March 13, 2014
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CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Penn State softball team looks to close out the tournament slate on a positive note as the Nittany Lions head to the Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament this weekend for their final tournament of the regular season. The three-day competition, hosted by South Florida, is one of the largest tournaments in the country with 28 teams in attendance.
Penn State opens the weekend against future Big Ten foe Rutgers on Friday at 4:30 p.m., followed by a matchup with Central Connecticut State at 6:45. The Nittany Lions will face Wagner and Yale on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., respectively, before taking on No. 12 Baylor on Sunday at 9 a.m. to wrap up the weekend.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Fri. 4:30 p.m. vs. Rutgers
Fri. 6:45 p.m. vs. Central Connecticut State
Sat. 9:30 a.m. vs. Wagner
Sat. 11:45 a.m. vs. Yale
Sun. 9:00 a.m. vs. No. 12 Baylor
LAST TIME OUT
The Nittany Lions dropped their only two contests at the JMU Invitational to Kent State and Dartmouth. PSU fell to Kent State, 9-1, in five innings before dropping a 6-3 decision to Dartmouth. Their final two games of the weekend were cancelled due to inclement weather.
IN THE ZONE
Sophomore Lexi Knief is the top hitter for the Nittany Lions so far this season, having recorded a team-high 19 hits on 49 at-bats for a .388 clip. She has totaled four RBIs, a team-best 14 runs and has two doubles and a triple to her name.
The center fielder has already surpassed her total of 11 runs from last season.
FORCE OF THE FROSH
Freshman Shelby Miller has proven to be a key player for the Lions both offensively and defensively. The Sugar Land, Texas native owns a batting average of .391 with a 9-for-23 mark at the plate. She has earned 10 starts in right field in her rookie campaign.
LAU OF THE LAND
Freshman pitcher Marlaina Laubach has taken over in the circle for Penn State, earning wins in four of PSU's five victories, including a signature win over No. 21 LSU.
The Northampton, Pa. native has a team-best ERA of 3.18 through 44.0 innings. She has thrown 25 strikeouts on the season, including a season-high six vs. FAU (2/21).
DOUBLING UP
Senior Kasie Hatfield is currently tied for second in the league in doubles, having already notched seven this season. The Tampa, Fla. native is on pace to surpass her previous season-best of eight doubles from 2012.
REVIEWING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights enter the weekend at 5-7 overall and have lost their last two contests. Rutgers last defeated the College of Charleston, 11-3, on Feb. 23.
Senior Loren Williams and junior Jackie Bates have set the pace for the Knights offense the season and own batting averages of .455 and .324, respectively. Williams has gone 20-for-44 at the plate with 11 runs and seven RBIs while Bates has put together a 12-for-37 effort so far with six runs and 14 RBIs.
Junior Alyssa Landrith leads Rutgers' pitching efforts with an ERA of 2.33. The pitcher has thrown 47 strikeouts in 42.0 innings in the circle.
SCOUTING CCSU
The Blue Devils are 5-3 heading into the weekend and are on a three-game winning streak. Central Connecticut State defeated St. Bonaventure twice and Iona once in their last outing at the Hampton Tournament.
Kat Malcom and Alexis Debrosse are the top hitters for the Blue Devils. Malcom is hitting at a .385 clip for CCSU with a team-high 10 hits on 26 at-bats. Debrosse owns a .381 batting average with five runs and a team-best eight RBIs.
Laura Messina leads the Blue Devils in the circle with an ERA of 0.66. The junior has given up just three runs in 32.0 innings and has struck out 43 opponents.
STAKING OUT THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner comes into the tournament with a 4-8 record. The Seahawks went 2-2 in their last outing at George Washington's Colonials Tournament, defeating Howard twice and falling to Binghamton and GWU.
Junior Kelsey Parker and freshman Taylor Beeson are leading the charge for the Seahawks offensively. Parker is hitting at a .417 clip with 15 hits on 36 at-bats and had driven in 14 runs wile Beeson owns a batting average of .361 and is 13-for-36 at the plate with 11 runs and eight RBIs.
McKaleigh Goodhale is the top pitcher for Wagner as she sports a 3.54 ERA. The freshman has thrown 21 strikeouts in 28 innings on the rubber.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Yale sits at 1-6 on the year. The Bulldogs' lone victory came on Feb. 23 in a 4-1 decision against Farleigh Dickinson.
Tori Balta leads Yale at the plate with a batting average of .320. The senior has registered eight hits on 25 at-bats and has three doubles to her name.
The Bulldogs are led in the circle by freshman Lindsay Eddlandt. The rookie owns an ERA of 1.31 through 10.2 innings and has thrown 8 strikeouts.
BREAKING DOWN BAYLOR
The Bears enter the weekend as the No. 12 team in the country accoring to the lastest NFCA poll and own a record of 17-4. They have not dropped a contest since losing to Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 28 in an 11-10 decision.
Junior Kaitlyn Thumann and redshirt sophomore Linsey Hays are the driving force behind Baylors offense.Thumann is hitting at an impressive .485 clip with 33 hits on 68 at-bats. Hays owns a batting average of .380 and is 18-for-50 at the plate with eight runs and 18 RBIs.
The duo of Heather Stearns and Whitney Canion leads the Bears on the rubber with both holding ERAs under 2.0. Stearns has an ERA of 1.20 through 41.0 innings and has struck out 46 opponents while Canion owns an ERA of 1.57 through 71.1 innings with 89 strikeouts.
FIERCE COMPETITION
Six of Penn State's 2014 opponents are listed in the current USA Today/NFCA poll, including No. 8 Michigan. Other opponents include Arizona State (No. 7), Kentucky (No. 9), Baylor (No. 12), Minnesota (No. 18) and Northwestern (No. 25) while LSU has received votes. Seven of the programs are also represented in the current ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings.
ON DECK
After a grueling 21-game road swing to start the season, Penn State finally heads home to host Purdue for a three-game series next weekend. The series will serve as the Nittany Lions' Big Ten and home opener. The first game of the series is slated for a 6 p.m. start on Friday at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.