UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State softball head coach Amanda Lehotak announced the 2019 slate Thursday, highlighted by 13 home dates (17 games) and contests with four 2018 NCAA Tournament participants.
The Nittany Lions will play the first 25 of 55 games on the road in four tournaments in Florida and the ACC/B1G Challenge at Duke. The home opener is slated for Wednesday, March 20, in a doubleheader with Robert Morris. The Nittany Lions will host Big Ten foe Wisconsin March 29-31 in the first home series of the season.
"The 2019 schedule is another competitive schedule with the first five weeks on the road and a mix of NCAA Tournament teams from last season," said head coach Amanda Lehotak. "We are going to be tested early on the road but then will get to enjoy 17 games in front of the Penn State faithful at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The season is quickly approaching and we can't wait to get started."
SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
- Penn State will open the first weekend of the 2019 season in the Sunshine State, taking part in the FGCU Tournament in Fort Myers, Florida. The Nittany Lions will face Ball State, host Florida Gulf Coast, LIU Brooklyn and Kent State.
- The Nittany Lions will participate in the ACC/B1G Challenge for the second consecutive season Feb. 15-17 in Durham, N.C. The team will play both Syracuse and Duke twice during the weekend.
- Penn State will once again head south to the Sunshine State for spring break, first playing in the Madeira Beach Tournament March 1-3, hosted by Eastern Michigan. The Nittany Lions will face Boston College, Florida International, Detroit Mercy, FAMU and Central Michigan. The team will then play a mid-week doubleheader with Penn and Villanova on March 6 at the E.C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida, before participating in the USF Tournament March 8-10. There, the Nittany Lions will square off with Holy Cross, South Dakota State, Central Michigan, Saint Joseph's and Toledo.
- Penn State's home opener is slated for Wednesday, March 20 in a doubleheader with Robert Morris at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
- Penn State plays eight Big Ten series, hosting Wisconsin (March 29-31), Ohio State (doubleheader – April 9), Rutgers (April 12-14) and Indiana (May 3-5), while traveling to Michigan State (March 22-24), Purdue (April 5-7), Maryland (April 19-21) and Michigan (April 26-28).
- Other mid-season nonconference matchups include an away game at Pitt on March 27, and two home doubleheaders with Saint Francis on April 3 and Bucknell on April 24.
- Indiana is set to host the 2019 Big Ten Tournament, May 9-12.
View the complete schedule here.
Ticket sales, promotions and broadcast information will be announced at a future date. Dates and times for all games are subject to change.
Stay up to date on all things Penn State Softball by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @PennStateSB, and on Facebook.