Oregon softball strengthens pitching staff by landing ACC standout transfer Lyndsey Grein
By Ethan Lee
The University of Oregon softball team found a way to bolster its pitching staff with the monumental addition of ACC pitching star Lyndsey Grein. Oregon announced the addition of Grein to the Oregon Ducks’ softball roster on Friday.
Grein, who is from Illinois and spent the past couple seasons getting her college career started with the Virginia Tech Hokies, has already demonstrated just how talented she is. Throughout her sophomore season in 2024, Grein managed to post a 2.82 ERA and struck out an impressive 134 batters through 26 appearances and 106.2 innings pitched for Virginia Tech.
She dominated in a remarkably talented ACC this past season and managed to hold opposing batters to a meager .227 batting average.
For an Oregon softball program that is looking to make it to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series, this is huge.
Oregon softball: Ducks boost pitching staff after landing Lyndsey Grein through transfer portal
Grein has had an impressive college career up to this point. In total, throughout her two years with the Hokies, Grein posted a 22-11 record and managed to showcase her talent by recording a 3.69 ERA. Up to this point in her career, Grein has struck out a total of 230 batters.
In Oregon’s press release, head coach Melyssa Lombardi praised the addition of Grein, noting that the talented pitcher seems to fit well with the Ducks.
"She is a competitor and a hard worker,” Lombardi noted. “She can throw with high velocity and also has a great changeup. [Her] ability to mix speeds is really impressive.”
And of course, it seems like Grein is also ready to get started with the Ducks.
"The second I stepped on campus I knew Oregon was in my heart. Coach Lombardi and her staff welcomed my family with open arms and made me feel at home,” Grein noted in a statement within Oregon’s press release.
In addition to highlighting how welcoming and inviting the Oregon softball program is, Grein also noted the clear chance for growth that the Ducks are providing her.
“Oregon softball focuses on the person before the athlete, which is unlike anything I have ever encountered and am overjoyed to be a part of!"
That’s pretty high praise for the culture that Lombardi has developed with the Ducks.
Oregon Ducks add serious talent to pitching staff with Lyndsey Grein
For Lombardi and her Oregon Ducks, this is big after a season that had plenty of ups and downs. Going 30-21 is fine, but Oregon softball very clearly has higher ambitions than being bounced out of a regional away from home.
This is a program that hasn’t made it to Oklahoma City since 2018, but it was in a Super Regional just one season ago.
As the Oregon softball team heads into the Big Ten, the Ducks will be facing some incredible rosters and they’ll be tasked with competing against some of the best programs in the country. To continue to build as a program, and attract top tier talent through the transfer portal, gives Lombardi and Oregon a great shot as they move forward.