| PENN STATE at No. 19 MICHIGAN | | | | 12-14 (0-0, B1G) | 19-7-1 (0-0, B1G) |
| Friday, March 24-Sunday, March 26 | Wilpon Complex Ann Arbor, Michigan | |
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March 23, 2017
PENN STATE OPENS BIG TEN PLAY AT NO. 19 MICHIGAN
The Penn State softball team continues its road stretch after its first two home series were postponed when it travels to No. 19 Michigan for a three-game Big Ten Conference series March 24-26. The Nittany Lions and the Wolverines open up Big Ten play Friday, March 24 with a 4 p.m. contest and will play game two Saturday, March 25 at 2 p.m. The series finale at the Wilpon Complex is slated for a 1 p.m. start Sunday, March 26.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WOLVERINES
The University of Michigan dominates the series with the Nittany Lions, 64-7. Michigan has won the last 25 meetings between the two teams with Penn State's last victory coming in the 2007 season when it beat the then-No. 9 Wolverines 5-2 at the Judi Garman Classic. Furthermore, PSU defeated Michigan in 2005, 2-1, when the Wolverines went on to win the World Series. However, despite its recent losses, the Nittany Lions have been closing in on the Wolverines, falling 4-2 in its first meeting in the 2016 campaign and then suffering a second close loss, 6-1, at the Big Ten Conference Tournament in the 2016 campaign.
NITTANY LIONS IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
Since entering the Big Ten Conference in 1991 Penn State is 9-13-5 in league lid lifting series. Prior to the 2012 season, the Big Ten played a two-game series before adopting the three-game series concept in the 2012 campaign. The Nittany Lions are looking for their second-straight conference opening victory as it swept Rutgers in a three-game series in the 2016 campaign. The series against Michigan marks the second-straight season in which Penn State has opened conference action on the road. Furthermore, the Blue and White are looking for just their second Big Ten Conference opening series road victory in the history of the program as it carries a 3-8-1 overall record in league road series openers.
MILLER REACHES 100 CAREER RBI
With her 17 RBI this season, senior Shelby Miller has eclipsed the 100-career RBI mark. The senior third baseman has driven in 103 career RBI in her 174 appearances and currently ties for No. 8 in Nittany Lion career RBI laurels with Michelle Turk. Miller needs just one RBI to move into a tie for seventh overall and 34 RBI in her remaining 28 regular season games donning the Blue and White to tie former teammate Macy Jones for the Penn State career RBI record of 137.
BRACKPOOL MOVES INTO SOLE POSSESSION OF NO. 9 SPOT
Senior Kristina Brackpool moved into the No. 9 all-time spot when she blasted her 18th career home run against Niagara, March 19. Brackpool launched a home run over the outfield wall to give Penn State the early 3-0 lead over the Purple Eagles. The Valencia, Calif. native posted a big weekend at the plate for Penn State, hitting at a .467 clip in four games. The senior first baseman tallied seven hits in 15 at-bats and drove in eight RBI on the weekend. Brackpool tallied two multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games, bringing in four of Penn State's seven runs against Niagara. In the field, Brackpool had 26 putouts and one assist.
ZIEGLER STEADY AT THE DISH
Redshirt-sophomore Rebecca Ziegler has been comfortable as the leadoff batter for the Blue and White but has also been a force with runners on base. The starting center fielder has driven in a team-best 18 runs, including five RBI against Virginia Tech in the Nittany Lions 7-1 victory. Ziegler has tallied nine multi-hit games to total 30 base knocks on the season. Furthermore, Ziegler has 10 extra base hits, which includes seven doubles. Ziegler currently ties for 13th in the Big Ten Conference with her 30 hits, while her seven doubles tie for 10th overall.
SMITH FINDING A HOME IN THE CIRCLE
After studying behind senior Marlaina Laubach and sophomore Madison Seifert in the first four weeks of the season, freshman Madey Smith is starting to find a place in the rotation for the Nittany Lions heading into week seven. Smith made her career debut in week four of the season against Colorado State and has seen action every weekend since. The right-handed hurler tossed her first collegiate complete game against George Washington striking out a career-best eight batters while giving up just three hits and two runs in the 4-2 victory. The Washington, N.J. native ranks second in the Nittany Lion pitching staff with a 3.06 ERA and has struck out 18 batters in 16.0 innings of work.
BLUE AND WHITE EARN THREE WINS IN NATION'S CAPITAL
Penn State returned to Happy Valley with three wins after taking two games from Niagara and picking up one win over George Washington, March 18-19. The Nittany Lions earned a decisive 13-4 victory in game one against the Purple Eagles before going on to win a 4-2 game against George Washington. Penn State closed out the tournament with a 7-1 victory over Niagara and a 7-2 loss to GW.
TRAVELING NITTANY LIONS
Penn State softball will hit the road for 39 of its 56 games, traveling a whopping 13,199 miles in the 2017 season. The Nittany Lions first travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. for the LSU Tournament before heading to Atlanta, Georgia for its first appearance in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Blue and White close out the month of February in Conway, South Carolina for the Chanticleer Showdown and open the month of March at the Colorado State Classic. Penn State continues its five weeks of travel in Washington with a doubleheader against Seattle and two games in the Husky Classic. Penn State returns from spring break and travels to Washington D.C. for four games at the GW Capital Classic, March 18-19. Following a mid-week home-opener, the Nittany Lions go back on the road to Michigan and Pittsburgh and also make trips out to Michigan State, Nebraska and Maryland in the 2017 campaign.
ON DECK
Penn State will travel to Pittsburgh for a mid-week single game Wednesday, March 29 before opening its 2017 home slate Friday, March 31 with a three-game series against Indiana.
