EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon softball program has signed three student-athletes to the class of 2025, coach Melyssa Lombardi announced Wednesday.
Those signing with the Ducks include infielder Taryn Ho from Honolulu, Hawaii, pitcher Maddie Milhorn out of Vancouver, Wash., and Amanda Urbina, an infielder from Whittier, Calif.
“What a special group of people and high-level athletes,” said Lombardi. “I love their joy for the game, impeccable work ethics, and overall athleticism. They know how to succeed in big moments and will have the opportunity to come in and impact our team right away.
“I really like the experience of this class,” said Lombardi. “They have competed against older, elite teams their entire careers and that experience will prepare them for the challenging schedule that we play.”
Taryn Ho, INF (B-R/T-R), Honolulu, Hawaii (Punahou High School)
Ho was twice named the Punahou High School athlete of the year, an honor given to the school’s top student-athlete among all sports. She hit .550 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs as a junior and was named to the 2023 Honolulu Star Advertiser All-State third team. Ho had a three-home run game against Maryknoll High School and hit two homers with six RBIs against Iolani High School. Ho is a two-time International League of Honolulu all-league first team honoree. She played three years of travel ball with Firecrackers Rico/Brashear. In the summer of 2022, Ho hit .403 with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and stole 27 bases. Ho is also a two-time international champion, having led Team Polynesia to the International Challenge title in both 2022 and 2023. Her father Daniel Ho played baseball at Cal Poly Pomona and her brother Bryson Ho played at Embry-Riddle.
Taryn Ho on Oregon
“The coaching staff was a major factor in my decision to choose the University of Oregon. They made me feel very comfortable. Being from Hawaii, family is very important. The coaches at Oregon made me feel right at home. I also felt that the University of Oregon would give me the best opportunity to excel on the field and also in the classroom to help me become a successful woman in the future.”
Coach Lombardi on Taryn Ho
“Taryn is a competitor to her core. She wants to win and compete at the highest level. Taryn is versatile with excellent range in the infield. She makes big-time plays on defense look routine. Our fans will see a lot of Paige Sinicki in her game. Offensively, Taryn hits for a high average with sneaky power, and will steal a lot of bases. When the game is on the line, she wants to be the one.”
Maddie Milhorn, RHP (B-R/T-R), Vancouver, Wash. (Skyview HS)
A prep All-American and the reigning Washington state 4A player of year, Milhorn has led Skyview High School to three state tournaments, including a runner-up finish in 2022 and a third-place showing in 2024. During her first three years, Skyview has gone undefeated in the Greater St. Helens League with a 71-7 overall record. During her junior season of 2024, Milhorn allowed just six earned runs over 96.2 innings with 193 strikeouts and 18 walks. At the plate, she hit .486 with seven home runs and 39 RBI. In addition to her state player of the year honors, Milhorn won her third consecutive Vancouver Columbia all-region player of the year award. She was also the 2024 GSHL player of the year. As a sophomore in 2023, Milhorn was named a first team All-American as an all-purpose player by Extra Inning Softball. That season, she was chosen as Washington’s Gatorade player of the year after compiling a 17-1 record with a 0.82 earned run average. She struck out 219 batters while allowing just 42 hits and 18 walks in 111.1 innings pitched. On the offensive side, she posted a .586 batting average with 16 home runs, 42 RBI, a .674 on-base percentage and a 1.286 slugging percentage. Milhorn won both the GSHL player and pitcher of the year awards that season as well as being named to the all-state team. She captured her first GSHL pitcher of the year honors as a freshman in 2022 and also made the all-state team. In just three seasons, Milhorn set the Skyview career records for home runs (30), RBIs (130), batting average (.489) and slugging percentage (.933). She played club ball with NW Bullets. The honor roll student also earned all-GSHL honors in volleyball for Skyview. Milhorn’s aunt, Melissa Bruechert, played softball at UNLV.
Maddie Milhorn on Oregon
“Oregon feels like home. I love Eugene and the support the community gives to athletes. The campus is beautiful and I feel like the student-athlete is fully supported to not only be successful on the athletic field, but also in the classroom. Oregon’s athletic facilities are like nowhere else. The minute I toured the different buildings I knew this was the place for me. When I visited and got to spend time with the softball team, I knew this was it. I’m excited to be a part of the Oregon softball family.”
Coach Lombardi on Maddie Milhorn
“Maddie is a powerful pitcher that will register consistently at 70 mph. She throws a great swing-and-miss drop ball and her changeup is very hard to recognize. The ability to have that elite-level velocity and an elite-level change of speed is really special. Maddie has also been a winner at all levels. I think it’s important to have players who have won championships in high school or summer ball. She knows what it takes to win it all.”
Amanda Urbina, INF (B-R/T-R), Whittier, Calif. (La Mirada HS)
Ranked as the No. 43 player in the state of California in 2023 by MaxPreps, Urbina was named an all-CIF Division 1 first team selection and Gateway League Most Valuable Player after leading La Mirada High School to its third consecutive league title in 2023. She will join a distinguished list of all-CIF Division 1 first team honorees who have gone on to play for Oregon, including the Ducks’ two most recent All-Americans Allee Bunker and Terra McGowan. Urbina was selected to play in the 2023 SVG all-star game. While playing club ball for Firecrackers Select Rico/Brashear, she was named the most valuable player of the 2023 Don Battles Tournament. Her team finished third at the Patriot Games and fifth in the Colorado Sparkler tournament. Firecrackers also reached the quarterfinals in the Alliance national tournament.
Amanda Urbina on Oregon
“Something that impressed me about the softball program was how the coaching staff genuinely cares for the players both on the field and off. From an outside point of view, I could see how connected everyone was. I could tell how much the sports are cared for and the school has a high level of sports.”
Coach Lombardi on Amanda Urbina
“Amanda quietly goes about her business, but the power that she can produce at the plate is impressive. She has an explosive swing; the ball just jumps off her bat. Amanda also has excellent plate coverage and plate discipline. She has the ability to change the game with one swing and embraces big moments. Amanda has faced high-level pitching her entire career, look for her to break records at Oregon.”
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