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) November 14, 2019

After a long break, the spring signees came flying in over the last week. The first was Alaina Scimone, a utility player from Manalapan, New Jersey. She was a co-captain during her final season in high school.

The Penn State family tradition grew with the next signee as outfielder Liana Jones, sister of former Penn State men’s hockey goalie Peyton Jones, is coming to Happy Valley. The Langhorne, Pennsylvania native won league titles in back-to-back seasons and also was given first team All-State honors in 2018 and 2019.

Continuing the #PennState family tradition… ??

Liana Jones is from Langhorne, Pa. where she helped Neshaminy HS to league titles in 2017/18 and earned first team All-State honors in 2018/19.

Her brother, Peyton, played for @PennStateMHKY.#WeAre | #PSUSigningDay pic.twitter.com/McC4evbdbj

— Penn State Softball (@PennStateSB) April 20, 2020

The only non-East Coast native to sign with the Nittany Lions was utility player Emma Leisner. From Laguna Niguel, California, Leisner helped her team win back-to-back league titles and a second-place finish in 2019, while also being named a scholar-athlete in each of those seasons.

The last recruit for the Nittany Lions was infielder Amanda Mack. The Roseland, New Jersey native was a three-sport athlete in her school, excelling at softball the most.

Olson and Jones are in a prime position to get playing time in the spring, as senior Christa Wagner and sophomores Lilia Crouthamel and Melina Livingston are the only players listed as outfielders. On top of the fact that star sophomore Chelsea Bisi is recovering from an injury, the two freshmen could see more playing time than usual.

With defensive inconsistencies a problem for the Nittany Lions last season, this could open the door for the younger players to step up. Coach Amanda Lehotak loves to use her freshmen in a variety of ways, with L.A Matthews, Michelle Leone, Kaitlyn Morrison, and K.T. Rex all getting involved early on in their careers. Look for Marcotte and Coombs to be early players to watch for, but every one of these signees has a chance to play throughout the season.