| PENN STATE at BIG TEN / ACC CHALLENGE | | | 0-2-0 (0-0-0) |
| Friday, Feb. 16 - Sunday, Feb. 18 | Durham, North Carolina | |
|
|
Feb. 15, 2018
NITTANY LIONS TRAVEL TO BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
The Penn State softball team will travel to the Third Annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, hosted by Duke, Friday, Feb. 16-Sunday, Feb. 18. The Nittany Lions will take on first-year program Duke as well as Virginia Tech. Action from Durham, North Carolina starts Friday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. against the Blue Devils. The Nittany Lions will then take on Virginia Tech and Duke on Saturday, Feb. 17 before finishing the tournament on Sunday, Feb. 18 against Virginia Tech.
PREVIEWING THE BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
The annual event, which debuted in 2016, will feature 10 teams from each conference playing four games each at five campus sites over a three-day period. The Big Ten has posted a combined 33-31 record in the first two years of the Challenge, with Michigan going 4-0 during the inaugural event in 2016, and Minnesota and Penn State registering 4-0 records last year. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten, while ACC members Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and N.C. State will serve as host sites for this year's Challenge. The other ACC participants will be Boston College, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
NITTANY LIONS AT BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
Penn State will participate in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the second time in the three years of the tournament. The Blue and White posted a perfect 4-0 record in its 2017 appearance, defeating Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech two times each.
PENN STATE TO PLAY DUKE IN FIRST-EVER HOME GAME
The Nittany Lions will play the first ever game inside the brand new stadium at Duke in Durham, North Carolina. The Blue Devils opened their 2018 season in Boca Raton, Florida and will kick off their inaugural season at home Friday, Feb. 16 against Penn State.
BLUE AND WHITE LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN OF 2018
Penn State is looking for its first win of the 2018 season when it travels to the Big Ten/ACC Challenge as three of its five games at the Sand Dollar Classic were cancelled due to rain during opening weekend. The Blue and White fell to national powerhouse No. 11 Alabama in game one before losing a tightly played 3-1 contest against Virginia Tech to close out the tournament on Friday, Feb. 9.
THREE HITTERS EMERGE IN WEEK ONE
Despite playing only 12 innings opening weekend and only one hitter seeing over five at-bats outside, three hitters have emerged to lead Penn State this season. Junior Tori Dubois is poised to surpass her 2017 season, securing hits in back-to-back games over the weekend and tallying the lone hit against No. 11 Alabama, while sophomore Destiny Weber also notched two hits for the Blue and White. Weber placed a ball to the middle infield against Virginia Tech that would cause a throwing error, scoring Penn State's lone run of the weekend. Finally, junior Toni Polk laced the only extra-base hit of the weekend for the Nittany Lions with a double into the outfield.
CUMMINGS AND SHAFFER SPLIT TIME IN THE CIRCLE
Senior Jessica Cummings earned the nod in the first two games of the 2018 season, starting against both No. 11 Alabama and Virginia Tech at the Sand Dollar Classic. Cummings threw 7.1 innings, striking out five in her first outings of her final year donning the Blue and White. Junior Madison Shaffer also made her first appearances of the 2018 season, coming on in relief both games for Cummings. Shaffer tossed 3.2 innings and struck out one.
NEW STARTERS GET FIRST TASTE OF THE FIELD
The Nittany Lions had just one starter returning in the same position in which they started a year ago and fans saw a completely new look at the Sand Dollar Classic. Four newcomers earned starts in the first two contests, while five others started in new positions for the 2018 campaign.
PENN STATE ROAD WARRIORS
The Nittany Lions will open their 2018 season with 20 road games before they play a home contest at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The Blue and White participate in four road tournaments, kicking things off at the Sand Dollar Classic, Feb. 9-11. From there, Penn State will head to the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the second-straight season where it will take on first-year team Duke as well as Virginia Tech, Feb. 16-18. Lehotak and her squad then travel back to familiar territory for the head coach as the Nittany Lions will play in the Jacksonville Tournament, Feb. 23-25. Finally, Penn State plays a single game against Texas A&M, March 6 and will play in the Houston Tournament, March 9-11.
CONFERENCE TOUR
Penn State will see a slew of representatives from several different conferences this season, taking on teams from 11 different leagues in 2018. The Nittany Lions will take on teams from the American Athletic Conference (UCF, Houston), Atlantic Coast Conference (Georgia Tech, Pitt, Virginia Tech), Atlantic Sun Conference (Jacksonville, Lipscomb), Big 12 (Iowa State), Colonial Athletic Conference (Hofstra, JMU), Mid-American Conference (Kent State), Northeast Conference (Robert Morris, Saint Francis), Patriot League (Bucknell), Southeastern Conference (Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M), and Southland Conference (Central Arkansas).
ON DECK
The Nittany Lions will hit the pavement for the third-straight week when they travel to Jacksonville, Florida for the JU Tournament. Penn State will take on host Jacksonville twice, UCF, Western Carolina, and No. 21 JMU, Feb. 23-25.
