NITTANY LION CAREER
2008: Played in and started 51 games for the Nittany Lions... hit four doubles, four triples and four home runs throughout the season... was second highest on the team in runs scored with 29...recorded two RBIs against Syracuse with her first career triple (2/24)... registered a career high five RBIs against Miami (OH) with two home runs (3/23)... inked a career high five at-bats with three hits against Ohio State (4/20)... earned the team Most Improved Award... named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.
2007: Started 25 of the 45 games she played this season... got her first hit and scored two runs against East Carolina (2/11)... hit an RBI single and scored a run in victory over North Carolina (2/11)... cracked a double against UNLV (2/23)... scored two runs in nine inning victory at Fullerton (3/15)... tallied an RBI single at Ohio State (5/10).
2006: Made appearances in 33 games... hit 40-for-163 for a .238 average... her first multiple-hit game came in a 2-for-2 performance at Indiana (4/2, game 2)... drove in her only RBI of the year in a 1-for-1 performance vs. St. Francis (3/29)... went 1-for-2 with a run scored vs. North Dakota State (2/26) and vs. Pittsburgh (4/18, game 2)... had one stolen base vs. St. Francis (3/29)... her only sacrifice fly came versus Illinois (4/9)... had two walks.
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned conference player of the year her senior season after earning all-section recognition her freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years... her high school team, the Baldwin Highlanders, were WPIAL championship runners-up and also won two section championships... her club team, the Pittsburgh Wildfire, won ninth place at Nationals in 2005... was team captain both her junior and senior years and earned four varsity letters, lettering twice in basketball.
PERSONAL: Samantha Hovanec was born on April 25, 1987, the daughter of Matt and Becky Hovanec... she has two older brothers Andrew (25) and Adam (24)... she is a kinesiology major... she enjoys hanging out with her family and friends, reading and going to her cabin on the weekends.
QUOTING COACH PETRINI: 'Sam transitioned into the outfield last year and earned a starting spot in right field. She narrowly missed defeating top-seeded Michigan with a triple off the wall to end the season. She is hungry for redemption and knows what it takes to get this team on track. We are excited to see her have her best year yet to finish her career in blue and white.'