Ducks add All-ACC infielder Addison Amaral from Notre Dame

After picking up Cal transfer Elon Butler in the portal on Wednesday, Oregon softball head coach Melyssa Lombardi continued to stay active on Friday afternoon, announcing the signing of Notre Dame's Addison Amaral.

A two-time All-ACC selection with the Fighting Irish, the middle infielder from Salinas, California, will give Lombardi another weapon at the top of her lineup while filling one of her team's positions of need in the field.

"Addi is a very impressive athlete," Lombardi said of Amaral in a statement released by the team on Friday. "I like her range up the middle and her ability to make the 50-50 plays look easy."

Amaral will be entering her junior season with the Ducks after spending two years in South Bend, where she hit .349 with 19 home runs and 95 RBIs against top-of-the-line competition in the ACC. After reaching base at a .368 clip as a freshman, Amaral elevated her game as a sophomore by staying more patient and waiting for her pitches, raising her walk rate from 6 percent to 14 percent for an on-base percentage of .463 while also cutting back on her strikeouts.

"Addi is a proven hitter from one of the premier conferences in our sport," Lombardi said. "I love her leadership on the field and her enthusiasm for playing the game. She will be an excellent fit for us. I look forward to watching her finish her career as a Duck."

Amaral's signing continues to flesh out Oregon's lineup for next season, which now has eight spots likely solidified — with the only question mark in one of the outfield corners. Amaral spent the majority of her playing time at second base as a freshman before moving across the diamond to short, giving her the versatility to play both positions up the middle. Sophomore Kaylynn Jones is the incumbent starter at second, but flashed the defensive chops in her debut season to handle either spot up the middle, having begun the year at third base before swapping with Katie Flannery. They will be the candidates to replace Paige Sinicki's production at shortstop.

Amaral's signing also provides some clarity to the role that Butler — a senior utility player — will lock down as well. Butler was primarily a second baseman during her first two seasons with Cal before moving to right field as a junior, which is where she will now likely spend the majority of her time with the Ducks.

After winning a conference title and reaching the Women's College World Series for the first time under Lombardi last season, it's clearly a feat that she wants to repeat with her moves in the portal over the last few days. Oregon will return one of the top tandems in the circle in seniors Lyndsey Grein and Elise Sokolsky, and will now add a pair of .300 hitters with double-digit homer potential to a young lineup that finished second in the nation in total offense last season.

"The team is competing at the highest level, and the staff coaches at the highest levels of the game," Amaral said in a statement through the team. "The team was welcoming and fun, and the facilities were amazing - they are second to none, and the surrounding area is beautiful. I love the support that Oregon offers to its athletes. I love to hike and look forward to taking advantage of the outlying areas and all that Oregon has to offer."