Stanford softball landed a commitment from infielder Taryn Kern, a transfer from Indiana. Kern comes to Stanford as a sophomore after playing her freshman year for the Hoosiers. Kern is from San Jose, CA, so this is a bit of a homecoming for her.
"We are so excited to welcome Taryn and her family to Stanford," Stanford head coach Jessica Allister said in the team release. "Taryn's on field accolades speak for themselves, and it became abundantly clear the more time we spent with her that she would be an excellent fit in the clubhouse as well. There is no question Taryn will play a significant role in our quest to bring Stanford softball's first Women's College World Series Championship back to The Farm.”
"When it came to the decision of choosing my new home, I knew Stanford was the right place for me. The combination of academic and athletic excellence, being close to home, and the ultimate opportunity that Stanford University provides was the deal breaker for me,” Kern added.
Kern had a fabulous freshman season at Indiana, batting .412 for 22 home runs and 67 RBIs to go along with a .584 on base percentage and a ridiculous .959 slugging percentage. As a result her stellar play, she was a top-three finalist for the TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year.
What makes Kern such a great addition for the Cardinal is that her main strength is what Stanford needs more of. The Cardinal have fantastic pitching and really sound contact hitting. But what they lacked last season was power. Someone who they could rely on to hit home runs. No one on the team hit double digit home runs, so to add someone who hit 22 is huge.
When you look for talent in the transfer portal, you want to find players who can shore up weaknesses you have and make you a better all-around team. The Cardinal certainly did that by adding Kern. Coming off a trip to the Women’s College World Series, the Cardinal have to like their chances of getting back for a second straight season and perhaps making an even deeper run now that they have added such a powerful bat to their lineup.
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