After back-to-back 30-win seasons, Penn State softball is returning for its 2024 campaign with some fresh faces on the roster.

Most notably, the team lost two major parts of its pitching staff as Bailey Parshall and Kylee Lingenfelter departed the program, but head coach Clarisa Crowell is confident in the circle’s rebuild.

“The one thing that I love about our staff is they are all very different,” Crowell said. “They bring diverse looks, and I think that’s the way that we are going to be effective.”

The Nittany Lions added Coastal Carolina transfer Mady Volpe to the roster, who finished her tenure in Myrtle Beach with a 9-1 record and a 2.66 ERA. Aside from the transfer, freshman Bridget Nemeth pitched two no-hitters during the fall season, and Crowell is looking forward to the mix of talent that will hit the field.

The team also has returners Lydia Spalding and Paige Maynard who made a few appearances last season. Combined, the group has a mix of speed and pitching styles to attempt to replace record-breaking starter Parshall.

In the outfield, junior Pitt transfer Haylie Brunson also made the jump to the Nittany Lions. During her sophomore year at Pitt, she smashed five home runs, 13 doubles, and a .984 fielding percentage in multiple positions.

Another major piece of the field is behind the plate after the graduation of catcher Cassie Lindmark. Junior transfer Gabby Garcia from Stephen F. Austin will fulfill the role, and she led the United Athletic Conference in home runs in 2023.

“I think all of our newcomers have really done a good job for us,” Crowell said. “We are excited and they are definitely going to contribute.”

While the team made some roster changes in the offseason, the goal in 2024 is to reach the regional round of the NCAA Tournament in May.

“One of their ‘whys’ as a team is we play for those who came before, and they take a lot of pride in that,” Crowell said.

Penn State hasn’t made the regional round of the tournament since 2011, marking the the next big leap for the program in Crowell’s fourth season at the helm. The team has made back-to-back appearances in the Big Ten Tournament, but the regional gap is front and center for the team.

“When you look at them, I really think it’s a sisterhood amongst our student-athletes,” Crowell said. “They are hungry, they are excited, and I know they are ready to get out there.”

The Nittany Lions start their 2024 season at 4:30 p.m. in Boca Raton, Florida, against Marshall in their first game of the Paradise Classic.