| PENN STATE at MARYLAND | | | | 20-28 (6-11, B1G) | 9-33-1 (2-13, B1G) |
| Friday, April 28-Sunday, April 30 | Madryland Softball Stadium College Park, Maryland | |
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April 27, 2017
PENN STATE FINISHES REGULAR SEASON ROAD SLATE AT UMD
The Penn State softball team will make one final regular season road trip, this time to College Park, Maryland for a three-game Big Ten Conference series against the Terrapins Friday, April 28-Sunday, April 30. The Nittany Lions and Maryland will meet on the field Friday, April 28 at 6 p.m. before playing Saturday and Sunday's contests at 1 p.m.
CATCHING THE GAME FROM HOME
Fans can catch all the action of Friday's single game at 6 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network, as Dean Linke will provide play-by-play and former Michigan second baseman Sierra Romero will be the analyst for the contest. Saturday and Sunday's contests against the Terrapins will be live on BTN Plus with a paid subscription.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE TERRAPINS
Penn State and Maryland have a short history, meeting just 17 times on the field in the Nittany Lion's 52-year history. The Blue and White owns the 13-5 all-time advantage over the Terrapins after sweeping UMD in Happy Valley in the 2016 season. However, Penn State has struggled with the Terrapins on the road as four of its losses have come on Maryland's home field. The Nittany Lions are 5-4 all-time on the road against the Terrapins, having lost all three games in the 2015 season.
A QUICK GLANCE AT MARYLAND
The Terrapins record can be deceiving as they are 9-33-1 but two of those wins have come over top top-20 teams in the 2017 campaign. Maryland opened up the 2017 season with a 4-2 win over then-No. 1 Florida and most recently stole one game from then-No. 18 Michigan with a 2-1 victory at home. UMD has also earned four of its nine wins in the friendly confines of Maryland Softball Stadium.
The Terrapins have three players hitting .300-or-better in the 2017 season with Amanda Brashear leading the team with a .308 batting average that includes 44 hits, while Juli Strange is hitting .300 with 36 hits. Kristina Dillard has driven in a team-high 19 RBI this season but has been prone to strikeouts as she ties for first on the team with 25. Once on the base path, Maryland is not afraid to take a base as three players have swiped at least four bases this season and the team has taken 20 bases on 25 attempts in 2017.
In the circle, Madison Martin has made a team-high 35 appearances and 19 starts to earn six of Maryland's nine wins this season with a 3.51 ERA. The Terrapin's three final wins have come while Hannah Dewey has been in control in the circle as she has made 30 appearances with 15 starts and a 5.34 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST UMD
The 2016 sweep of the Terrapins capped off a historic weekend for the Blue and White as it has its second-straight sellout crowd at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. Furthermore, the Nittany Lions moved to 6-0 in conference play at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field, making it the first time since 2012 that Penn State has swept two conference series at home. Moreover, the sweep of UMD in 2016 was just the first time in program history that the Blue and White had swept three three-game series in Big Ten Conference play.
SHAFFER PITCHING QUALITY INNINGS TO CLOSE 2017
Sophomore Madison Shaffer has been used as a reliever for the entire 2017 season before earning her first start against Saint Francis Wednesday, April 26. Shaffer was steady through eight innings of work, allowing just seven hits, striking out four and giving up one run on a double in the top of the eighth. The New Castle, Pennsylvania native also came on in relief against Bucknell to toss five innings and earn her first victory of the 2017 campaign as she struck out three and allowed only one run to score. Shaffer has seen her ERA drop by at least 1.00 each of the last three weeks as she has worked it down to a 3.75 to rank second on the team.
DUBOIS LEADS CONFERENCE IN BATTING AVERAGE
Sophomore Tori Dubois has made a name for herself in her second season donning the Blue and White. The starting left fielder is currently hitting at a .349 clip for the 2017 season and even more impressively a .490 clip in Big Ten Conference games. Dubois has turned on her hitting since B1G play opened with 25 of her 45 total hits have come against conference opponents, which ties for first in the league. Furthermore, 15 of Dubois's 25 total RBIs have come in Big Ten Conference games. Most recently, Dubois drove in the game-winning runs on a two-run home run against Rutgers.
BTN PICKS UP GAME TWO AGAINST MINNESOTA
The Big Ten Network has added game two of the Minnesota series at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field to its schedule as announced Thursday, April 20. The Nittany Lions and the Golden Gophers were originally slated to play a 3 p.m. contest at Beard Field Saturday, May 6 and will now play at 2 p.m. with the game being televised by BTN. Penn State opens the series Friday, May 5 with a 6 p.m. contest against Minnesota and will celebrate the careers of its five seniors on Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m. Finally, the Blue and White will close out the regular season Sunday, May 7 at 1 p.m. at Beard Field. Friday and Sunday's contests with the Golden Gophers will be featured on GoPSUNow free of charge for fans who are unable to make it out to Beard Field.
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 returns to Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field for its final regular season series May 5-May 7. The Nittany Lions will take on Minnesota in its final Big Ten Conference series of the season with a 6 p.m. game Friday, May 5, a 2 p.m. contest featured on the Big Ten Network Saturday, May 6 and a senior day 1 p.m. contest on Sunday, May 7.
