Jan. 28, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Nittany Lion softball head coach Robin Petrini was proud to announce the signing of Alyssa Sovereign (La Canada, Calif.) on Thursday. Sovereign comes to the Penn State program from Crescenta Valley High and the Southern California Choppers club team.
"Alyssa is a definite spark plug and a very aggressive player," said Petrini. "She has the speed, tenacity, and drive to be very successful in a Penn State uniform. Alyssa's experiences in a very competitive summer program have provided her with the tools necessary to be successful at this level. She is a very versatile player that will provide us with a lot of options both offensively and defensively. We are excited to watch her throughout her collegiate career."
Sovereign, the third signing of the 2010 class, plays all over the field for Crescenta Valley. Last season as a junior she hit .473 while posting an on-base percentage of .529 and a slugging percentage of .670, belting out 43 hits. Sovereign ended the 2009 season with a 21-game hitting streak, which included six doubles.
A three-time All-Area honoree as well as a two-time All-Pacific League selection at second base for Crescenta Valley, quarterfinalists in the CIF Division III Southern Section Championship, Sovereign will serve the team as captain for the second straight year in 2010. Her team has won the Pacific League for the past three years and is favored for a fourth-straight title.
Projected to play the outfield as well as serve as a utility player for the Nittany Lions, Sovereign is a three-time Scholar Athlete at Crescenta Valley while participating in the Gifted and Talented Education Program, Honors English program and the Green Earth Club.
Sovereign joins Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) and Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) to round out a highly talented 2010 high school senior class. All three will be on campus this fall, ready for their freshman seasons in 2010-2011.
Penn State opens its season Friday, Feb. 12 at the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. against UTEP (2 p.m. ET). The Lions will play four more games after the UTEP game at the campus of New Mexico State University to wrap up the season-opening series.
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion softball this season, visit GoPSUsports.com.
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--NITTANY LIONS--