EUGENE, Ore. – Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, a two-time All-American at Arizona and the 2018 Pac-12 home run champion, will join the Oregon softball staff as a volunteer assistant coach, head coach Melyssa Lombardi announced Monday. "We're excited to have Alyssa as a member of our staff," said Lombardi. "As a coach, she brings the experience of being both a recent graduate and one of the top players in the Pac-12, as well as now competing a professional, which will be invaluable to our student-athletes. "Alyssa has a terrific all-around feel for the game. Her approach at the plate made her one of the toughest players to face in the Pac-12. I also admire how she was able to persevere through adversity and overcome injuries." Palomino-Cardoza capped an impressive collegiate career in the spring of 2021 by leading the Wildcats to their second consecutive Women's College World Series appearance. She was named a NFCA first team All-American in 2018 and 2019, making her the first UA player to win back-to-back All-America honors in nearly a decade. In her career, the four-time all-Pac-12 selection hit 69 home runs, which ranks eighth on Arizona's career list and is tied for 11th all-time in Pac-12 annals. She also finished her career with 53 doubles to rank tied-for-fourth in UA history. Palomino-Cardoza was an all-Pac-12 first team selection in 2018 and 2019 and a second team pick in 2017 and 2021. She was a three-time Pac-12 all-defensive selection, including the 2019 season when she did not commit an error while starting all 62 games in centerfield for the Wildcats. She was also a four-time NFCA All-West Region first team honoree. The five-year starter had a career batting average of .346, a .717 slugging percentage and an otherworldly OPS of 1.162. Palomino-Cardoza was also one of the best defenders in the Pac-12 with a .990 career fielding percentage. She hit 19 home runs in the back-to-back seasons of 2018 and 2019, which lead the league in 2018 and ranked 11th nationally. As a freshman, Palomino-Cardoza hit 16 home runs with 54 RBI to help the Wildcats win the Pac-12 title in 2017. Before Arizona, the Mission Viejo, Calif., native set the Junior World Women's Championship record with 27 RBI in the 10-game tournament. Palomino-Cardoza led the U.S. Junior National Team to a 10-0 record and the gold medal in the 2015 event and was named the USA Softball junior female athlete of the year. She was a first-team high school All-America as a junior and senior, helping Mission Viejo High School to the national championship in 2014 and a state runner-up finish in 2015. Palomino-Cardoza also won three national titles with her club team, OC Batbusters.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly has announced the addition of Oklahoma transfer infielder Zaida Puni to the Lady Vol program."Zaida was one of the most highly recruited players in the 2020 class," Weekly said. "She has a powerful bat, exceptional defensive skills and a high softball IQ. The training she received in the OC Batbusters organization under Mike Stith and his staff is invaluable. She is a great to addition to our program and we're excited to coach her." A rising sophomore from Carson, California, Puni spent her freshman campaign in Norman, Oklahoma, as a member of OU's 2021 national championship squad. She appeared in 15 games for the Sooners, hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three doubles, one home run, six runs scored and six RBIs during her rookie season. Prior to Oklahoma, Puni starred for St. Anthony's High School (Carson, Calif.) and the OC Batbusters travel club. She was ranked as the No. 25 player in the country by Extra Inning Softball and No. 79 by FloSoftball. As a junior, she batted .382 with 31 hits, 27 RBIs, 26 steals and 16 homers. In the summer of 2019, Puni helped lead the Batbusters to the 2019 18U USA World Fast Pitch Championship.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lexie Handley, a left-handed pitcher who spent the last three year at Auburn, will join the Ohio State softball program for the 2021-22 season, head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly announced today. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan softball head coach  Carol Hutchins announced Tuesday (July 13) the addition of transfer Kristina Burkhardt to the Wolverine program. Burkhardt, a first team All-ACC honoree as an outfielder for North Carolina, will be a graduate student in 2021-22 and have one year of eligibility remaining.