April 23, 2015
| PENN STATE vs. RUTGERS | |
| Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26 | |
| NLSB & Beard Field | University Park, Pa. | |
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Notes/Event Program | Statistics (PSU) | B1G StatsUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State softball team wraps up their home schedule this weekend against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Nittany Lions enter the weekend with a 24-24 record, including 6-11 in the Big Ten. Rutgers is 26-14 overall and 10-7 in conference play.
The blue and white are coming off of Wednesday night's doubleheader against Saint Francis. The Nittany Lions lost the first game, 5-4, but bounced back to win the second contest, 14-2.
The series begins on Friday at 6 p.m. as it's Bark-In-The-Park Night. On Saturday, the game will start at 3 p.m., with Senior Day ceremonies taking place before to honor Meghan Bradley (Santa Monica, Calif.), Marissa Diescher (Livingston Manor, N.Y.) and Alicia Walker (Los Alamitos, Calif.). Sunday is the team's Pink Zone game, which starts at 1 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
SERIES HISTORY vs. RUTGERS
The Nittany Lions lead the series 22-20, with this being the teams' first meeting as Big Ten foes. The Scarlet Knights have won the last two meetings, including a 4-3 decision in 2014. Rutgers also won in 2012. Penn State's last win in the series was a 10-0 result in 2005, the last in a four-game win streak in the series. The teams first met on April 5, 1980, with Rutgers winning 7-2.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Rutgers is 26-14 overall and 10-7 in Big Ten play. Last weekend, Rutgers went 1-2 at Ohio State, dropping Friday/s contest, but splitting a doubleheader on Saturday. Rutgers swept Maryland during a Tuesday twin bill, winning 6-5 in the first contest and 11-3 in the second.
Jackie Bates leads the Scarlet Knights' lineup. Bates is hitting a team-best .389, with 16 home runs and 44 RBI. She also has 11 doubles and three triples, while slugging .905. Jordan Whitley is batting .379, while having driven in 24 runs. Whitley also has seven stolen bases. Bates and Whitley are two of seven Scarlet Knights hitting above .300.
Alyssa Landrith anchors the Rutgers' pitching staff. She is 14-8 this season in 24 appearances, including 19 starts and 13 complete games. She has a 3.29 ERA in 134 innings pitched, striking out 116 and walking 55. Shayla Sweeney has a 5-2 record and 5.01 ERA in 64.1 innings pitched, while Dresden Maddox has a 7-4 mark with a 6.65 ERA in 66.1 innings pitched, Maddox has struck out 52 batters.
QUICK HITS
- The Nittany Lions will have hit 40 in a season for the first time since 2013. They have sent 41 over the fence. Shots by Macy Jones and Alyssa VanDerveer on Wednesday put Penn State over the 40 mark.
- The power trio of Alyssa VanDerveer, Kristina Brackpool and Macy Jones have accounted for 31 of Penn State's 41 home runs this season, over 75 percent. VanDerveer leads the bunch with 12 while Jones has 10 and Brackpool has hit nine.
- This is the first time in program history that Penn State has had two players hit 10 or more home runs in the same season. Brackpool could add a third player to that mix with her next dinger.
- Macy Jones has the unique distinction of being the leader in at least one of her team's offensive and pitching categories as she is tops in Runs (39), total bases (94) and slugging percentage (.657). She also has the lowest earned run average among the pitching staff at 3.00.
GRAND PRESENCE
The Nittany Lions have hit an impressive seven grand slams during the 2015 season. Two came in the doubleheader sweep of Bucknell (Apr. 1) and another pair followed in the same game and the same inning no less, the top of the fourth in the series finale vs. Wisconsin (Apr. 4). Kristina Brackpool hit her second grand slam of the season in a mid-week doubleheader with Ohio State (Apr. 15). Alyssa VanDerveer hit her third slam, a first inning blast, against Maryland (Apr. 18) In all four Blue & White batters have hit HR's with the sacks jacked this season. Below is a look at the official tally, when they were hit and who against.
Player No. Date(s) Against
Alyssa VanDerveer 3 Apr. 1,3,&18 BU, UW, MD
Kristina Brackpool 2 Apr. 1&15 BU & OSU
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.
BTN SEASON DEBUT
The Nittany Lions will made their debut on the Big Ten Network during the series finale vs. Maryland on Sunday, April 19. It marked the first time since the 2013 regular season finale vs. Illinois that the Blue & White were on the national network.
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 24 walks and is second on the team in on base percentage (.470) and first in slugging percentage (.657). Her 41 RBI is second best on the squad and her 10 home runs are second to Alyssa VanDerveer(12). She also leads the pitching staff with a 3.00 ERA and has a team low 19 walks in 16 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 (.411), hits(61), doubles (12) and triples(3). The centerfielder is slugging an impressive .530 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 48 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 three starts and 13 relief appearances in the circle and 45 starts in the field. Freshmen Mollie Sorenson and Alyssa VanDerveer are the next closest iron women, as Sorenson has played in 47 of 48 total contests in 2015, with 45 starts. VanDerveer has started and played in 46 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 23 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 Rec. 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 24-24 .500
* 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 and five 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 two years later in 1967.
PARKING INFORMATION
FRIDAY, APRIL 24th-- PSU Softball vs. Rutgers at 6 p.m., Garth Brooks concert at 7 p.m.
Softball event parking is available at no charge in the Orange-B lots adjacent to the Nittany Lion Softball Park with the Orange-B lot directly North of the Ball Park reserved for season ticket holders and staff with 2015 softball reserved parking permits.
Overflow parking for softball is in Lot 82 North and the small Pavilion lot adjacent to the Orange-B lots. Both lots are accessed off of Park Avenue.
Additional overflow parking will be directed to the East Parking Deck. Softball spectators should tell the attendant that they are going to the softball game and they will be allowed to park without being charged the event parking fee.
All spectators and staff should take note that traffic will be heavy and to allow extra time to get into the area.
SATURDAY, APRIL 25th-- PSU Softball vs. Rutgers at 3 p.m., Garth Brooks concert at 7 and 10:30 p.m.
Softball event parking is available at no charge in the Orange-B lots adjacent to the Nittany Lion Softball Park with the Orange-B lot directly North of the Ball Park reserved for season ticket holders and staff with 2015 softball reserved parking permits.
Overflow parking for softball is in Lot 82 North and the small Pavilion lot adjacent to the Orange-B lots. Both lots are accessed off of Park Avenue.
Additional overflow parking will be directed to the East Parking Deck. Softball spectators should tell the attendant that they are going to the softball game and they will be allowed to park without being charged the event parking fee.
Stadium West parking lot will be closed all day on Saturday, April 25.
All spectators and staff should take note that traffic may be heavier upon conclusion of the game and to be prepared to exit towards West campus instead of going East on Park Avenue or Curtin Road to avoid the concert traffic coming in for the event.