April 14, 2015
| PENN STATE vs. OHIO STATE | |
| Wed. Apr. 15 - Gm 1 @ 5:30 pm/Gm 2 @ 7:30 pm | |
| NLSB & Beard Field | University Park, Pa. | |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State softball team will welcome in B1G rival Ohio State Wednesday night to Beard Field for a rescheduled twin bill. PSU and OSU will play two games starting at 5:30 p.m. with the second to start approximately two hours later.
The initial meeting was scheduled for a week prior but had to postponed due to the rain which was hitting the central Pennsylvania area.
The Nittany Lions enter the two-game set at 21-20 on the season after having dropped three-straight to Indiana over the weekend for a 4-8 conference mark. The Buckeyes come to town sporting a 22-16 overall record and are 6-6 in the B1G.
GAME NOTES
QUICK HITS
-Penn State is riding an impressive streak as the Nittany Lions have piled up 10 or more hits in 12 straight games heading into their doubleheader with OSU.
-PSU is averaging a little more than 12 hits per game during that stretch of time and have hit at least one home run in 11 of those dozen contests.
-Junior Macy Jones is currently in the midst of a team high 12 game hit streak, dating back to the doubleheader with Robert Morris (Mar. 25). During that stretch of time she's hitting .462 (18-39) with three doubles, a triple and three home runs to go along with 16 RBI, 19 runs scored and 14 walks.
-The Lions have a number of players who rank in the Top 10 in the B1G when it comes to offensive categories. Lexi Knief is tied for second in triples (3) and sixth in hits (51) while Alyssa VanDerveer is tied for 10th with her nine long balls. Mollie Sorenson is tops in the conference when it comes to sacrifice bunts with eight.
-Amanda Lehotak's squad stands at 5-6 at home this season and will look to notch at least its sixth win at Beard Field this season against OSU. The record for home wins in PSU's new park is 11 set in 2011, the last time the Blue & White won a half-dozen games at Nittany Lion Softball Park was in 2012 with 10 home W's.
SERIES HISTORY vs. OHIO STATE
The Nittany Lions' series with the Buckeyes is the most storied compared with any of PSU's B1G opponents as the two have met up for a total of 77 times entering Tuesday's matchup. The Lions are currently 29-48 (.377) all-time against their one-time non-conference foes. The now conference rivals first met during the 1975 season with Penn State claiming a 12-4 win over OSU in Columbus. The two met a total of 21 times between 1975 and 1991 as non-conference opponents before their first meeting as Big Ten schools during the 1992 season, in which Ohio State took both matchups in Happy Valley. PSU's first conference win against OSU came later in the year on the road. PSU is 18-38 (.321) against the Buckeyes in Big Ten play and has dropped its last seven meetings with them dating back to the 2012 season.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State comes into the midweek twin bill with a 12-16 overall record and a 4-6 record in the B1G. The Buckeyes have won three-straight, sweeping Michigan State over the weekend after dropping three of their last five before that. OSU started off the 2015 campaign with a 9-1 record but after losing seven in-a-row shortly afterwards fell to just one game over .500.
The Buckeye offense is led by the two-headed monster of senior outfielder Caitlin Conrad and redshirt junior Maddie McIntyre. Conrad is tops on the team when it comes to hits (52), home runs (9) and steals (9), while McIntyre leads OSU with 37 runs scored, a .761 slugging percentage and a .532 on base percentage to go along with 27 walks. Freshman outfielder Bailee Sturgeon has the highest average, hitting at a .438 clip.
The OSU pitching staff is headlined by the tandem of senior Olivia O'Reilly who has a team high 12wins and 109.2 innings pitched to go along with a team best 4.09 ERA. Sophomore hurler ShelbyHursh is tops in batting average against (.246) and strikeouts with 77.
DID YOU KNOW?
Penn State is second in the B1G when it comes to turning two. The Lions have pulled off 21 double plays this season in their 41 game played, second to only Iowa who has 23. Last season PSU had just nine DP's in 49 games.
COVERAGE
For those not in attendance, live Stats will be available via CBS GameTracker and in game updates through the team's official Twitter feed @PennStateSB. The game will also be broadcast by Penn State Com Radio's secondary feed, accessible at http://bit.ly/1N95yjc.
TICKETS
Admission to the game is just $6 for the general public. Tickets to 2015 home softball games can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY or by logging on to gopsusports.com. Fans can also buy tickets the day of the game by walking up to the Beard Field Box Office.
PROMOTIONS
From home run and double play innings to coozie and inflatable beach ball giveaways there is a little something for every Penn State softball fan to enjoy during the 18 home dates the team has at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field this season. Throughout the season there will be several reoccurring promotions such as dollar dog and winning weeknights (Mar. 25, Apr. 1, 7, 22) as well weekend games where kids can create signs at specially designated stations to cheer on the team or their favorite player. The team will also hold special autograph sessions following each Sunday contest and kids 12 and younger can run the bases following each Saturday home date. During each game fans will be able to participate in inning-by-inning promotions such as the Home Delivery Home Run and Double Play innings as well as Uncle Chen's Trivia Challenge. For a complete list of the promotions that fans can expect to see at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field this season click here.
ADMISSION & LIMITED BAG POLICY
Fans attending Penn State softball games at Beard Field will have to comply with Penn State University's Bag Policy. Fans are advised that no backpacks or briefcases may be brought into the stadium and all bags must be searched. For more information visit the Safety Policy SY44 Page or Penn State's Bag Policy Page.
GRAND PRESENCE
The Nittany Lions have hit an impressive five grand slams in their last five games, with two coming in the doubleheader sweep of Bucknell (Apr. 1) and another pair coming in the same game and the same inning no less, the top of the fourth in the series finale vs. Wisconsin (Apr. 4). In all four Blue & White batters have hit HR's with the bases loaded this season. Below is a look at the official tally, when they were hit and who against.
| Player | No. | Date(s) | Against |
| Alyssa VanDerveer | 2 | Apr. 1/ 3 | Bucknell Wisconsin |
| Kristina Brackpool | 1 | Apr. 1 | Bucknell |
| Shelby Miller | 1 | Apr. 4 | Wisconsin |
| Reina Furuya | 1 | Apr. 4 | Wisconsin |
HI2TORY IN GRAND FASHION
Staying with the grand slam theme, Penn State became just the sixth team in recorded Division I NCAA softball history to hit a pair of grand slams in one inning as it plated a total of nine runs in the top of the fourth during its 15-5 five inning mercy rule victory over Wisconsin, Apr. 4. Shelby Miller hit the first grannie with no one out and then Reina Furuya, who led off the inning with a double, came to the plate with just one out and already five in, in the inning and slammed another bases loaded homer to achieve the historic feat. The rare occasion has become less rare with each passing season as this is the third year in-a-row it's been accomplished , but the first time a team has done so in the fourth inning of play.
MVP - MOST VERSATILE PLAYER
One could argue that Macy Jones is her team's most valuable player but there is no doubt that she is in fact Penn State's most versatile as she has starred in the field, circle and batter's box this season. Jones is the only member of the Blue & White pitching corps who yields the aluminum and she has done so quite successfully as she has compiled a team best 21 walks and a team high .628 slugging percentage as well as .462 on base percentage. Her eight home runs and 30 RBI is second best on the squad. She also leads the pitching staff with an ultra-low 3.19 ERA and has a team low 15 walks in 13 appearances.
CUTS LIKE A KNIEF
Junior Lexi Knief's ability to cut through opposing pitching this year has been remarkable. She leads the team in batting average (.405), doubles (9), and on base percentage (.464). The centerfielder is slugging an impressive .524 on the season, fourth most among her teammates.
PUT ME IN COACH
Macy Jones is the only Nittany Lion to have started and played in all 41 games this season. She has split time in between the circle and the outfield and has even seen a little time at first base, making one start and 12 relief appearances in the circle and 40 starts in the field. Freshmen Mollie Sorenson and Alyssa VanDerveer are the next closest iron women, as Sorenson has played in 40 of 41 total contests in 2015, with 38 starts. VanDerveer has started and played in 39 contests as either the backstop or designated player with the exception of one game at first base.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
The 2015 season is looking a lot like years from the past, that's because Penn State has now officially reeled off 21 wins in a season for the first time since 2011, when it compiled a 31-24-1 record during Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field's first season. With its series win vs. Wisconsin last weekend, Amanda Lehotak's squad will reached 20 wins in a season for the 26th time in program history.
SOPHOMORE SEASON
Although it's been a while since head coach Amanda Lehotak was a sophomore playing at Ole' Miss, she enters her sophomore season on the bench as the leader of the PSU program. In her first season the Lions went 14-35 with a 5-18 B1G mark. Here's a look at how second year coaches have fared at Penn State over the years.
| Coach | Year | Record | Pct. |
| Pat McTarsney | 1966 | 2-2 | .500 |
| Pat McTarsney | 1975 | 8-7 | .533 |
| Sue Rankin | 1983 | 25-13 | .658 |
| Robin Petrini | 1998 | 21-28-1 | .430 |
| Amanda Lehotak | 2015 | 21-20 | .525 |
* Pat McTarsney returned to coaching after a one year hiatus in 1973
NEW NAMES AND NUMBERS
2015 brings with it a new year but also some new names and numbers to the program. This season a half-dozen freshman litter the Lion lineup and roster as Jessica Cummings (#1), Mia Monopoli (#13), Rebecca Ziegler (#15), Gianna Arrizurieta (#21), Mollie Sorenson (#22) and Alyssa VanDerveer will all call Happy Valley home for the first time. Junior transfer Erin Pond (#2) also makes her debut in the Blue and White.
ROUGH ROAD
Penn State's 2015 schedule is a challenging one, with 56 games on the slate against opponents in conferences such as the SEC, ACC and the Big 12. The Lions will take on a total of four teams (Michigan, Georgia, Texas A&M and Missouri in the Pre-Season Top 25 as well as another four (Wisconsin, Mississippi State, James Madison, Northwestern) who are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN/ USA Softball Top 25 polls.
NATIONAL PROGRAM
This season the Lions boast a total of 18 players from states other than the Commonwealth. Two from Hawaii, one from Washington andfive from California dot the western edge of the States, while four from N.Y. and N.J. join other ones from Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Florida to make-up the eastern part of the country. Three Pennsylvanians (Marlaina Laubach, Christy Von Pusch and Mary Ward) bring some instate pride to the program while, one from Arizona and another from Texas add unique flair to an already diverse group.
A HALF CENTURY OF TRADITION
Penn State softball is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, making it the oldest program among the schools in the power five conferences (ACC, B1G, Big 12, Pac- 12, SEC). The Lions started up in 1965 under head coach Pat McTarsney and went 2-2 in their first season with wins against Elizabethtown and Wilson colleges. PSU defeated both in-state schools by a combined 46-4 score. The second oldest program among the power five is Arizona State, which began play just twoyears later in 1967.