UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State softball program and head coach Clarisa Crowell announced the promotion of hitting coach Adrianna Baggetta to associate head coach on Tuesday afternoon following back-to-back record-shattering seasons of offensive production in 2025 and 2026.
“Coach B has been an invaluable part of our success since the moment she stepped on campus,” Crowell expressed. “Her leadership, passion, and commitment to excellence have helped transform our program. She has played a major role in building the best offense in Penn State Softball history while investing wholeheartedly in the growth of our student-athletes, our recruiting efforts, and every facet of our program. She embodies what it means to be a Penn Stater, and I am thrilled to recognize her contributions with this well-deserved promotion to Associate Head Coach.”
Baggetta has played a pivotal role in elevating Penn State into one of the nation's premier offensive programs during her three seasons as hitting coach. Under her guidance, the Nittany Lions reached the NCAA Tournament in 2024, produced three record-breaking offensive campaigns, captured two 30-win seasons in three years, and established the longest streak of double-digit Big Ten win totals in program history. Her offenses repeatedly rewrote the Penn State record book, setting new program standards for batting average, runs scored, RBI, home runs and total bases while helping the Nittany Lions emerge as one of the most dangerous lineups in the country. Baggetta also oversaw the development of an impressive collection of individual standouts, helping coach one Big Ten Freshman of the Year, two Freshman All-Americans, 11 NFCA All-Region selections, 12 All-Big Ten honorees and three Big Ten All-Freshman Team selections across her three seasons, cementing Penn State's status among the Big Ten's fastest-growing brands.
“I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and excited for what's ahead,” Baggetta said. “I am thankful Coach C for her trust, leadership, and the opportunity to continue growing as a coach at Penn State. I am honored to work alongside outstanding colleagues who are committed to making our program one percent better every day. The best part of this job will always be our student-athletes. Their work ethic, resilience, and commitment to each other are what make Penn State softball so special. They are all-in, and it is a privilege to be part of their journey and to help them grow both on and off the field. I'm excited for what's ahead as we keep building a culture of excellence, developing outstanding student-athletes, and competing for championships.”
Baggetta helped guide Penn State to a historic offensive season in 2026, as the Nittany Lions finished 33-21 overall with 11 Big Ten victories, securing the program's fourth 30-win campaign in five years while extending the longest streak of double-digit conference win totals in school history. Penn State reset single-season program records with 377 runs scored, 336 RBI and 84 home runs, while posting a .301 batting average, 83 doubles and reaching as high as the No. 1 position nationally in walks drawn during the course of the season. Baggetta also helped develop four All-Region selections, including unanimous Freshman All-American Allison Oneacre, with Oneacre, Breanna Hanik and Brooke Klosowicz earning All-Big Ten honors and Natalie Lieto adding NFCA All-Northeast Region recognition during one of the most prolific offensive seasons in school history.
In her second season as Penn State's hitting coach in 2025, Baggetta helped orchestrate what was the most prolific offensive campaign in program history at the time, as the Nittany Lions set single-season school records with a .329 batting average, 341 runs scored, 306 RBI, 74 home runs and 770 total bases while extending the program's longest streak of double-digit Big Ten win seasons to four. She also helped develop four NFCA All-Region and Second Team All-Big Ten selections in Brooke Klosowicz, Meagan Ricks, Maddie Gordon and Haylie Brunson, with Klosowicz setting school records for doubles (23) and RBI (53) and Gordon earning the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor.
During her first season in Happy Valley in 2024, Baggetta helped spark one of the most successful campaigns in program history, guiding the Nittany Lions to a 35-20 overall record, a berth in the NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Penn State also tacked on its first NCAA Tournament victory in a season in well over a decade with an elimination game win against UAlbany. The Nittany Lions produced one of the nation's top power offenses, setting program single-season records for doubles, home runs and total bases while posting the third-most runs scored, RBI and triples in school history. Baggetta also helped develop three NFCA All-Great Lakes Region selections and five All-Big Ten honorees, highlighted by Bridget Nemeth's unanimous First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Penn State Female Athlete of the Year and Freshman All-America honors.
Baggetta joined the Blue & White as an assistant after spending the five prior seasons as the head coach at Division III Emory University. While at the helm in Atlanta, Baggetta compiled 91 overall victories and led Emory to the championship series of the 2019 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. Emory’s landmark 2019 campaign included a University Athletic Association conference championship, while the program’s national runner-up finish proved to be the most dominant single season in school history. The Eagles garnered the No. 2 final ranking in the NFCA Coaches Poll and landed a trio of student-athletes on the NCAA All-Championship team. In addition to her head coaching stint at Emory, Baggetta boasts a wealth of additional assistant coaching experience at both Iowa and South Carolina. As a decorated student-athlete in her own right from 1999 to 2002, Baggetta helped lead South Carolina to four consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, three SEC East Division championships and the 2000 SEC Tournament title. She was a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2002, also garnering a spot on the SEC All-Tournament Team. Baggetta graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport and Entertainment Management with a minor in business administration.
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