LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head softball coach Steve Johnson has announced the program's newest signing class of six players. Emily Dority, Taryn Edds, Gigi Gonzalez, Ariel Lopez, Claudia Medina and Claire Raley will join the Aggies next fall for the 2022 season. 

"Overall, this is a tremendously deep and versatile class for us. Not only does this class address all of our position needs, but everyone plays multiple positions, so we'll have a lot of flexibility with our lineup. We have been watching this class for a long time, many since they were eighth graders, and they are all tremendous athletes who will contribute to our program right away," Johnson said. "In addition to being great ball players, everyone in this class has outstanding character with great families who support them and will fit well into our culture here at Utah State."

USU's signing class has been ranked as the 89th-best class for the season by Extra Inning Softball, giving the Aggies a top-90 group two of the last four years. Additionally, Medina is ranked as the No. 69 recruit for the 2022 class, while Lopez comes in at No. 233.

An in-state player from South Jordan, Utah, Dority is a versatile player who will be able to pitch and play first base for the Aggies. In her two years of action at Bingham High School, Dority is hitting .431 and has a 3.36 earned run average. As a sophomore in 2019, Dority hit eight home runs and had 29 RBIs, helping the Miners to a region title. She earned first-team all-region and all-state honors that season before her junior campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dority has played club softball for the Utah Freakz since 2015.

"Emily is a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher. In the circle, Emily has plus velocity along with great movement and has the potential to be a big strikeout pitcher for us," Johnson said. "She can also play first base and as one of our bombers, has tremendous power at the plate. Emily came to many of our camps and just kept impressing us each time we saw her, and we were able to see the same things when we watched her in games."

Edds joins the Aggies from Anaheim, Calif. A catcher, she plays at John F. Kennedy High School. At the club level, Edds has played the last three seasons with Team Freeman, having also played for American Athletic. She was also a four-year starter for the John F. Kennedy HS volleyball team. 

"Taryn is one of the best receivers I've ever recruited behind the plate. As the daughter of one of the best umpires in the college game, she knows how to get those borderline strikes for our pitchers and really understands the catcher/umpire relationship," Johnson said. "As a hitter, Taryn has some pop but is a great gap-to-gap line drive hitter who fits well into our ball player category. Taryn can also play third base when she's not catching and has a great softball IQ. The only downside with Taryn is we don't get to have her dad, Smokey, call any of our games."

Gonzalez is an infielder from San Diego, Calif., where she plays at Mater Dei Catholic High School. In her two seasons, she is hitting .300 in 144 at-bats, including 10 doubles, one triple and five home runs. She played her two seasons at Mater Dei Catholic HS with current Aggie freshman Zaia Castruita. In club play, Gonzalez is currently in her third season with Athletics Jendro Premier and has also played for SoCal Breakers and Athletics Mercado. 

"I first saw Gigi the summer before her eighth-grade year and knew that she would be a special talent. Even at an early age, she was able to make plays that set her apart from her peers," Johnson said. "Gigi can play pretty much anywhere on the infield, has a great glove, strong arm and hits for both power and average. She has continued to work hard on her game and continued to improve and could have an immediate impact for us next year."

A middle infielder, Lopez comes to USU from San Marcos, Calif. and Mission Hills High School. Overall, she is batting .354 with 67 RBIs and 13 home runs. She was able to play in seven games before her junior season was canceled, tallying six hits and seven runs. Lopez has played eight seasons of club softball, most recently with Breakers Labs. 

"Ariel is another player we have been watching for a long time who impressed us right away. She has this confidence about her that shows in her game as she makes the difficult plays look routine," Johnson said. "As a hitter, she has some pop but has true gap-to-gap power mixed with speed so she fits well into our offensive strategy as a top of the order kid who can create chaos in a lot of different ways. She'll work at both middle infield spots and is another one who could have an immediate impact."

Medina will play both a middle infield and outfield role for Utah State. A native of West Sacramento, Calif., she joins the Aggies from River City High School. Medina is hitting a blistering .491 on her career, highlighted by a .567 batting average as a junior. She has tallied 78 hits, including 16 doubles, nine triples and 11 home runs. Medina plays club softball with CA Breeze. She also plays basketball at River City HS.

"Former assistant coach Jo Koons found Claudia and as soon as I saw her play, I knew that she was someone we wanted on the field. As a true utility player, she can play anywhere on the infield but also has the speed and skill set to play in the outfield if needed," Johnson said. "While she has some pop in her bat, she's another gap-to-gap kid with speed who can create chaos on the base paths for us. Claudia is dedicated to the game and has put a lot of work in to become a great player who will have a big impact for us right away."

Rounding out the signing class, Raley will be able to play both third base and in the outfield for the Aggies. A native of Clovis, Calif., she has played one season at Buchanan High School. In her single season of play, Raley earned first-team all-league honors and was named the Offensive Player of the Year. She also holds the Buchanan HS single-game stolen base record with five. Raley played her latest club season with Sorcerers Softball, while also playing for CenCal Dirtdogs. 

"We found Claire late in the recruiting game but the first time I watched her, it took one swing and two plays at third base to know that this kid had the skills to be a great player. She's a versatile player who's primarily a third baseman, but can also play second or the outfield," Johnson said. "Claire possesses great speed, a strong arm and all around great athletic ability that will allow her to be a big contributor for us next year. She's a quiet kid who just works hard, does all the right things and has the potential to be another really special player in this class."

Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at /USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.

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