Penn State Nittany Lions

2023 • JUNIOR SEASON 
Awards: Landed recognition as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar…Academic All-Big Ten…Easton/NFCA Scholar Athlete.
 
Season: Played in 41 games in her junior season, making 34 starts in either right or left field…Booked career-best seasons in RBI (16), home runs (six), slugging percentage (.468), walks drawn (13) and on base percentage (.330)…Ranked third on the team in dingers…Finished the season with 21 hits in 94 at-bats for a batting average of .223…Scored 17 runs in her third season in Happy Valley…Published a 1.000 fielding percentage, logging 31 putouts and a pair of outfield assists.
 
vs. Cleveland State (2/17): Opened her junior season with a bang, launching a three-run homer as a part of a 1-for-4 outing. vs. Memphis (2/19): Scored a season-high two runs and went 2-for-3 in the batter’s box with an RBI…Cranked a double and added a steal on the basepath. vs. Canisius (3/18): Belted a home run and went 1-for-2 in the box…Added an outfield assist. vs. Pittsburgh (3/21): Scored the winning run in PSU’s 1-0 walk off win over the in-state rival Panthers…Was 1-for-2 in the box with a stolen base. vs. Iowa (3/24): Led Penn State to its second straight walk off win, launching a solo shot to left to close out the game…Was 2-for-4 overall at the dish. vs. Ohio State (4/11): Was a perfect 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBI in the first game of the day. Big Ten Tournament vs. Indiana (5/11): Tallied a season-best three putouts against the Hoosiers.
 
2022 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Named NFCA Easton All-America Scholar-Athlete...Academic All-Big Ten. 
 
Season: Played 50 games with 41 starts...Had 24 hits including seven doubles...Homered three times...Scored 18 runs...Tallied 15 RBI...Stole six bases on six attempts...Made 50 putouts. 
 
vs. Missouri (2/11): Stole first career base. vs Akron (2/13): Recorded a hit. at FIU (2/18): Had one hit. Manufactured an RBI...Scored a run...Stole a base. at North Carolina (3/4): Hit three-run homer...Scored two runs...Drew a walk. vs UNCG (3/5): Had two hits and two runs...Batted in a run...Stole a base. vs. Maryland (3/26): Had two hits including a double and a home run...Batted in two runs.
 
2021 • FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named NFCA Easton All-America Scholar-Athlete.

Season: Made 25 appearances with three starts, primarily as a pinch runner and a defensive specialist in the outfield...Had one hit...Scored three runs.

vs. Wisconsin (2/26): Made Penn State debut as substitute in outfield in game two of doubleheader...Had first career at-bat. vs. Purdue (2/27): Made first career start in outfield in game two of doubleheader...Recorded first career hit. at Nebraska (3/28): Scored first career run, the eventual go-ahead run in top of eighth to lead Nittany Lions to first win of season. at Maryland (4/25): Scored one run as pinch runner. No. 19 Michigan (5/2): Scored one run.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania… Helped lead her team to back-to-back SOL league titles in 2017 and 2018… Named a First Team All-League selection for three-straight seasons from 2017 to 2019... Earned First Team All-State honors twice consecutively in 2018 and 2019… Was unable to participate in the spring 2020 season due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic... Also earned varsity letters in field hockey while at Neshaminy... Handled her travel ball commitments with Newtown Rock Gold under the direction of coach Joe Garvey from 2018 to 2020.

PERSONAL
Born in the fall of 2001 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Liana Jones is the daughter of Regina and Tom Jones... She has two older brothers, named Peyton and Nolan, as well as a younger brother named Andrew... Her eldest brother, Peyton, is one of the greatest goaltenders in Penn State men’s ice hockey history, winning the B1G Tournament MVP award on PSU’s 2017 Conference Championship squad before catapulting into a professional career in the Minnesota Wild organization... Her middle brother, Nolan, is a professional baseball player for the Colorado Rockies, leading the MLB in outfield assists with 19 en route to a fourth-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting in the 2023 season... Liana is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree from the Penn State Smeal College of Business in finance and maintains a Real Estate Analysis & Development (READ) certificate from PSU... Upon graduation, Liana will begin her career as a consultant in business performance improvement, specializing in finance and performance management practice with Protiviti, a global consulting firm headquartered in Menlo Park, California.