May 7, 2010
Saturday: • • Sunday:
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State softball team (28-20, 7-9 Big Ten) wraps up its home slate of games this weekend in a two-game series against No. 19/22 Ohio State starting Saturday. Sunday's game will be the final game in the 36-year history of Nittany Lion Field and will serve as Senior Day for Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.), Danielle Noll (Bald Eagle, Pa.) and Kimi Wong (Goleta, Calif.).
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
(33-12, 12-2 Big Ten)
at
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
(28-20, 7-9 Big Ten)
Games #49-50: May 8-9, 2010 • 2 p.m. / 1 p.m. • Nittany Lion Field Field • University Park, Pa.
GAME DAY
VENUE: Nittany Lion Field (1,000)
RADIO: 1390 AM WRSC (GoPSUsports.com All-Access)
TALENT: TBA
SERIES RECORD vs. OSU: Penn State trails 41-26
NEXT SERIES: May 14-15 at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.) Friday at 4:00 p.m., Saturday at 1:00 p.m. GAME STORIES
• Penn State closes out 36 years at Nittany Lion Field with two against Ohio State
• PSU is riding a three-game home winning streak vs. OSU since 2004, this weekend is the first time the Buckeyes are visiting Happy Valley since 2006
• Nittany Lions look for first win over a ranked opponent in 2010 and break four-game skid
• Ashley Griffith and Danee Collett garnered Academic All-District II honors on Thurs.
• Sunday will serve as Senior Day for Ashley Griffith, Danielle Noll and Kimi Wong
• Penn State travels to Indiana next week (5/14-15) in regular season finale
• Future home of Penn State softball, Nittany Lion Softball Park, on time for 2011 opener
• Ceremonial groundbreaking being held May 7 for the new $10.2 million facility
GAME NOTES
NITTANY LION PARK GROUNDBREAKING: Friday, May 7, 2010 begins a new era in Penn State softball history as the groundbreaking for the $10.2 million Nittany Lion Softball Park. The new 1,084-seat facility is slated for a March 2011 opening day and will feature state-of-the-art features that will make it one of the finest softball complexes in the country. "The project getting started is exciting," Head coach Robin Petrini said on Apr. 23. "We see it everyday at practice and everyone from the coaching staff to the student-athletes are excited about it. I walk out on the construction site after practice with my hard hat on and it makes me very proud of what will be built." Construction began on March 28, 2010 and will take 11 months to complete. Penn State president Dr. Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley will be on hand for the ceremony including many of the donors to the project.
CLOSING UP SHOP: The 36-year history of Nittany Lion Field will end on Sunday with the last pitch against Ohio State. Opened in 1974 after serving as the home to Penn State freshman baseball, Nittany Lion Field has seen 499 games over its time. Penn State is 265-234 (.531) all-time at the field, including 11 seasons of double digit wins. The most wins in any given season was 16 during the 1990 campaign and the team had four undefeated years in the 1970s and 80s. Penn State's best years at Nittany Lion Field came during Robin Petrini's tenure as a pair of 11-2 seasons in 2000 and 2005 rank as the winningest seasons (.846) in which more than 10 games were played.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: The Ohio State Buckeyes are 33-12 on the 2010 campaign, compiling a 12-2 mark in Big Ten action. Last weekend, OSU eked out a pair of wins at Iowa 4-3 and 6-5 (nine innings). In both games, the Buckeyes had to stage a comeback. In their midweek games prior, Ohio State upset #2 Michigan 5-3 in the first game before falling 4-3 in the second game. The Buckeyes boast a powerful lineup with six everyday players hitting .300 or better. The team bats .304 and has smashed 68 doubles and 47 homers this season with Alicia Herron and Sam Marder leading the way. Herron is batting .429 with 13 doubles, three triples, eight homers and 39 RBI, while stealing 10 bases. Marder is second in the Big Ten in homers (16), while batting .360 and driving in 40. Marder also leads the Big Ten in intentional walks with 16 this season. In the circle, freshman Melanie Nichols has steadily improved, as the year has gone on, becoming the team's ace. She is 20-2 overall with a 1.90 earned run average, striking out 122 in 154.2 innings. In Big Ten play she is 9-1 with a 1.56 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY: Ohio State is Penn State's oldest Big Ten rival with the teams' first meeting in 1976. After Temple and Wright State, who started playing Penn State in 1975, OSU is the oldest Division I rival Penn State has. The teams have played 66 times over the years, the most played series in PSU istory, with Ohio State holding a 41-25 edge. Penn State holds a three-game winning streak at Nittany Lion Field, taking both meetings in 2006 (4-2, 1-0) and another in 2004 (4-2). Last season, Ohio State won the season-ending series by scores of 6-0 and 2-0.
SENIOR DAY CORONATION: Sunday's game against Ohio State will serve as Senior Day for Penn State's three graduating student-athletes. Ashley Griffith, Danielle Noll and Kimi Wong will play their final games in Happy Valley this weekend. Sunday's ceremony is set for 12:50 p.m.
COSIDA/ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC HONORS:  The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced that two Penn State softball student-athletes, Ashley Griffith and Danee Collett, were selected to the Academic All-District II honor roll on Thursday. Griffith made the first team, while Collett landed on the second team. Griffith, a co-captain of the 2010 Nittany Lion softball team, earned her first CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine honor on Thursday thanks to her 3.95 cumulative grade point average and stellar play on the field. Collett has had a breakout year in 2010 setting new career highs in hits (40), doubles (11), homers (5) and RBI (29), while batting .292 this season. Both Griffith and Collett are now eligible to earn Academic All-America honors.
WINDY CITY HEARTBREAK: The Nittany Lions put together a solid hitting display for the second consecutive Big Ten weekend, but it wasn't enough as two swings by Northwestern gave the Wildcats a sweep. Penn State twice had early leads in each game (5-0 and 2-0) and NU home runs garnered 8-6 and 9-5 wins over PSU. Jackie Hill went 3-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI, while Cassidy Bell led the Lions with four hits in six at bats. Lauren Yao added two hits including her first career homer in Saturday's game, a sixth-inning go-ahead shot to center field. Yao and Lauren Rossi each added three RBI.
SACRIFICING FOR THE TEAM:  Through 48 team games, Ashley Griffith leads the country with 22 sacrifice bunts. She is just one off tying the school record, which was twice recorded by Dena Tauriello (1988, 1990). Tauriello holds the all-time record at Penn State for sacrifices with 69 and Griffith is second with 55.
RPI RELEASED:  The third NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) was released on Wednesday, May 5, which includes games played through May 2. Penn State currently holds the No. 62 spot in the rankings, which is fifth best behind Michigan (2nd), Illinois (18th), Ohio State (29th) and Northwestern (49th). Penn State has previously played Purdue (68th) and Iowa (71st) with a win against the Boilers and a sweep of the Hawkeyes as its best Big Ten wins according to the RPI, while the best overall win is a victory at San Diego State, who is rated 23rd overall. Remaining games against Ohio State and Indiana are crucial for Penn State's chances at an NCAA berth. Altogether, 30 automatic berths are given to the conference winners and 34 more bids are given to at-large teams to the 64-team tournament, which is set to start May 19. Penn State's last appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2007.
ORANGE JUICED: Penn State couldn't generate any offense in a Tuesday evening doubleheader against Syracuse, dropping both games, 2-0 and 6-1. Jackie Hill pitched a complete-game with nine strikeouts in the first tilt, but a two-run blast helped the Orange to the win. In Game Two, Ashley Griffith provided two hits, but Morgan Long scored the team's only run of the day. Sophomore hurler Lisa Akamine struck out 15 in Game Two, tying the school record for most in a game set by Missy Beseres at Northwestern (Apr. 24, 2005).
GETTING HAWKISH AGAINST IOWA: The Nittany Lions broke out of their mid-season swoon and four-game losing streak in a big way, taking out second-place Iowa in a pair of games over the weekend, 7-1 and 5-2. Penn State pounded out 23 hits for a .426 average, out-pacing the Hawkeyes, who only garnered six with a .130 average. Cassidy Bell led the charge going 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles and three RBI, while Lauren Yao combined for a 4-for-7 weekend, scoring three times. Kailyn Johnson added a 3-for-6 showing, while Lauren Rossi's three-run home run on Sunday powered a four-run second inning. Mary Ostman, Desi Giordano and Lisa Akamine each provided two hits over the weekend. Jackie Hill threw a one-hitter, allowing just one earned run, while striking out nine with no walks in Saturday's win, while Akamine notched her 15th victory of the season with a one-earned-run effort, striking out seven and only walking one with five hits allowed. Hill helped herself with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk on Saturday. Morgan Long added two RBI, one in each game with a single and a sacrifice fly. Ashley Todd belted her first career double in Saturday's game driving in a run as well.
TOUGH LOSSES AT MICHIGAN: The No. 2/2 Michigan Wolverines proved why they're one of the best teams in the country with their hitting display on Wednesday, April 21. Michigan hit four home runs and won both games by a score of 8-0 in five innings. Ashley Griffith beat out a grounder for an infield single in Game Two for the Nittany Lions. The losses were the first at Michigan since 2004.
GRIFFITH EARNS MCCOY HONOR: Senior outfield Ashley Griffith was named Penn State's female Ernest B. McCoy Award recipient on April 16. The award is presented annually to the top male and top female student-athlete who combine successful athletic participation with academic excellence. McCoy was PSU's athletic director and Dean of the College of Physical Education from 1952-70, his name adorns the natatorium. The men's recipient was soccer forward Jason Yiesley, who was named the conference's most outstanding offensive player and drafted by FC Dallas of the MLS.
FIRST BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARD FOR AKAMINE: Sophomore hurler Lisa Akamine garnered her first Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award on Monday, March 29 for her excellent performances in the circle against Saint Francis and Minnesota.  Akamine went 2-0, pitching 18.1 innings with 23 strikeouts, nine hits against and just two earned runs allowed. Akamine was especially impressive against Saint Francis with an 11.1 inning performance in which she allowed just five hits with no walks and struck out 14 batters.
OFFICIAL RADIO BROADCAST HOME:   On Thursday, March 25, Penn State announced the radio home of Nittany Lion softball for the remainder of the 2010 season.  Eight home games will be broadcast on 1390 AM WRSC in the State College area. All of those games will also be streamed on All-Access for free so that fans can tune in and listen. As scheduled, March 27th's game against Minnesota, Game One vs. Pittsburgh (Apr. 6), both Michigan State games (Apr. 14) will kick off the radio slate. Other games to be broadcast are against Illinois (Apr. 17), Iowa (Apr. 24), Syracuse Game One (Apr. 27) and Ohio State (May 8). ComRadio traveled with the team on March 31 to Kent State for a doubleheader, the first away broadcast by a Penn State crew to do a softball game. Other radio additions may be announced at a later date, specifically for away games. Combined with the two Big Ten Network television broadcasts and two bigtennetwork.com webcasts, at least 24 of the final 27 games will have live coverage from the broadcast booth.
Penn State's new stadium is set to open in 2011. |
HOME OF THE FUTURE:  Friday, March 19, 2010 will go down as one of the defining days in Nittany Lion softball history as the Penn State Board of Trustees approved final funding towards the New Nittany Lion Softball Park project. Groundbreaking took place on March 28, 2010 for the 1,084-seat facility that will have all the bells and whistles, which will represent one of the finest facilities in the Big Ten and in the country. Complete with new offices, clubhouses, locker rooms, training areas, batting cages, bullpens, permanent seating, concourse, concessions, bathrooms, dugouts and a brand new press box, the new stadium serve its patrons, coaches and student-athletes as second-to-none. "We are tremendously excited of the Board of Trustees' approval," head coach Robin Petrini said on March 19. "We have been waiting for this day for a long time. Everyone is looking forward to being a part of this project and the student-athletes can't wait to play in one of the best facilities in the nation." Plans call for the stadium to be energy efficient and responsible by design, earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. An official groundbreaking ceremony will take place May 7, 2010.
Pitcher Jackie Hill |
HILL EARNS BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOD: Senior Jackie Hill won her second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honor after compiling a 3-1 mark over the 3/13-14 weekend for Penn State. The senior tossed three complete games, two of which were shutouts, and struck out 31 hitters, allowing just 12 hits and nine walks through 26 innings of work for an 0.81 WHIP. Hill allowed just three earned runs in her four appearances this week for an 0.81 ERA. In appearances against Kennesaw State and Southern Illinois, Hill combined for 18 strikeouts and no runs on seven hits in complete-game victories. She improved her record to 10-4 on the year and had a season ERA of 1.43 following the Mar. 14 games.
400 THE ALMA MATER WAY: Head coach Robin Petrini achieved a milestone achievement when Penn State beat Utah State, 6-1, on Saturday. Petrini, a 1983 graduate of Utah State, where she won two AIAW National Championships as a shortstop, also picked up win No. 401 against San Diego State later that day. She was greeted by a cookie cake and balloons at the hotel to commemorate the achievement. Already the all-time leading coach in wins at Penn State, Petrini has also led the squad to more NCAA appearances (seven) in her 13 years than the program had before her arrival (two). She'll go for win No. 402 against Towson, the team she beat for her first career win back in 1997.
HOTEL ENCANTO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:  Sophomore catcher Danee Colett earned mention on the 2010 Hotel Encanto Invitational All-Tournament Team.  Collett hit a team-high .471 for the weekend with eight hits, one homer and a double, while driving in seven RBI. For the weekend she got on base at a clip of .500 and slugged .706 while posting a nearly flawless performance on behind the plate (40 putouts, zero errors, one passed ball).
BIG STAGE, BIG TEN NETWORK: The Big Ten Network announced its annual televised softball schedule on Feb. 18 and at least four Penn State games will be broadcast live on television or through the network's website, BigTenNetwork.com. Penn State's games at Michigan (4/21) were on the BTN's website, and the two matchups at Northwestern (5/1-2) will be televised. There's a possibility that PSU's games at Indiana (5/14-15) could be picked up as part of the Big Ten Network's wild card weekend.
Left Fielder Ashley Griffith |
GRIFFITH HAS CLASS: Senior outfielder Ashley Griffith is one of just 30 NCAA softball student-athletes to be named a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate.  The award is "An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in SchoolTM, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: classroom, community, character and competition." Additionally, Griffith is one of just five Big Ten softball student-athletes to be a Lowe's Senior CLASS Award candidate. Finalists were named on March 29, but Griffith was not one of the 10 candidates for inclusion on that list.
PSULIONSOFTBALL ON TWITTER: Nittany Lion softball is now on Twitter. Keep up to date with inside information and exclusive access @PSULionSoftball.
NITTANY LIONS ON YOUTUBE: Check out exclusive interviews after every game on GoPSUsports.com and the GoPSUTV YouTube Channel (Youtube.com/GoPSUTV) and click on the softball playlist on the right side of the page.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Nittany Lions finish off its 52-game regular season on Friday and Saturday at Indiana.  Friday's matchup is at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday's game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Both games will have live stats through GameTracker and commentary on Twitter (@PSULionSoftball.)
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--NITTANY LIONS--