2025 • FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named to the Big Ten Conference All-Defensive team as a true freshman, one of just two student-athletes in the league to accomplish that feat… Landed D1Softball D100 Freshman to Watch and Softball America Freshman Watch List accolades in the preseason.
Season: Roared out of the gates in her inaugural collegiate campaign, contributing to the most dominant offensive season in school history with 50 starts and appearances primarily in left field… Turned in an impressive .329 batting average with a .936 OPS over the course of her inaugural year in the Blue & White… Had the fifth-most hits on the Nittany Lion roster with 49, adding 15 extra-base knocks split between seven homers, a triple and seven doubles… Logged 30 runs batted in… Finished the year as PSU’s second-most prolific base stealer, swiping 10 bags in 12 attempts… Recorded the best fielding percentage among non-catchers on the roster, tallying a .990 fielding percentage as one of the best individual defenders in college softball… Named Penn State’s defensive MVP in the postseason after logging 98 putouts with a trio of outfield assists, adding multiple highlight-reel catches in the outfield that were nominated for SportsCenter Top 10 consideration.
vs. Mississippi State (2/8): Made her collegiate debut against the Bulldogs, logging her first collegiate hit, triple, run scored and hit-by-pitch in the contest. vs. Nicholls (2/21): Cranked her first collegiate home run in the run-rule victory, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of runs scored in addition to a double. Fairfield (3/7): Set a season-high with a trio of RBI against the Stags, going 3-for-3 with a trio of runs scored, a walk and a double. Fairfield (3/9): Went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs in the third game of the home-opening tournament, hitting a home run with a pair of RBI and a stolen base to her credit. vs. Northwestern (3/13): Made an immediate impact in her B1G debut, publishing a 2-for-4 effort with three runs scored and a walk. at Indiana (3/21): Lifted the Blue & White to a series-opening win over the Hoosiers with a. 2-for-4 showing that featured a home run, pair of RBI and a walk. Rutgers (4/5): Helped secure the sweep of the Scarlet Knights with a 3-for-4 effort in the box, logging a double and pair of RBI in the process. Saint Francis (4/9): Helped PSU thump the Red Flash, going 2-for-2 with three runs scored, and RBI and home run. Ohio State (4/13): Matched a season-high in putouts with six against the Buckeyes, adding a two-RBI single in the back-and-forth contest.
HIGH SCHOOL
One of the most dominant individual performers in high school softball across the northeast, Lieto helped guide Masuk High School to four consecutive state championships in the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons… In addition to her work on the diamond, she was also a member of the school’s varsity basketball team during the winter season… Lieto secured First Team All-Conference, Class L All-State and GameTimeCT All-State accolades in each of her four varsity seasons, directing Masuk to a trio of conference titles in the process… Named 2024 Positional Player of the Year and 2021 Freshman of the Year… She has spent time as a member of the CT Seahawks organization and completed her travel ball career on the Rhode Island Thunder 18U National travel team under the direction of coach Dave Lotti… Lieto was a team captain with Rhode Island Thunder from 2022 to 2024 and also earned PGF Regional All-America and Triple Crown Future Stars All-Star accolades during her club career… Lieto secured PGF High School All-America Honors in 2024 and was named a two-time Regional PGF High School All-American during her career… Lieto earned the No. 34 overall ranking according to Extra Inning Softball, standing as the highest-ranked prospect out of the state of Connecticut in her class.
PERSONAL
The eldest daughter of Frank and Nicole Lieto, Natalie was born in the fall of 2005 and is a native of Monroe, Connecticut… She has two younger sisters named Sofia and Josie… Her father, Frank, played varsity collegiate sports at both Marist College and Western New England University… In high school, Natalie was the school spirit coordinator with “Red Army Masuk” and served as an officer in the National Business Honors Society… She graduated from Masuk High School in the spring of 2024 and currently majors in Finance in the Penn State Smeal College of Business… After she completes her undergraduate coursework at PSU, Natalie hopes to begin her career in the financial field or go to law school with the goal of practicing law… In addition to her time on the diamond, Natalie enjoys skiing, reading and juggling.